From sugar flowers to cakes made in the shapes of other food, we now have endless options to choose from when it comes to the baked dessert. However, classic is always timeless, so we asked the chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants for some of their most loved sweet cakes. Here are their sugary picks:
1. Strawberries And Almond Cake With Lemon And Vincotto
A gluten-free cake that is the creation of Italian chef and restaurateur Beppe De Vito, the Strawberries and Almond Cake has almonds and figs that are brought back directly from Puglia, the little town in Italy which takes pride in its almonds. This direct supply of ingredients also ensures that the ingredients are fresh and one-of-a-kind. De Vito had a classic, home-style and comforting cake in mind when he came up with the cake. The moist, tender and fluffy almond cake is topped with strawberries, which adds a sweet flavour to the cake, making it popular with diners who have a sweet tooth. The cake is available at the restaurant Amò.
A gluten-free cake that is the creation of Italian chef and restaurateur Beppe De Vito, the Strawberries and Almond Cake has almonds and figs that are brought back directly from Puglia, the little town in Italy which takes pride in its almonds. This direct supply of ingredients also ensures that the ingredients are fresh and one-of-a-kind. De Vito had a classic, home-style and comforting cake in mind when he came up with the cake. The moist, tender and fluffy almond cake is topped with strawberries, which adds a sweet flavour to the cake, making it popular with diners who have a sweet tooth. The cake is available at the restaurant Amò.
2. Baba Au Rhum
Pastry chef Cheryl Koh of restaurant Les Amis has years of experience baking and creating desserts and cakes, and the cake that takes the cake for her is the Baba Au Rhum, a sweet yeasted cake that is soaked in a light syrup. It is then drizzled with rum, which gives the cake an alcoholic punch, and topped off with Chantilly cream. This cake is available at Les Amis and is served with an aged rhum Agricole, hand-whipped crème fleurette and Tahiti vanilla, which gives the cake a light and refreshing texture.
Pastry chef Cheryl Koh of restaurant Les Amis has years of experience baking and creating desserts and cakes, and the cake that takes the cake for her is the Baba Au Rhum, a sweet yeasted cake that is soaked in a light syrup. It is then drizzled with rum, which gives the cake an alcoholic punch, and topped off with Chantilly cream. This cake is available at Les Amis and is served with an aged rhum Agricole, hand-whipped crème fleurette and Tahiti vanilla, which gives the cake a light and refreshing texture.
3. Black Forest Cake
For chef Manjunath Mural of The Song of India, his favourite cake since childhood is the iconic Black Forest Cake. The multiple layers of moist chocolate sponge, fresh cherries and whipped cream frosting are traditional delights that melt in the mouth. This cake was eaten by Mural mostly during birthdays and other celebrations in his hometown of Mumbai, India. During his days as a trainee pastry chef, he actually tried his hand at baking this cake for the first time under the supervision of a pastry chef, that is how much he loves it.
For chef Manjunath Mural of The Song of India, his favourite cake since childhood is the iconic Black Forest Cake. The multiple layers of moist chocolate sponge, fresh cherries and whipped cream frosting are traditional delights that melt in the mouth. This cake was eaten by Mural mostly during birthdays and other celebrations in his hometown of Mumbai, India. During his days as a trainee pastry chef, he actually tried his hand at baking this cake for the first time under the supervision of a pastry chef, that is how much he loves it.
4. Tiramisu
At Meta, pastry chef Maira Yeo enjoys using unique ingredients in her creations, such as using vegetables in desserts, but the classic tiramisu is her go-to dessert as it is associated with comforting memories. The tiramisu cake is layered with creamy mascarpone, coffee and chocolate, which are all very different and contrasting flavours separately, but complement each other to bring out tiramisu’s iconic taste. She has fond memories of the three years she spent making tiramisu at Garibaldi and especially of the times she fought her colleagues over the leftovers of the restaurant’s signature dessert.
At Meta, pastry chef Maira Yeo enjoys using unique ingredients in her creations, such as using vegetables in desserts, but the classic tiramisu is her go-to dessert as it is associated with comforting memories. The tiramisu cake is layered with creamy mascarpone, coffee and chocolate, which are all very different and contrasting flavours separately, but complement each other to bring out tiramisu’s iconic taste. She has fond memories of the three years she spent making tiramisu at Garibaldi and especially of the times she fought her colleagues over the leftovers of the restaurant’s signature dessert.
5. Charlotte And Strawberry Shortcake
Chef Benjamin Siwek from The Ritz-Carlton loves the cake named “Charlotte”, which originated from Britain. Served warm, it was bread and butter baked with a fruit compote. Today, the bread and butter has been replaced with layers of boudoir biscuit soaked in syrup, whipped cream and fruit or chocolate. Siwekenjoys eating this cake as it has a soft texture and a creamy flavour, while the fruit adds a refreshing twist to the palate. The cake also evokes wonderful memories of his mother baking the cake to celebrate special occasions and the flavours always differed slightly as she used fruit which was in season — poached pears or apples during winter, fresh strawberries during summer. A variation of this cake, the Strawberry Shortcake, is available at the hotel’s Colony Bakery.
Chef Benjamin Siwek from The Ritz-Carlton loves the cake named “Charlotte”, which originated from Britain. Served warm, it was bread and butter baked with a fruit compote. Today, the bread and butter has been replaced with layers of boudoir biscuit soaked in syrup, whipped cream and fruit or chocolate. Siwekenjoys eating this cake as it has a soft texture and a creamy flavour, while the fruit adds a refreshing twist to the palate. The cake also evokes wonderful memories of his mother baking the cake to celebrate special occasions and the flavours always differed slightly as she used fruit which was in season — poached pears or apples during winter, fresh strawberries during summer. A variation of this cake, the Strawberry Shortcake, is available at the hotel’s Colony Bakery.
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