This year can't end fast enough. Thank goodness for the sweets stores of Japan, many of which are offering an early, sugary escape from 2020 with new year-themed creations.
The best — and cutest — comes from cupcake purveyor Fairycake Fair, located inside Tokyo Station. The store has long offered up delectables in the shape of the imminent Chinese zodiac animal, and the tradition continues with cupcakes modeled after the Year of the Ox. Although, whether in standard size (¥480 after tax) or as part of a smaller set of five (¥1,600 after tax), the store has embraced a cuddlier dairy cow design.
The box features soft, tasty cupcakes filled with homemade caramel, but the standalone bovine-themed sweet steals the show. This dessert goes all-in, topping the tea-flavored cake with a refreshing milk-flavored cream shaped like a spotted cow head, complete with almond ears. It's delicious, and tastes all the better knowing 2021 is just around the corner.