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 22: Rodilla’s Yema Cake

Welcome to the 22nd episode of Cake Run. Thank you dear readers for accompanying me in my cake journey as I aim to try all the different cakes in the world. Good Luck to my weight then! For today’s feature presentation, we will go for another traditional unique dessert in my locality which is the “yema” cake. It is pronounced as it is spelled.

The yema cake is actually a recent invention based on a traditional local delicacy which is simply “yema”. It closely resembles custard with egg as the main ingredient. While your custard is made up of eggs, milk and cream, the yema is made of eggs, condensed milk and vanilla extracts making it extra sweeter and extra thicker than its custard counterpart, making it the perfect coating for a cake as opposed to custard. It is usually sold and branded as a soft and slightly sticky candy, shaped like a tall pyramid with a really sweet thick filling inside. The outside is made of solid yema while the inside is composed of a thick liquid yema filling. 

Visual: Traditionally, is a simple yellow round or rectangular cake composed of 3 components namely the chiffon, yema and grated cheese. No wonder the cake base is made of chiffon and topped with grated cheese to balance out the overwhelming sweetness of the yema. If not for the yema frosting on top, it can very well pass as bread rather than as a cake. 

Taste: You really definitely must try this! Both bread fanatics and cake lovers would absolutely delight in this little yellow bundle of sunshine. Sweet but not sweet because before the yema overpowers your taste buds, the chiffon counters it and before you feel the blandness of it, the cheese is there to save the day and end your experience with an oh-so-yummy feeling that keeps you wanting to dig in.

And yes, it is best to be eaten all at once rather than layer it. I mean there are only 2 layers, what more can you separate? The 2 layers which are mainly chiffon is sandwiched by a thin layer of yema to add flavor to the otherwise bland chiffon. I have nothing against chiffon because aside from being a cake lover, I am also a pastry and bread lover so there are times that I would opt for these two especially if I am not in the mood for sweets and cream.

It is just that yema cake is definitely one of those cakes that have successfully blurred the line between a highly decorative bread and your traditional cake. Even if I am not in the mood for sweets and opt for bread instead, I can still eat yema cake and satisfy my appetite for either cake or bread.

Have a Yee-Ma Day! What are your thoughts on simple cakes?

Cake Run 21: Tous Les Jours Rich Chocolate Cake

 Tous Les What? Don't fret for it is just a French term which literally means "Everyday" in English. Pronounced as "tu-le-juru", it is a bakery established in South Korea and is famous for its artisan breads and cakes that are soft, light and just plain adorable.

Visual: An absolute eye candy that you can't help but want to sink your sweet tooth on it. It has an exterior, toughened up by chocolate with syrup circling around its head, and topped with 3 adorable brown cream chairs, carrying a chocolate wafer that is concluded by a heart shaped biscuit that says "Tous Les Jours". I am perfectly satisfied with the way it looks but I just cannot help but squeal in delight when the brownish cream that resembles a pearl necklace was wrapped around the cake. It is perfection made even more perfect.
                                    

Taste: My TYPE of cake. I love cakes that are creamy, soft and light to the palate. It is my ultimate weakness and turns my senses to goo as soft as the cake's structure. Despite the cake’s seemingly tough chocolate exterior, it is actually quite thin and breaks easily under slight pressure from a teaspoon. Yes, I use teaspoons when eating cakes as this prolongs the pleasure rather than getting an ordinary sized spoon and gulping the cake in one go. But that is just me and different strokes for different people, right people?

As your teaspoon breaks the surface, it will slide down all the way to the middle since the layer after the surface is composed of creamy goodness. It is only in the upper middle portion wherein the chiffon bread becomes visible to halt the sliding of your teaspoon. Chiffon bread is thin, airy and bouncy making me feel less guilty for eating this kind of chocolate cake in the middle of the night. Oops, guilty as charged. I do eat cakes even at the dead of the night.

So what about the adorable toppings that I cannot help but romanticize in the visual portion of this post? Well, the chocolate wafer is just wafer, the heart biscuit is just biscuit, the brown cream seats are yeah, just cream but the chocolate syrup adorned with golden nuts, is the absolute X factor in the equation. The syrup has wine flavor on it or should I call it wine chocolate syrup to make it more appropriate.
                                 
Be Happy Every day, be Happy Tous Les Jours! What is the type you are looking for in a cake? Feel free to share and comment below.

Pastry Run 7: Mister Donut ミスタードーナツ Cafe

 This is long overdue. I mean who does not know Mister Donut and has not written a review about it in their blogs, journals or writings? I myself am feeling bold to venture writing about one of the amazing products of this cafe with the hopes that my experience would still be enticing even to the ones that have read so many articles and reviews about this cafe.

Yes I will be talking about their pastry and no, I won't be talking about their highly popular pon-de-rings or donuts for that matter, instead, I will be reviewing on their quality, price friendly croissant sandwiches.

I say quality because you definitely get your money's worth. Plus, how often do you encounter a shop that serves their food way bigger than what the picture tells. Usually, it is the other way around; especially from a shop that does not specialized in sandwiches. This matter alone I believe is already praiseworthy and worthy enough to be reviewed and shared to the world.

Visual: Humongous isn't it? Compare it with the photo plastered on the menu board...see what I mean? The only crime I see in this matter is it gave us an illusion that we will be eating something light for lunch hahaha. After all, when served with a huge croissant, the bread lover in me just cannot help but swoon.

Gosh, would you look at the inside. It is very filling already with the chicken chunks piled against each other sprayed with mayonnaise and peppered with pepper, I can already tell that I will be having a hearty lunch. The lettuce looks freshly green and does not have any sort of injury on it.

Taste: I cannot help but want more despite my stomach size having reached its limit. My palate cannot seem to forget the satisfying taste of mayo-ed chicken made even more satisfying with the insertion of the crunchy green lettuce. The top croissant bread, due to its formidable size has to be eaten separately, unless you would really want to exercise your mouth and stretch the skin around it just to gain the satisfaction of eating all the sandwich layers at the same time. Don't worry, I also have that urge sometimes;)

I was not expecting much from the croissant bread without its constituents but to my delight, it actually is good given its crunchy surface while having a soft and airy inside. I still drool and miss it as I write this blog. The mayo-ed chicken and fresh lettuce is already expected to have a tasty outcome but the croissant, as a sandwich is a delectable surprise.

Have a Mister-rific Day! Have a Mister Donut. Thoughts? Feel free to share them to me and to the world.

Sweet Run 2: Bing's Fong Cafe

Looking for refreshing alternatives? Then you will love bingsu for a change. Bingsu is a Korean style dessert made of shaved ice and sweet toppings ranging from fruits, red beans, and mocha (rice cake) balls.

With the onset of Kpop as an international phenomenon, it is no surprise that food and desserts will also follow. I cannot exactly say that bingsu is a one of a kind dessert since most oriental desserts coming from Taiwan, China and Hongkong just to name a few, also makes use of shaved ice with fruits as part of sweet selections. However, one still cannot help but try how bingsu differentiates itself from its eastern contemporaries.

Bingsu Number 1: Injealmee Bingsu / Snowflakes

Visual: Looks like a Grain Field with its brown color spreading across the entire expanse of white ice. Actually, it looks more like a Mountain of Grains as it is shaped in a slope with giant pebbles littering the surface.

Taste: Perfect blend of ice and milk which are the two main ingredients that define a good bingsu. Soft ice that is fine enough to absorb the flavors of the milk and the sweet toppings surrounding it. For Injealmee which translates to rice cake or mochi if you are more familiar with the Japanese term, gives it a sweet lingering impression that literally lasts in your mouth as you chew the sticky substance and savor it with the milk flavored shaved ice. The brown bean powder adds special value to the shaved ice coating it with a different texture that gives an illusion of sweetness when it is just actually flavorful. The almond strips while do not provide significant contribution to the overall taste, adds meaning to the visual appeal of the treat. Without these oval almond thins, I highly doubt that Injealmee Snowflakes would attract as much attention.

Bingsu Number 2: Milki Bingsu/ Snowflakes

Visual: Snow White at its best. Temptress to the touch---Soft, white, smooth and everything you can ask for in a perfect caress. 

Taste: Classic Bingsu. If it is your first time to try on a bingsu, then this is the recommended choice for you. It literally is flavored snow topped with red bean paste and mochi balls. It is just that---Plain and Classic.

While the taste is already perfect. It has all the qualities that one can expect from a bingsu. Bing's Fong should find a way to differentiate itself not just with other bingsu cafes but also with other oriental desserts with the same concept.

       

  

Bing! Drop Everything, it's time for Bingsu. Comments? Suggestions? Don't hesitate to share them in the comment box below.

Treat yourself to more of this sweet ice treat by visiting also Sweet Run 3, part 2 of the Bing's Fong series. 

Sweet Run 1: Kozui Green Tea

Green Tea is perhaps one of those flavors that are steadily becoming a mainstream ingredient in world famous desserts and snacks. It used to be a flavor for those with the daring palates; but now, you can almost see popular drinks, snacks and desserts with green tea as an added variation.

My first taste of green tea was back in 2002 and it was in a traditional Japanese restaurant which only caters to Japanese customers as the menu is written only in Nihongo. My father who at that time is starting to become conscious with his health started eating only Japanese cuisines whenever we go out to eat as he feels that Japanese dishes employs the least amount of oil.

As an obedient child raised in a strict environment with strict standards of eating habits, I have to eat with whatever is served in front of me. The only selection of desserts at that Japanese place were only red bean and green tea ice cream --- two flavors which I was not fond of and quite unfamiliar back then. My dad just ordered green tea and I was forever hooked. Looking back I'm grateful for being raised not to be picky with food as my taste buds became diverse and I already loved green tea even before it became a craze.

Kozui is definitely a haven for the growing minority as green tea is steadily penetrating the mainstream flavors. Not one to pass up on an opportunity to bask in a place made just for green tea lovers, I decided to go for their specialty which is the Green Tea Anmitsu instead of settling down with the usual green tea ice cream or frappe.

Visual: Colors of the Orient! No doubt, this is truly a Japanese dessert. I'm already imagining how each ingredient would taste like. Usually I am the type who is not fond of too many colors in a dessert like this because it usually translates to food coloring but the good thing about traditional oriental desserts is that most of them employ fruits, red beans, taros, jellies and sago to beautify their desserts. As opposed to Western desserts wherein we make use of food coloring, colored sugar, candies or chocolates which I also adore just to clarify but satisfying my sweet tooth with more natural flavors at times, is also a welcome change.

At a glance, there are 4 dominant flavors: the green tea ice cream, the pink taro (which I thought was strawberry at first), red bean and green tea jelly. Let's start mixing and eating, so as to discover what lies below the surface.

Taste: Not surprisingly, it is yummy and refreshing! It is your oriental version of shaved ice, only less sweet and more natural. The green tea ice cream do taste like green tea much to my relief because nowadays as green tea is becoming popular, some shops that sell green tea ice cream tastes like green tea sugar and it is just totally yuck.

The taro is surprisingly good despite my initial reservations, thinking that it might be artificial given its deviation from its usual color which is purple. It is the first time I have tried pink taro and I absolutely enjoyed it. The red bean and green tea jelly blends perfectly well with the green tea ice cream but without losing its unique flavor.

As you go deeper, you will encounter 3 more ingredients in the form of black pearls and two kinds of rice balls: one which is white and the other purplish white.The pearl is just pearl which is a bit disappointing given that I was expecting it to be the good quality type like the tapioca. The white rice balls is actually a pleasant surprise; not only is it soft and chewy, it has a tangy lemony aftertaste which is a good contrast to the taste of the dessert in general, given the treat’s lack of a fruit presence. The purplish white ball is just purple and is one of those that just fades in the background in terms of taste.

Overall, Green Tea Anmitsu is a dream come true to green tea lovers such as you and myself but it would have been better if the black pearls have used tapioca rather than using the generic ones that sticks to each other awkwardly and the ice could have been finer.

So, what are your thoughts on green tea shaved ice aka anmitsu? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Cake Side Trip 20.5: Aristocrat Beehive Cup

This is not exactly a new episode but a side trip from this episode’s main star, “The Black Forest”. While the Black Forest was a planned purchase, this beehive cup was bought based on a whim. Seeing it made me realize how long it has been since I have last eaten a brownie with faux cream on top.

Visual: It does look like a beehive but the first thing that came to mind when I saw it was a cupcake due to the faux cream on top. Having tasted something like this before, I knew that it was not really cream, rather it is made of some sort of soft sugar that melts upon reaching your mouth.

Taste: Too sweet! The inside of the chocolate top beehive is already made of frosted sugar and the chocolate coating made it even more so. Well, this bakeshop sure has a reputation of making its products too sweet as compared to its contemporaries who would rather balance out an overly sweet layer with nuts, complement with a not so sweet ingredient like dark chocolate or simply not compete with it by just using plain white cream.

Share your thoughts;) They are always welcome.