Vietnamese Hot Dogs (Triangle Cakes)

Vietnamese Hot Dogs aren’t your typical hot dogs. Forget the buns; they’re more reminiscent of cakes but with savory or sweet fillings.

They are quite simple to make and absolutely a cherished snack for every Vietnamese kid.

❤️ What are Vietnamese Hot Dogs?

Living in Germany, I’m no stranger to hot dogs. My German boyfriend has a strong penchant for Wiener and Frankfurter sausages.

So, it was quite a shock for him when I introduced him to these Vietnamese hot dogs since they are like cakes but with savory or sweet fillings.

These so-called Hot Dog cakes have been a favorite treat since I was a kid, alongside Bánh Pate Sô (Vietnamese hot pies), Bánh Bao (steamed buns), and Bánh Flan (Vietnamese flan).

Beyond Vietnam, I’ve noticed that many people view Vietnamese Hot Dogs as Banh Mi Hot Dogs , which is a hot dog version of Banh Mi.

Besides the usual sausage and buns, they incorporate some essential Bánh Mì ingredients like Đồ Chua (carrot and daikon pickles), Vietnamese mayo, Vietnamese liver pâté, slices of jalapeno, cilantro, and a finishing touch of Maggi soy sauce and sriracha.

However, when in Vietnam, if you’re on the hunt for authentic hot dogs, “Bánh Mì Hot Dog” is what you need to seek out.

If you simply ask for hot dogs, you’ll end up with the treat I’m introducing here: a triangular cake with savory or sweet fillings.

I find it fascinating how Vietnamese dishes can differ between the mainland and overseas, yet still share the same name, like Gà Roti or Lemongrass Chicken.

🍳 Kitchen Equipments

• Handmixer
• Sandwich maker (optional): You can use a waffle iron or just a nonstick skillet instead.

🍩 Ingredients

The batter for Vietnamese hot dogs is just like pancake batter. You can use your favorite pancake recipe, just cut back on the sugar.

American pancake batter usually relies on baking powder as a leavening agent, which works well. But in Asia, we prefer whipping the eggs to help the cake rise nicely.

The Batter:

• Eggs (room temperature)
• Sugar
• Milk (room temperature)
• Melted Butter
• All-purpose Flour (I used 405-type flour in Germany)
• Vanilla Extract
• Salt

The Filling:

• Sausages
• Liver Pâté: I used my Vietnamese liver pâté.
• Cheese: Laughing Cow cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Chedda cheese.
• Vietnamese pork floss (chà bông)

You can also use sweet fillings like Nutella, peanut butter, fruit jam, or pastry cream, but the savory fillings taste way better (confirmed by a German, lol).

📝 Instructions

Prepare the fillings

• Slice the sausages.
• Dice the Laughing Cow cheese (or any other cheese).

Prepare the batter

• Combine the milk with melted butter and vanilla extract.
• Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt on medium speed until tiny bubbles form. Gradually add the sugar in 3-4 portions to the mixture. Beat the eggs until the mixture thickens and turns a pale yellow color. As the liquid egg diminishes, the volume will increase, and the mixture will become quite foamy (about 5-6 minutes).
• Once the egg mixture reaches ribbon consistency (when lifted, the mixture falls and forms a ribbon which slowly dissolves on the surface), drizzle the milk-butter mixture over the eggs while continuing to beat at low speed.

Cook the cakes

• Preheat the sandwich maker. To enhance the flavor and create a nice crust, brush melted butter onto the mold. Once it’s hot enough, pour about 1 tbsp batter into the mold.
• Place the fillings onto the batter.
• Add more batter to cover up the filling.

• Let it cook for 3 minutes or until no steam is coming from the sandwich maker.
• Remove the cakes from the mold and enjoy!

Without the sandwich maker ?

If you don’t have a sandwich maker, you can use a waffle iron . The method is similar to making Bánh Xèo Waffles.

You can also use a nonstick skillet , similar to how you make Dorayaki (Japanese Pancakes with red bean filling).

Vietnamese Hot Dogs and Japanese Dorayaki are quite similar. Sometimes, I even cook Dorayaki batter and Anko (sweetened red bean paste) in the sandwich maker.

🍜 Easy Vietnamese Street Food you could make at home

• Vietnamese Pandan Waffles (Bánh Kẹp Lá Dứa): These waffles are crispy on the outside, chewy and soft on the inside, and have a delightful pandan and coconut flavor.
• Vietnamese Pizza (Bánh Tráng Nướng): A popular street food in Vietnam, it’s gluten-free and can be made in under 15 minutes.
• Vietnamese Avocado Smoothie (Sinh Tô Bơ): Rich, creamy, and sweet, this smoothie is a refreshing treat, especially during a hot summer in Vietnam.
• Vietnamese Stir-Fried Corn with Dried Shrimps (Bắp Xào): My favorite after-school snack, it’s a perfect blend of flavors and textures.