Unlike rum which is commonly used in most tiramisu, B Bakery has theirs served with marsala wine which according to the owner, is what original Italian tiramisu are supposed to be. However, Yuan and I personally felt that masala is generally milder and lacks the punch when compared to rum.
After reading one of Ice's recent entries, I have started to pay more attention to the firmness of mascarpone cheese and this one seems to fit her description in which it is firm enough to hold the sponges. However, I personally prefer mascarpone cheese mixed with zabaglione custard or creme anglaise for a lighter touch.
Last thing to point out, the amount of cocoa powder sprinkled on the tiramisu was too much, hence providing a dry layer. We actually dusted the excess off and felt that it tasted better with lesser cocoa powder.
B Bakery
15 Bussorah Street
Singapore 199436
Tel: 6293 9010
9 comments:
Sorry I have to correct my own mistake. All tiramisu will contain zabaglione (egg yolk & sugar mixture) mixed with mascarpone cheese. It's the whipping cream that is optional but most places add the whipping cream to stint on the mascarpone as the latter is alot more costly. Adding whipping cream will make it more "creamy" & the tiramisu will not stand well. You can definitely taste the mascarpone if a good proportion (relative to egg/cream) of it is added, which is the case of Pasta Brava's. Whipping cream definitely makes the tiramisu heavier actually, not lighter.
Venetian tiramisu traditionally does not contain alcohol in the original recipe, but alcohol is now added in most recipes the actual one is marsala for it to qualify as a zabaglione. Kahlua is the next most common in tiramisu. Rum is actually just another variation.
As a rough gauge, places which do their tiramisu in a cup contains alot of whipping cream eg. Perla's. Regardless of alcohol, I still maintain those are mediocre compared to the ones that have more mascarpone. Maybe you can go check back your old tiramisu entries and "rethink" the taste of the cakes if you can actually taste the cheese in them.
Ah... finally I get to know what exactly is zabaglione... I was googling it right after I saw the comment but couldn't find the information I want...
Evan is one that is sensitive to whipping cream but sad to say I still have difficulty picking out the distinct unpleasant taste... Guess I will have to try the tiramisu from Pasta Brava's and Perla's since it is different in its content...
I thought mascarpone cheese should have a curd-like texture and hence when compared with whipping cream, the latter should be lighter... It is surprising that it is the reverse... Guess I am on the right track since I prefer a lighter mascarpone layer (not the creamy and heavy ones)... If that is the case, I don't rule out the possibility that the one from B Bakery might be reeked with whipping cream...
Hmm... to "rethink" the taste, it would be difficult, given the amount of cakes I have eaten over the months... I guessed I can only do justice by paying attention to the ingredients more carefully...
Didn't know tiramisu actually has so many variations and I appreciate the knowledge you have shared with me... I have never know so much about this classic dessert, guess I will have to try harder to write reviews...
Once again, thank you for the information...
Evan is sensitive to butter cream, not whipping cream I believe. :) I think you got the wrong idea here, heavy cream that is added doesn't give the cake an unpleasant taste, just "heavier" in terms of "cream" content. The more heavy cream added definitely makes the zabaglione-mascarpone-cream layer "softer" and easily collapsable & more jeelat.
Hmm... I still don't quite get you... so you're saying you prefer those with more heavy cream content?
fen, your reviews are ok and there isn't a need actually to incorporate origins & history of the cakes etc coz I think your readers won't be even at least interested in those. Most are just contented if the cakes you recommend taste good. Adding the history part will be boring to read... like mine. :)
From my understanding so far, the potential components of a tiramisu are
1. Crème anglaise
2. Zabaglione
3. Whipping cream
4. Rum/Marsala/Kahlua
5. Mascarpone cheese
Since more whipping cream = "heavier" & "creamier", I presume more mascarpone = "lighter".
What I meant by on the right track is that I generally prefer a lighter (but not creamy) mascarpone layer so does that mean the tiramisu I like contains more mascarpone cheese than whipping cream (assuming the proportion of egg yolks and cream is ideal)?
Correct me if I am wrong...
I guess incorporating origins & history of the cakes are more for my understanding. I don't want to end up writing, "nice, can try", "don't like, not recommended"...
It is clear that there are 2 types of readers,
1. look at photos only; comment without knowing the content
2. read it, appreciate it and comment...
You know where I fall in and I enjoy reading your entries as I get to understand and appreciate food better... Same thing goes to Evan's blog, particularly when she mentioned about the ingredients used...
oh actually, i'm sensitive to whipping cream. very sensitive in fact, esp when there's not enough chocolate or other ingredients or flavoring to cover up the dairy smell. and i think the dairy smell will actually overpower the whole cake. thats my two cents la.
i actually agree with fen that whipping cream is lighter compared to mascarpone cheese. the cheese itself is actually very thick and if used on its own, i think it will make the tiramisu very dry, esp when the top is heavily dusted with a thick layer of cocoa powder. maybe ice is right that alot of places put whipping cream in order to stint on the mascarpone, but i think a balance of both will actually make the dessert nice. too much of whipping cream also cannot, the whole thing will be too diluted.
then again tastebuds is subjective la. some will prefer a thick & creamy tiramisu while some will prefer a lighter one.
Anyway, just heard from Eunice, the owner of B Bakery... As quoted from her,
"Just wanted to explain a little on our tiramisu, It is done as a cake not as a dessert. The cheese layer is not just cheese but egg yolks and sugar syrup done "pate bombe" actually not unlike a zabaglione but lighter. It is firmed up with gelatin so that it will cut cleanly as a cake."
Now I am confused... Maybe I should attempt to make my own tiramisu before I can answer my own question...
=) Nice discussion, pals...
haha no need 2b confused la. everywhere does tiramisu differently. but frankly speaking i do prefer it in a cup than a cake form. i didn't like the cake ones from obolo nor bistro senso :(
Gelatin lol first tiramisu I know of that uses gelatin. haha I think that is bad lol sorry...
imho, heavy cream makes the cake sink & "heavy" and overwhelms the mascarpone element if too much is added. Best if it's not used and heavy cream is actually optional in tiramisu recipes if the zabaglione-mascarpone mixture is well balanced.
Evan: On the contuary, I prefer tiramisu in sliced, particularly the one from Aroma. For the cup forms, I always find that the liquid content will sink to the bottom of the cup, making it extremely wet and soggy...
Ice: B Bakery seems to be particular with their cakes to be cut cleanly so I am not surprised they put in the extra bit of variations to their tiramisu.
Talking about gelatin, Canelé's tiramisu has this jelly-like top layer which appeals to some but not me.
Anyway, I was looking through my old tiramisu entries and in layman terms, I guessed I penned down my liking based on two factors, the strength of the alcohol and the "lightness" of the mascarpone layer...
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