Durian puffs from Rich and Good Cake Shop

Durian puffs from Rich and Good Cake Shop

Since Yuan's mum and himself is a durian lover, we have decided to buy a box of durian puffs ($3.50 for 6 pieces) from Rich and Good Cake Shop. Apart from durian, they do have chempadak puffs and chocolate eclairs.

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Fen's comments

According to Yuan, there is a difference in the filling used for the durian puff and the durian swiss roll. The filling in these durian puffs are generally more custardy and smooth. Unlike Puteri Mas and 717 Trading which have a generally stronger durian taste, more fibrious filling and watery, their fillings are completely opposite. I personally prefer Goodwood Park durian puffs for a richer taste but for $3.50, this is worth a try, the only issue is that it is more convenient to go Goodwood Park Hotel and Kandahar Street and that Goodwood Park has a more flexible opening hours.

As for the puffs, they are soft and dusted with icing. I would say it is better than 717 Trading but I am pretty sure there are neighoourhood confectionaries that has similar standards since custards puffs are pretty common. In short, I would say it is not bad, given the soft profiterole pastry and its smooth filling but I wouldn't travel all the way to Kandahar to beat their closing hours for this.

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Yuan's comments

I would say that these puffs are not as solid as the ones from Goodwood Park Hotel. The pulp in the puff tasted like custard. However, the good thing about these puffs is that they use the bittersweet durians. Generally, not bad but if you are a true durian fan, you will not like it.
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Rich & Good Cake Shop
24 Kandahar Street
Singaopore 198887
Tel: 6294 3324
Operating hours - 8am to 5pm, closed on Sun and PH

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Belgium waffle from Max Brenner

Belgium waffle from Max Brenner

Although Max Brenner and Laurent Bernard Chocolatier serve an array of chocolate desserts, they provide a very different feel when we drop by for a chocolate fix. The chocolate drinks of Max Brenner tends to be rich, creamy and milky while Laurent tends to emphasize on the bitterly after-taste of chocolate. We prefer the former when it comes to chocolate drinks and thus decided to drop by after dinner for Max's frozen chocolate frappes (served in the Alice cup).

Since we can't resist desserts, we decided to try their Belgium waffle instead of spending twice the amount for a fondue. The waffle costs $10 (excluding 7% GST and 10% service charge).

Freshly baked waffles topped with melted chocolate sauce; served with a side of berries, vanilla ice cream and crunchy chocolate wafer balls...

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Fen's comments

I thought the chocolate sauce was too little and thus I requested for more, the staff generously gave me a small jug of it and I simply on cloud nine. The feeling of taking lots of chocolate when you are down definitely helps, at least at that point of time. Be it sugar rush or Phenylethylamine surge, it just feels good.

The texture of the waffle is just right but I think some may finds it alittle too blend or not sufficiently soft. I am not a finicky eater when it comes to waffle, as long as the texture is not overly tough nor dry, I am perfectly fine with it. To me, this is good.
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Yuan's comments

I have never tasted a waffle so smilar to Gelare. However, unlike Gelare, this waffle does not come with maple syrup but awesome chocolate. The combination of excellent waffle and fantastic chocolate is heavenly. Highly recommended if you like chocolate and waffle.
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Max Brenner
8 Raffles Avenue, #01-06/08 Esplanade Mall
Singapore 039802
Tel: 6235 9556
Opening Hours:
Sun-Thurs - 11:00am to 11:00pm
Fri-Sat - 11:00am to 12:00 (Midnight)

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No. 11 - Carrot Walnut Cake from Cedele

No. 11 - Carrot Walnut Cake from Cedele

Yuan and I have never fancy the American-style carrot cake and so far the ones we have tried are pretty disappointing. Generally rough and hard texture, definitely a far fetch from our favourite chocolate fudge cakes... However, we are trying to convince ourselves to identify our favourite 4 carrot cakes and thus the best reference is the 50 yummiest cakes article where 3 are carrot cake.

Being the most convenient among the featured 3, we have decided to drop by Cedele for their best-selling carrot walnut cake. A slice of carrot walnut cake costs $6 nett and $7.80 for their cake set which comes with a drink.

As described by the 50 yummiest cakes, this is
"Cedele's best-selling carrot cake, finished with cream cheese frosting and untoasted walnuts.
Moist and lightly scented with cinnamon"

She Bakes & She Cooks has a better picture of this cake's cross section.
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Fen's comments

Believe it or not, this is what I call "love at first bite". The cake is surprisingly light and soft. The best part is that it is not sweet and thus not cloying at all. The slightly sweetened cream cheese just compliments perfectly with the carrot sponge.

The overall texture is refreshing and a slice is definitely not enough for us. For the first time, we couldn't believe American carrot cake can taste this good. I am looking forward to Calender's carrot cake next week.
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Yuan's comments

I am not a fan of carrot cake but this one is really not bad. You can feel a layer of cream cheese and a faint cinnamon smell. As for the sponge, it is dense and moist which is unlike most carrot cakes. Overall, highly recommended.
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Novena Square
#01-01/02 Novena Square
Tel: 6258 5991

Opening hours
Mon - Sat: 8.00am to 9.00pm
Sun/Public Holidays: 11.00am to 9.00pm

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No. 18 Twin Divine from Miss Clarity

No. 18 Twin Divine from Miss Clarity

After ignoring the recommendation from 50 yummiest cakes, I have decided to drop by Miss Clarity Cafe to try their Twin Divine. Featured as No. 18, this was described to be a rich, rich, rich and utterly divine chocolate fudge cake. Bascially, this is a Valrhona chocolate fudge cake paired with French cream cheese on a crisp digestive biscuit.

Anyway, before I move on with twin divine. This is a very casual place that doesn't charge GST and service charge so it is good for gatherings or a quick lunch. As for the decor, either you like it or you hate it. Adopting a princess-like theme with flowery paper latterns, gaily painted walls and cartoons, school canteen-like tables & chairs of green, pink and yellow BUT dim lighting? I don't know, personally, I always associate cheerful places with well-illuminated places. If it is meant to be dim, I would prefer it with more ambience than funky.

Apart from the desserts, we had fish baked rice and bacon aglio oligo. Have to give credits to their extensive menu, reasonable pricing but in terms of taste, I would say it is pretty ordinary. Nothing to rave about nor make us crave for it.

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Fen's comments

Personally, I didn't quite like this cake but at the price of $5.20 per slice, it is worth a try due to the chocolate used. Have to admit that the chocolate is smooth and creamy but I didn't like the combination of cream cheese and chocolate mousse. The cream cheese has a rubbery texture which is pretty different from American cheesecake and thus didn't compliment well enough to my liking.
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Yuan's comments

This cake is similar to the mini O from NYDC. Top layer of chocolate mousse and bottom layer of cheese cake. Both layers are not that appealing though I prefer the cheese cake better than the chocolate mousse. The chocolate mousse is slightly creamy. The cheese cake tasted like philadelphia cream cheese spread. Not too bad generally but I guess I became a little choosy after eating so many cakes.
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Miss Clarity @ Purvis
5 Purvis Street
#01-14
Singapore 188584
Tel: 6339 4803
Operating hours - 11am to 11pm (closed on Sundays)
http://missclaritycafe.com/

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Hazelnut praline from Miss Clarity

Hazelnut praline from Miss Clarity

Apart from Twin Divine, we ordered the hazelnut praline as recommended by Kyn. As the name suggested, this is basically chocolate mousse with a layer of hazelnut praline ($4.60 per slice).

To me, this has a higher chocolate content than twin divine and I like the bittersweet chocolate mousse. To compare its hazelnut praline with some that I have previously tried, this lacks the crunchy taste. Slightly soft and chewy.

From Kyn's list of recommendation, it seems like people who likes rich, thick chocolate mousse will love this. Minimal layering and maximum chocolate sensation.

So, I would recommend this if you are a fan of Canele's Caraibe but personally, I prefer cakes with different layers so as to bring out the distinct taste of each unique ingredients used. One example is that I would definitely favour Le Royale over Caraibe. _________________________________________________________________

Yuan's comments

If you like NYDC cakes, Miss Clarity is a good substitute. Similar taste but cheaper. Rich dark chocolate mousse with a thin layer of hazelnut praline. Very sinful to eat this on your own.

You will feel very satisfied on the first few bites but very bloated towards the end. Personally I think it would be better if there was a little more hazelnut praline. Too much chocolate sometimes spoils the cake. If forced to give a score, I think I would give it about 6/10.
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Miss Clarity @ Purvis
5 Purvis Street
#01-14
Singapore 188584
Tel: 6339 4803
Operating hours - 11am to 11pm (closed on Sundays)
http://missclaritycafe.com/

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50 Yummiest Cakes in SIngapore

50 Yummiest Cakes in SIngapore

This is the article in which Ms. Huang LiJie mentioned about the 50 yummiest cakes in Singapore, published on the 6th April 2008, The Sunday Times.

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Chocolate Eclair from Centre Ps

Chocolate Eclair from Centre Ps

Decided to swing by Centre Ps to see if I can get Citrusphere after reading Ice's blog. Alas, there is nothing much left when Yuan and I reached at around 7:30pm.

As usual, Yuan couldn't resist Centre Ps macarons and he got himself a box of 5. All in his tummy by now, within an hour or so. Guess he still loves the macarons as much as before...

Since I have eaten chocolate eclair recently, I thought of trying Centre Ps' eclairs. Each of this Les Eclair costs $5 and they have it in the mini forms.

I like the Choux Pastry, soft and fluffy but I thought the filling wasn't chocolately enough even though fluffy Valrhona Chocolate Ganache Cream was used. Similar to Grand Cru Royale, the chocolate has a slight sourish taste which is not to my liking and thus I thought $5 is expensive. Their macarons are a better bet.
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Centre Ps Pte Ltd
78 Guan Chuan Street
#01-43
Singapore 160078
Tel: 6220 1285
http://www.centre-ps.com/

Operating hours:
10am to 8pm (Mondays to Thursdays)
10am to 9pm (Fridays and Saturdays)
Closed on Sundays

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Chocolate Eclairs from Swiss Baeckerei

Chocolate Eclairs from Swiss Baeckerei

One of the readers recommended this place after reading our entry on Twelve + One and since we are attempting to compile as many desserts as possible, we decided to venture the East again to try their famous Eclairs.

For those who don't drive, this place is directly opposite the bus stop (only sbs transit 32 passes by this bus stop) once it turns into Frankel Ave and thus in comparison to some of the other places we have attempt to find, this is one of the easiest place to find and you wouldn't miss the gigantic croissant.

This place gives a very warm and comfy feeling with tangerine-orange walls; lots of breads and ornaments on the shelves and hanging baskets; the painted floors to portray the swiss fields and simple wooden furniture suddenly transport you into a place that is so different and laid back from the city-life of Singapore.


This place is not new to most of the existing food bloggers such as ieatishootipost, Camemberu, and The Simplest Aphrodisiac and they recommend this as a nice breakfast joint and from my understanding they are popular for their Rosti and Bratwurst ($14.90) and Croque (grilled cheese sandwich, $11.90).

The Eclairs ($3.00) comes in three flavours, namely coffee, vanilla and chocolate. Our choice is pretty clear.

Some other desserts we have tried from Swiss Baeckerei,

1. Rum Bola $2.80
2. Lemon Tart $4.00
3. Orange Carrot Cake ($8.90 per 6 pcs or $9.90 per loaf)
   

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Fen's comments

I am never a fan of chocolate eclairs, partially because I can't really distinguish between the ordinary one and an extraordinary ones so pardon me for sounding amature in my comments. No doubt this is better than the one I had at Twelve + One due to 2 factors.

First, the chocolate cream is so generous and smooth, not too sweet.

Second, the chocolate fudge that is drizzled over the eclair adds a second round of texture. Usually, the top layer has hardened but this is still chewy and fudgey, thought it would be better to have more.

However, I personally felt that the pastry is alittle thick, would be better if it is thinner and softer. Nevertheless, it is a nice eclair but not chocolately enough to satisfy my cravings. Maybe after all, I am more to a chocolate fudge cake lover.
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Yuan's comments

Personally I am not a fan of chocolate eclairs. To me, it all tasted the same. However I found the eclair at Swiss Baeckerei slightly better than others which I have eaten. The main reason was that they are more generous with the chocolate cream. Also as Fen pointed out the layer of chocolate fudge is slightly moist and not those harden sort. Apart from these factors, the eclair is pretty ordinary.
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Swiss Baeckerei
97 Frankel Avenue
Tel: 6441 8766
Operating hours: 7:30am to 7:30pm (Tues to Sun)

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Rum Bola from Swiss Baeckerei

Rum Bola from Swiss Baeckerei

How can we miss out a chocolate dessert, since Palais Royal was sold out. We decided to try one of these Rum balls since it contains chocolate and alcohol.

According to Wikipedia, rum balls ($2.80 each) are a truffle-like confection, being sweet dense balls flavoured with chocolate and rum. They are roughly the size of a golf ball and often coated in chocolate sprinkles, desiccated coconut, or cocoa.


For Swiss Baeckerei, it is coated with chocolate rice. The center is essentially flourless chocolate cake with rasin. The rasins are soaked with rum. Apart from the dry and rough texture, those who like the rum and chocolate combination will love this.

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Swiss Baeckerei
97 Frankel Avenue
Tel: 6441 8766
Operating hours: 7:30am to 7:30pm (Tues to Sun)

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Lemon Tart, Swiss Baeckerei

Lemon Tart, Swiss Baeckerei

Swiss Baeckerei has two specialties for desserts, namely Palais Royal and the Lemon Tart. We were alittle slow as one of the customers before us took the last 2 slices of Palais Royal and thus we settled on their Lemon Tart. Before we continue, Palais Royal should be good since there was a customer who ordered a huge one for his mother's birthday.

Lemon tart ($4.00) was described to be a tartlet with lemon curd filling and a fluffy meringue topping.

The meringue, is basically sweetened uncooked beaten egg whites, has a very smooth texture and a slight almond taste. We thought the crunchy caster sugar enhances the taste. However, the lemon curd filling shocked us a little due to its sharp and sour taste. An extreme from its topping. The pastry base is nothing special since it has a generally blend taste when compared to its filling and topping. We couldn't say whether we like it or not but it is something different. If you don't mind the extreme sourish taste of lemon, you might want to give this a shot.
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Swiss Baeckerei
97 Frankel Avenue
Tel: 6441 8766
Operating hours: 7:30am to 7:30pm (Tues to Sun)

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Orange Carrot Cake from Swiss Baeckerei

Orange Carrot Cake from Swiss Baeckerei

Since we are planning for a carrot cake special for the month of November, we have decided to try these cute little muffin-like carrot cakes.


Sold at $8.90 per 6 pcs or $9.90 per loaf, there were only about 3 boxes of the former and 2 boxes of the latter at our time of visit (around 2pm).

Unlike most that are commonly glazed or topped with white icing or cream cheese icing and walnuts, Swiss Baeckerei has neither but flavoured with orange. In terms of texture, it is pretty similar to a muffin, dense and crumbly. However, the grated carrots is not as strong as the one we had at Dan Ryan.

Generally, the orange flavouring has overwhelmed the carrot and thus we felt that it may not appeal to the true carrot cake fan but nevertheless, it is something different and is worth a try if one doesn't mind the taste of orange in cakes.
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Swiss Baeckerei
97 Frankel Avenue
Tel: 6441 8766
Operating hours: 7:30am to 7:30pm (Tues to Sun)

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