There are a few things that unite South Australians with an invisible yet powerful thread. FruChocs. A deep-seated hatred of either the Crows or Port. A secret love of Farmers Union Iced Coffee. A phobia of Adelaide’s Britannia roundabout. And the Balfours Frog Cake. 

The frog-shaped sweet was first baked into being by the Balfour family in 1924 (at the time of writing, no plans have yet been announced to mark the centenary with a public holiday). Although it’s up for debate if the creator of the frog cake had actually seen one of the amphibians in real life, the creative adaptation is a state icon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Balfours (@balfoursbakery)

Along with other beloved treats found only in South Australia, the Frog Cake’s sad little face is enough to send many locals into a state of misty eyed nostalgia. Consisting of a sponge base concealing a thin layer of apricot jam, a dollop of mock cream and a fondant icing slit to create a little froggy smile and piped with two beady eyes, the Balfours Frog Cake was officially recognised as a State Heritage Icon by the National Trust of South Australia in 2001. 

So locals were thrown into an understandable state of panic when South Australian-owned Balfours was sold to Western Australian Aus Pie Co late last month. Earlier this week, The Advertiser reported that online searches for the cult critter hopped up 850 percent, as rumours swirled that its new interstate owners might put the humble Frog Cake on the endangered list. 

It was greeted with a collective sigh of relief, then, when Aus Pie Co confirmed on the record that it has no intention to let the beloved bake croak. In fact, the company’s plans to expand the brand interstate and even overseas could see the humble Frog Cake stage a great migration. Here’s hopping. 

Related story: Never heard of Arnott’s Yo-Yos? That’s because they’re only found in one Australian state