"The latest craze in Japan" is a phrase often delivered with some questionable hyperbole, but in the terms of how the Roman sweet maritozzo has surged to the top of the Japanese pastry world in popularity, it's not all that far off.

As The Mainichi reports, the boom for the cream-filled sweet brioche buns kicked off thanks to a Fukuoka bakery giving them a spotlight during the pandemic, but now you'd be hard pressed to find a bakery not offering them.

This of course has led to a lot of variations on the popular pastry, such as fruit-filled maritozzo as well as matcha and sakura flavors. Now the latest twist on the maritozzo craze has many sweets lovers in Japan as worked up as ever.

7-Eleven Japan, which is no stranger to a creative menu (including their surprisingly delicious sandwich selection and treats that captivated visiting Olympic reporters), has been delivering maritozzo of their own, but their latest twist on the booming pastry has sweets lovers in Japan raving: a fusion of maritozzo and the traditional Japanese confectionery, dorayaki, that is stuffed to the brim!

Dorayaki is a classic Japanese sweet that consists of two small pancake-like buns made from castella that are filled with a layer of sweet azuki red bean paste. While 7-Eleven already sells a number of maritozzo in Japan, their new Maritozzo Dorayaki cakes have been creating quite a buzz due to not only the appetizing allure of a Japanese traditional sweet take on the in vogue maritozzo, but also just how huge the serving of whipped cream appears.

Although the Maritozzo Dorayaki is overall small in size as a cake, the dollop of milky cream is truly quite something and barely fits within the cakes its sandwiched in between. When bitten into, the cream mixes perfectly in with the earthy and lightly sweetened red bean paste, going perfectly with the dorayaki pancakes that replace the usual brioche. Served slightly chilled, it's definitely a delicious treat suited for the summer.

Many in Japan have taken to Twitter to share their excitement for the super stuffed Maritozzo Dorayaki, currently available from the sweets section of 7-Elevens throughout Japan.