A delectable exclusive has emerged in Denver’s Congress Park. At newly opened dessert address Glaze, the Baum Cake Shoppe you’ll find a sweet offering known as Baumkuchen — an unusual, and exceedingly delicious, spin on confection. These delicate cakes are baked in layers on a rotating spit, and became a runaway hit in Japan over a century ago. Slicing into them reveals ringed layers, earning them the nickname “tree of life.”

Despite the fact that this curious cake has reached cult status in Japan and most likely originated in Ancient Greece, it’s 19th century bakers in the German town of Salzwedal who usually get the credit for the current incarnation. The oldest known recipe in print appeared in a German cookbook dating to 1581.

The bakers at Glaze, who call their ringed concoctions Baum Cake, use an authentic Japanese oven designed exclusively for this specialty confection. Bakery owner Heather Alcott imported the oven from Japan. Roughly the size of a small car, it’s capable of baking 90 baum cakes at a time. Alcott calls it the Seki Ryuu, or Red Dragon.

So far, Glaze is the only U.S. location to offer authentic Baumkuchen. In addition to the original baum (an almond flour base flavored with vanilla and topped with Cointreau or rum glaze), delectable flavor combinations include apple baum finished with caramel toffee glaze, Matcha Tiramisu (chocolate baum dressed with hazelnuts pistachios and Belgian Callebaut glaze), and Matcha Green Tea Baum.

Intrigued? No need to run in circles. Place an order by phone and they’ll ship directly to you.