The baumkuchen is an odd yet tasty layered German sponge cake baked on a spit. It arrived in Denver last year via a long, strange tour of Asia. Its history is as complex as its many layers.

Found: Baumkuchen (German tree cake) Lost without it: Carrie Sanfords, of Plantation Where to buy: Germandeli.com, 877-437-6269, sells 10.5-ounce milk or bittersweet dark chocolate-coated Baumkuche… ...

Here’s the story of how Paul Gauweiler and his baumkuchen oven met. Cake Box Pastries, 6054 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, (714) 842-9132, www.cakeboxpastries.com. -- Betty Hallock ...