14th entry - For the love of cakes
For as long as I can remember, I love cakes. Not just eating them, but also admiring them. Of course, I am selective - I do not fancy sponge varieties like pandan cake or swiss rolls. I like cakes with tons of chocolate, nuts, real fruits and cream, but most of all I appreciate those with character.
So far, the best cakes that I have tried are found at:
1) Lana Cake Shop (see reviews)
At 36 Greenwood Avenue (Bukit Timah), this shop has been selling "homemade" cakes since the 80s (or maybe earlier). When I was growing up in the 80s, my parents would spend what was to us a small fortune to order a cake from Lana to celebrate occasions like Mother's Day and birthdays and even Christmas. Their fruit cakes wrapped in gold-foil are full of juicy raisins and crunchy walnuts, and it tastes moist and very sweet. At my 1st birthday anniversary celebration, my parents ordered for me a blueberry cake shaped like a large number "1". I believe it was my mother's favourite - back then, blueberries were considered a luxury. Later, I discovered that Lana was famous for its chocolate fudge cake. Ready-made cakes are not available at this shop - you had to order at least 3 days in advance and collect it in person. To me, Lana's cakes are like evergreen songs - one never gets tired of them!
2) Cedele (see
review for the Wheelock Place branch - the best so far based on several reviewers' comments)
The first time I bought my first carrot walnut cake from this shop, I was taken aback by its price. After eating it, I realised that you get what you pay for - excellent quality. The carrot walnut cake is soft yet coarse due to the chopped walnuts, giving it a rustic homemade feel, and its not too sweet. The thin layers of cream cheese blends fabulously well with the cake, enhancing the richness of its flavour. Cedele's carrot cake reminds me of "mother" - full of tenderness and love!
3) Secret Recipe
A few years ago, a colleague brought me to a Secret Recipe restaurant for lunch. While their set menus were nothing to rave about, I was attracted to the large cakes and curry puffs on display in their dessert counter. There were so many varieties of delectable cheese cakes and chocolate cakes that one may simply marvel at the chef's ability to create so many different and interesting flavours to suit their customers' varied tastes. Later, my other half, S, told me that Secret Recipe actually originated from Malaysia, and the prices of the cakes sold in its Singapore branches are twice those sold in Malaysia. I've tried the same cakes in Singapore and in Malaysia, and both taste the same to me, so I've been buying SR cakes from Malaysia ever since... SR cakes remind me of Art and endless creativity!
4) TCC (see website)
UOB Signature Card used to have a promotion in which customers could get free coffee at selected TCC outlets by producing a recent Signature Card receipt. S and I would sip our complimentary coffee and order some of TCC's cakes. One particular cake captivated my heart the first time I ate it - if I recall correctly its name is "Chocolate Indulgence" - a small cupcake-sized confectionery that had a liquid dark chocolate core. When I sank my fork into it, the chocolate filling oozed out. It was totally divine! Alas, the promotion ended and I've not had a chance to visit TCC lately... *sigh* TCC cakes are associated with the Modern, the Fashionable, the Trendy - Avant Garde!
S's favourite cake is blackforest cake. My dad's favourite is durian cake. My mum and I like all sorts of cake, but she prefers the fruity type while I prefer the chocolatey type. Nothing beats a delicious cake served after a satisfying meal, but I can eat cake anytime - just like our friend Keroberos in Sakura Cardcaptor!
So far, the best cakes that I have tried are found at:
1) Lana Cake Shop (see reviews)
At 36 Greenwood Avenue (Bukit Timah), this shop has been selling "homemade" cakes since the 80s (or maybe earlier). When I was growing up in the 80s, my parents would spend what was to us a small fortune to order a cake from Lana to celebrate occasions like Mother's Day and birthdays and even Christmas. Their fruit cakes wrapped in gold-foil are full of juicy raisins and crunchy walnuts, and it tastes moist and very sweet. At my 1st birthday anniversary celebration, my parents ordered for me a blueberry cake shaped like a large number "1". I believe it was my mother's favourite - back then, blueberries were considered a luxury. Later, I discovered that Lana was famous for its chocolate fudge cake. Ready-made cakes are not available at this shop - you had to order at least 3 days in advance and collect it in person. To me, Lana's cakes are like evergreen songs - one never gets tired of them!
2) Cedele (see
review for the Wheelock Place branch - the best so far based on several reviewers' comments)
The first time I bought my first carrot walnut cake from this shop, I was taken aback by its price. After eating it, I realised that you get what you pay for - excellent quality. The carrot walnut cake is soft yet coarse due to the chopped walnuts, giving it a rustic homemade feel, and its not too sweet. The thin layers of cream cheese blends fabulously well with the cake, enhancing the richness of its flavour. Cedele's carrot cake reminds me of "mother" - full of tenderness and love!
3) Secret Recipe
A few years ago, a colleague brought me to a Secret Recipe restaurant for lunch. While their set menus were nothing to rave about, I was attracted to the large cakes and curry puffs on display in their dessert counter. There were so many varieties of delectable cheese cakes and chocolate cakes that one may simply marvel at the chef's ability to create so many different and interesting flavours to suit their customers' varied tastes. Later, my other half, S, told me that Secret Recipe actually originated from Malaysia, and the prices of the cakes sold in its Singapore branches are twice those sold in Malaysia. I've tried the same cakes in Singapore and in Malaysia, and both taste the same to me, so I've been buying SR cakes from Malaysia ever since... SR cakes remind me of Art and endless creativity!
4) TCC (see website)
UOB Signature Card used to have a promotion in which customers could get free coffee at selected TCC outlets by producing a recent Signature Card receipt. S and I would sip our complimentary coffee and order some of TCC's cakes. One particular cake captivated my heart the first time I ate it - if I recall correctly its name is "Chocolate Indulgence" - a small cupcake-sized confectionery that had a liquid dark chocolate core. When I sank my fork into it, the chocolate filling oozed out. It was totally divine! Alas, the promotion ended and I've not had a chance to visit TCC lately... *sigh* TCC cakes are associated with the Modern, the Fashionable, the Trendy - Avant Garde!
S's favourite cake is blackforest cake. My dad's favourite is durian cake. My mum and I like all sorts of cake, but she prefers the fruity type while I prefer the chocolatey type. Nothing beats a delicious cake served after a satisfying meal, but I can eat cake anytime - just like our friend Keroberos in Sakura Cardcaptor!
posted by sunshine wallflower at 5:41 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home