ningyo-yaki; doll-shaped sponge cake with red bean paste
A traditional Japanese confection: small sponge cakes baked in molds, often shaped like dolls or other figures, filled with sweet red bean paste. A specialty of Asakusa, Tokyo.
When I went to Asakusa, I bought some ningyo-yaki as a souvenir.
Ningyo-yaki are small baked cakes filled with red bean paste.
Imagawayaki is a round, thick pancake-like cake with red bean paste, whereas ningyo-yaki are molded into various shapes and have a finer, sponge-like texture.
Standard spelling for this traditional confection.
Variant with okurigana; less common but still seen.
From 人形 (ningyō, 'doll') + 焼き (yaki, 'baked'), referring to the traditional doll-shaped molds used to make these cakes.