| |
| |
![]() |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
I have a friend who fancies herself as Juliet, and thinks her Romeo is a chocolate cake. I kid you not.
She will travel around the island just to find The One that will sweep her off her feet. According to her, The One doesn’t have to be tall or handsome - just dark. Chocolate, I mean.
In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a pure chocolate cake.
Uniquely-flavoured chocolate cakes are “even better, because if it’s plain chocolate all the time, then you’ll always know what you’re going to get, right?”
Right indeed - some of the most popular cakes in the world are actually variations of regular chocolate cakes.
For instance, Blackforest cake originated from Germany and contains cherries and cherry brandy in a chocolate cake base; while the classic French Opera cake contains layers of almond sponge, coffee-flavoured buttercream, chocolate ganache filling, and a topping of chocolate glaze.
As chefs get increasingly daring in experimenting with flavours, the number of chocolate cake variants in the market has not only grown, its flavours are getting more unique, too.
Take those at Centre Ps (say “centre-piece”). Three chocolate cakes available here stand out for their innovative flavour combinations.
Tanamera contains lemongrass crème brulee; Sapporo has green tea cream and Japanese black bean paste; while Femina contains raspberry and lemon light cream, and crunchy meringue.
Chef-owner Steven Ong explained his decision to experiment with unusual ingredients: “Chocolate is a wonderful ingredient with incredible aromas and tastes.
“It is fruity, nutty, spicy and bittersweet. Some enjoy pairing wines with food. I find pairing chocolate with other ingredients a joy.”
DeSté’s Travel cake - a double-baked chocolate cake with coconut jelly - also contains a twist.
The coconut jelly contains wild fennel and thyme, which chef-owner Stefano Deiuri says “gives off a subtle taste and enhances the overall chocolate flavour”.
“Sometimes, I have a gut feeling that certain unusual combinations of ingredients might work and I experiment with it in my cakes and chocolates,” said the Italian.
For a taste closer to home, choc.a.bloc has a durian choco truffle cake, made with D24 durians. Evidently popular with Singaporeans, it is one of choc.a.bloc’s top three bestsellers.
Director Jeremy Goh said: “In terms of taste customers say nothing comes close to the merging of the durian’s bittersweet taste and the high percentage of dark cocoa we use in this cake.”
Uncommonly-flavoured confectioneries aside, other pastry shops have defied the conventional look of chocolate cakes.
Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie, part of the Les Amis Group, introduced a quirky macaron burger cake two months ago shaped like, well, a burger.
Over 1,500 pieces are sold per month and spokesperson Raymond Lim said it was created “because we wanted to offer customers something fun”.
If you think the cakes mentioned above are wacky, the four patisseries told TODAY that they have more up their sleeves.
For example, Centre Ps revealed that a milk and dark chocolate cake flavoured with Sarawak pineapple and Szechuan pepper is on the cards.
Strange? Maybe. Will lovers of chocolate cake bite? Well, if love is really blind, then in true Romeo and Juliet fashion, die-hards will probably insist that a chocolate cake by any other name would smell - or taste - just as sweet.
Taste test
Centre Ps
What: The rich Valrhona chocolate mousse in the Tanamera was enhanced by the aromatic, citrusy lemongrass crème brûlée.
The Sapporo, containing green tea cream, Japanese black bean paste and layers of bitter chocolate sachertorte (Austrian chocolate sponge cake) was a tad sweet, but I enjoyed the dense black bean paste.
Lastly, the Femina’s luscious combination of chocolate mousse, crisp meringue and raspberry and lemon light cream ensured this cake tasted as good as it looked.
Price: All at S$60 for 1kg cake
Tel: 6220 1285
DeSté
What: I found the Travel cake too sweet, but then again, I don’t have a pronounced sweet tooth.
That said, the coconut jelly in this cake, which is scented with wild fennel and fresh thyme, was genius.
I couldn’t decipher the fennel, but the thyme’s fragrance was definitely present. It was an ethereal aroma that faded quickly after teasing my tastebuds.
Price: S$55 per cake
Tel: 6536 1556
Choc.a.bloc
What: Rich, bittersweet D24 durian flesh is interlaced with thick and fudgy dark chocolate ganache (this is a filling is made from a mixture of chocolate and cream). Need we say more? The durian choco truffle cake is not available when durian quality is poor, so check before ordering.
Price: $45 per kg
Tel: 6446 6096
Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie
What: Sandwiched between two chocolate macaron shells, this adorable macaron burger contains 64 per cent chocolate mousse, apricot jelly and a finger sponge soaked in raspberry brandy.
The tangy apricot jelly balanced the flavours by cutting through the sweetness of the chocolate.
Price: S$9.50 for smallest burger
Tel: 6738 8145 (Robertson Walk), 6733 8893 (Paragon), 6334 7377 (Raffles City) and 6738 9020 (Shaw Centre)
DIY chocolate cake recipe
Moulleux Chocolat (Tender chocolate cake)
Recipe courtesy of Les Amis Group’s executive pastry chef Pang Kok Keong
Ingredients:
375g chocolate (Valrhona 64% Manjari chocolate is recommended, available at speciality baking stores like Sun Lik at Seah Street)
150g unsalted butter
150g yolk
337g egg white
75g sugar
Method:
1. Melt chocolate in microwave for three mins, removing and stirring every 30 seconds. At the last 30 seconds, add in butter and melt together with chocolate
2. Break up yolks; and add melted chocolate mixture slowly into the yolks, stirring constantly. Set aside
3. Make a soft meringue with sugar and egg white. To do this, whisk egg whites on high till it becomes frothy. Gradually add in sugar. Meringue is done when egg white mixture forms soft peaks
4. Fold in 1/3 of meringue first into chocolate mixture, mixing thoroughly. Fold in remaining meringue and stir the mixture till well mixed. Keep stirring till air pockets in the mixture disappear
5. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease baking ring, or tin (if using ring, cover base with aluminium foil)
6. Pour cake mix into baking ring (do not make it too full). Place the tin of mixture onto a baking tray and pour warm water into the tray before placing it into oven. This method is called steam baking. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes
7. After 20 minutes, check if cake is done by gently pressing the cake’s centre. It should feel softer than a regular butter cake (this cake has to be slightly under-done)
8. Remove from oven, cool on wire rack, and remove cake from ring or tin when cooled. Cut and serve warm
- TODAY/yb
|
