The Frog cake is a dessert

Dessert

In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...

 in the shape of a frog

Frog

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

's head, composed of sponge cake

Sponge cake

Sponge cake is a cake based on flour , sugar, and eggs, sometimes leavened with baking powder which has a firm, yet well aerated structure, similar to a sea sponge. A sponge cake may be produced by either the batter method, or the foam method. Typicially the batter method in the U.S. is known as a...

 and cream covered with fondant

Fondant

Fondant is one of several kinds of icing-like substance used to decorate or sculpt pastries. The word, in French, means "melting", coming from the same root as "foundry" in English....

. It was created by the Balfours

Balfours

Balfours is a South Australian bakery, which produces pies, pasties and cakes for sale in South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales ....

 bakery in 1922, and soon became a popular treat in South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

. Originally frog cakes were available exclusively in green, but later brown and pink were added to the range. Since then other variations have been developed, including seasonable varieties (such as snowmen

Snowman

A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen...

 and Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

 "chicks"). The frog cake has been called "uniquely South Australian", and has been employed in promoting the state. In recognition of its cultural significance, in 2001 the frog cake was listed as a South Australian Heritage Icon by the National Trust of South Australia

National Trust of Australia

The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....

.

Composition

The frog cake is a small dessert shaped to resemble a frog with its mouth open, consisting of a sponge base with a jam center, topped in artificial cream

Artificial cream

Artificial cream is an imitation of cream made from non-dairy fats.Artificial cream is usually made from vegetable oil, not butterfat, and contains no butyric acid. Artificial cream often contains sugar to sweeten it, but intense sweeteners are also used....

 and covered with a thick layer of fondant icing

Icing (food)

Icing, also called frosting in the United States, is a sweet often creamy glaze made of sugar with a liquid such as water or milk, that is often enriched with ingredients such as butter, egg whites, cream cheese, or flavorings and is used to cover or decorate baked goods, such as cakes or cookies...

. The recipe today remains identical to the one employed when the cake was first produced in the 1920s. When manufactured, large layers of sponge cake are combined and cut mechanically into shape, covered in the fondant, and the mouth is then formed with a hot knife. Fondant eyes of a contrasting colour are manually added to the head, and the completed dessert is presented in a paper patty-pan. The fondant is normally brown, green or pink, but for special occasions colours can include variations such as red and yellow.

History

Having traveled to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 in the early 1920s, Gordon Balfour, the nephew of John Balfour, (who was one of the co-founders of Balfours Bakery), found inspiration for the frog cake in European confectionery

Confectionery

Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...

. The frog cake was introduced by Balfours in 1922 after Gordon's return to Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

, during a time in which tearooms were still popular in the city. It soon became known as the Balfours mascot, and has traditionally only been sold in South Australia., although they are now sold in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland as well.

The original frog cakes were green in colour, and green remains the most popular of the options, but chocolate and pink coloured versions were later added to the range. In addition, while the frog motif dominates, special occasions have resulted in slightly different designs – such as Father Christmas

Father Christmas

Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...

 and Snowman cakes released during Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 seasons and "Chick" cakes around Easter. Frog cakes have also be released in the colours of the Adelaide Football Club.

Frog cakes have long been regarded as a South Australian icon, and have at times been used to help promote the state. For example, in 2001 frog cakes were given to judges during Joan Hall

Joan Hall

Joan Lynette Hall is a former member of the South Australian House of Assembly, serving in the electoral district of Coles from 1993 to 2002 and the renamed electoral district of Morialta from 2002 to 2006....

's final pitch in a successful bid to win the 2007 World Police and Fire Games

World Police and Fire Games

ThisWorld Police and Fire Games are a biennial athletic event open to active and retired law enforcement and fire service personnel throughout the world...

 for Adelaide. While there have been tongue-in-cheek

Tongue-in-cheek

Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...

 and satirical suggestions to build monuments to the frog cake, such as that made by Peter Goers

Peter Goers

Peter Goers is an actor, director, reviewer, former academic and current host of the radio program The Evening Show on 891 ABC Adelaide, which broadcasts throughout South Australia and to the city of Broken Hill...

, a more realistic recognition of the frog cake came in 2001 when it was one of the first items to be selected as a South Australian Icon by the National Trust of South Australia during the 165th anniversary of the state, adding the frog cake to the National Heritage Listing as a "movable asset".

Historically, the frog cake has sold well for Balfours, and at times sales have peaked in response to events surrounding the company. When the company was placed into receivership in 2000, a column in The Advertiser by Rex Jory

Rex Jory

William Rex Jory is an Australian journalist. He is currently an associate editor of The Advertiser, regular columnist for both The Advertiser and the Sunday Mail and leader writer for The Advertiser....

called for people to support the company by purchasing the cakes, and in response sales doubled to an "all-time high". Similarly, the 2001 inclusion of the frog cake as a South Australian icon saw a comparable increase in sales. The success of the frog cake has led to imitations, and in response Balfours registered both the name and the shape of the product as a trademark during 2001.