Cake Run 23: Conti's Ube Custard Cake

Welcome to another episode of Cake Run. Ever tried eating a violet cake before---one that is not accomplished through food coloring? Well you are in for a treat for today's cake run called the Ube Custard Cake. 

Ube is the local term for purple yam and is widely used across many different viands in Asia.
You can choose to eat it directly which is the usual practice in China as you can see different stalls along the street and restaurants selling hot purple yams for snacks. In my locality, it is popularly used as a flavoring for desserts like ice cream, pastries and cakes. So how does an ube or purple yam cake look and taste like?

Visual: Looks like one of those hand gloves with the crisscross patterns, worn by women during dance galas. The white pattern then terminates at the circular curve of the cake, like flowers or jewelries that adorn a woman's wrist. The violet frosting are like window drapes, hiding the ube and the custard that you just can't wait to slice it open.

Getting in, we are met with 8 layers including the violet frosting on top. It is a play mainly between violets and yellows refereed by thins strips of whites and browns. Yellow and violet really do make a good match---just a side thought when pairing dresses, shirts and skirts;)

Taste: Mmmph. It certainly did justice to its name. The custard is just the right amount of sweetness and is the only thing in the entire cake that is sweet. The white cream despite its trivial appearance plays a major role in enhancing the taste of the custard. And let's not forget the main highlight which is the ube. 

The ube or purple yam when eaten directly is not really sweet, so I was quite curious as to how it will make a good flavoring for a cake. Turns out, what the makers did was that they added purple yam bits within the breading so that its taste does not get lost when eaten together with the custard; otherwise, it will just be a custard cake. Every so often you would feel something solid, breaking the smoothness of the custard and the cream. It is like your "stopper" or "humps" along the highway.

Have a Yam-my Day! I'm excited to hear your thoughts on this one; especially those who are from outside of Asia wherein yams are not usually part of your regular cuisines.

Craving for more Conti's? I invite you to check out their Choco Almond Sansrival and Chocolate Tiramisu. 

Cake Run 3: Conti’s Choco Almond Sansrival and Choco Tiramisu

Welcome to another episode of Cake Run. For today’s treat, I will revisit one of the classic bakeries in existent here in my locality. After all, who says that only modern bakeries deserve a chance to get featured in online media?

The Bakeshop is well known for its Mango Bravo which up to now, I still think is the best mango crème sansrival I have ever tasted. But for this entry, I will tackle their other cakes which are quite good but garners less attention in comparison with the Mango Bravo.

Cake Number 1: Choco Almond Sansrival

Visual: Normal looking cake with bread and cream on top but still looks delightful as it gives a soft appearance from the topmost layer to the bottom. The Almonds reminds me of grated cheese on top of an entree of your favorite pasta.

Taste: Almonds are crispy and I just love the combination with the chocolate cream coating. The light brown top layer is soft, creamy and not too sweet. Bottom layer is composed of a sweet yellow pastry filling which you will only notice upon tasting, and tastes similar to the fillings used in éclairs and cream puffs.

However, I have yet to find a sansrival out there wherein the crispiness texture is preserved despite the layers of cream.

Cake Number 2: Chocolate Tiramisu

Visual: I love the brownish round thorns sprinkled with cocoa powder. It kind of reminds you of someone with tough looking personality but who has a soft spot deep down. Layering is divided into components: cream and coffee breading. 

Taste: Breading is soft as expected from all tiramisus but I like that the taste of the breading does not differ across all layers. From past experience, I have encountered tiramisus especially when it was just making its debut into the regular bakeshops, wherein the breading on top is soft and just have the right amount of light sweetness then once you reach the bottom, the texture becomes soggy and too sweet. X-(

Powder coffee is nice but quite normal for all tiramisus. The powder however, provides quite a treat to the taste of the cream that holds the cake structure together.

The three layers of cream and coffee flavored breading made me choose between eating it daintily or shoving it roughly in large amounts. Whatever your preference is, you still get a complete taste of this soft treat whether you eat it in small amounts or large chunks as the first layer of cream and coffee is just being repeated on the latter two layers.

Have a Sweet Day! Feel free to comment and share your thoughts on the comment box below.