Sun Cake is a traditional Taichung pastry made of flaky dough wrapped around a malt sugar filling, tracing back to Kunpai Bakery in Shengang District and refined by pastry chef Wei Qing-hai, known as Master Aming, who popularized it from a shop on Ziyou Road; because the recipe was never patented, multiple shops on Ziyou Road today claim to be the authentic lineage. Walking from Taichung Station to the second section of Ziyou Road, the air carries the scent of butter, flour, and malt sugar baked together. Shops at numbers 23, 25, and 27 stand side by side, each sign reading "Sun Cake." The staff tuck freshly baked round pastries into paper bags, and you can't resist biting into one before you've even left the shop — flaky crust scatters like petals all over your hands, while half-melted malt sugar oozes from the center. This street is the home ground of Taichung's pastry culture.
Sun cake traces back to a malt pastry made at Kunpai Bakery in Taichung's Shengang District; pastry chef Wei Qing-hai (known as Master Aming) refined the recipe into its modern form and popularized it from a shop on Ziyou Road. Because the recipe was never patented, dozens to over a hundred shops across Taichung today claim the "Taiyangtang" name as the authentic lineage, and the true brand origin remains disputed.
What is Sun Cake
Sun cake is a Taichung pastry made of Chinese-style flaky dough filled with malt sugar. The crust is distinctly layered and melts in the mouth, while the filling is a cooked malt sugar paste that flows slightly when warm and solidifies into sugary layers when cool. Each piece is roughly palm-sized, round and slightly domed, named for its golden, sun-like surface. The traditional way to eat it is with hot tea, letting the bitterness of the tea cut through the sweetness of the malt. Many older Taichung residents have eaten it since childhood as a breakfast or afternoon snack.
Sun cake is generally thought to have originated on Ziyou Road in Taichung, with pastry chef Wei Qing-hai (Master Aming) cited as its source. As apprentices branched out and family members opened their own shops, multiple stores claiming to be the authentic or oldest sun cake maker clustered around numbers 23, 25, and 27 on Ziyou Road — a brand dispute that has never been settled. For this reason, the guide does not favor any single shop, using the "Ziyou Road pastry old street cluster" as the visit anchor instead. Treat it as a category destination — browse the pastries, buy some, compare them. That's the most enjoyable way to do a dessert walk through old Taichung.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Verified facts (sponsor-free)
- Sun cake originated on Ziyou Road in Taichung, with pastry chef Wei Qing-hai (Master Aming) most commonly cited as its source. Multiple shops at 23/25/27 Ziyou Road each claim to be the authentic version; brand ownership remains disputed.
- This guide uses the "Ziyou Road sun cake old street cluster" as its anchor and does not designate any single shop as the sole representative, to avoid being drawn into brand arguments.
- The Taichung City Government Tourism Bureau lists Ziyou Road Pastry Old Street as a representative souvenir pastry destination — an official Taichung taste landmark.
Visit tips
- The second section of Ziyou Road (near Taichung Station and Miyahara) takes about 10 minutes to walk. Afternoon tea time is recommended so you can do proper tastings at each shop.
- Most shops offer samples and hot tea, so you can stroll the whole street before deciding where to buy. Parking is difficult — the train or bus is most convenient.
- You can combine the visit with Miyahara, the Fourth Credit Cooperative, and Second Market for a complete sweet dessert walk through old Taichung.
Data compiled from the Michelin Guide, Taichung City Government Tourism Bureau, and a large volume of public reviews. Sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with Dio's own channel footage after on-site shooting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented Sun Cake?
It is generally credited to pastry chef Wei Qing-hai, known as Master Aming, who refined a malt pastry at Kunpai Bakery in Taichung's Shengang District and later popularized it from a shop on Ziyou Road.
Which shop on Ziyou Road is the authentic original?
There is no official verdict — because the recipe was never patented, multiple shops on Ziyou Road each claim to be authentic, and this guide treats the "Ziyou Road old street cluster" as the visit anchor rather than favoring one shop.
What's the traditional way to eat Sun Cake?
The traditional pairing is hot oolong or black tea, whose slight astringency cuts through the sweetness of the malt sugar filling.
Sources
- 太陽餅 - 維基百科 — 確認起源神岡崑派餅店與魏清海(阿明師)改良史
- 台中「太陽餅戰區」自由路曾連四家 誰才是太陽餅正宗發明人? — 確認自由路多店品牌爭議、未申請專利