20 yummiest (privately baked) cakes

By Vangie Baga-Reyes
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07/02/2008

MANILA, Philippines—For the first time, Inquirer Lifestyle is coming out with the 20 yummiest cakes in town. The selection is based on the recommendations of some of Manila’s top food experts, food writers, foodies and cake lovers.

Specialty cakes prepared exclusively by home-based bakers or hobbyists from various gated villages are on this list. (We’ll have a different list of the yummiest cakes sold at commercial outlets soon.)

These specialty cakes range from the super-rich chocolate creation with perfectly piped fudge icing, to the cool, creamy frozen confections garnished with seasonal fruits.

So, feast your eyes on these pages and take pleasure in these decadent all-occasion cakes. Actually, they’re just a phone call away.

1. Concorde
Come-on: Layers of crisp chocolate meringue and velvety chocolate fudge blend into one divine dessert.
Cost: P750. Order two days in advance. For pick-up only
Creator: Delize by Jill Sandique
Call: 7217022 and 4978811; mobile: 09052522517 and 09228262673. Address: No. 33 Sunrise Drive, Cubao Q.C.

2. Pistachio Symphony
Come-on: Two layers of soft-as-pillow chiffon cake with chopped pistachio nuts suspended in the cake. Creamy custard is sandwiched between layers. A generous amount of cream covers the cake with more pistachios on the side and a medley of fruits on top as its crowning glory.
Cost: P850 for an eight-inch cake. To ensure freshness, two days advance notice is requested. For pick-up only.
Creator: Dorothy Ferreria
Call: 706-3541 and 0919-566-9977.

3. Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Come-on: A refreshing calories-rich Dulce de Leche-flavored cheesecake on a pre-baked cookie crust and iced with freshly whipped cream and caramel sauce swirls.
Cost: P725. Available every day.
Creator: Forget Me Not specialty cakes by Pixie Sevilla-Santos
Call: 7232776. Address: No. 60 Broadway Street, QC.

4. Pistachio Sans Rival
Come-on: Buttery and rich four-layered oval-shaped sans rival has thin, crispy meringue that really holds up well without crumbling. The silky butter cream filling is studded with chopped California pistachio nuts that give the cake a nice green color and sweetish, nutty flavor.
Cost: P875. Order two days in advance. For pick-up only.
Creator: Delize by Jill Sandique
Call: 7217022 and 4978811; mobile: 09052522517 and 09228262673. Address: No. 33 Sunrise Drive, Cubao Q.C.

5. Turtle Pie
Come-on: Hard-to-resist chocolate confection with chocolate chips and chopped almond filling under thick Oreo crust. It’s topped with caramel sauce and tastes like chocolate ice cream cake. It really melts in your mouth.
Cost: P950. Order in advance
Creator: Baby Yulo
Call: 8108078 and 8124961. Address: 19 Kawayan Street, North Forbes, Makati.

6. Caramel Cake
Come-on: To lust for, this melting, light chiffon cake under a blanket of glossy caramel is charmingly adorned with butter cream flowers in lovely colors. Makes for a pretty centerpiece.
Cost: P550 for an 8-inch round cake with caramel filling and P500 without filling. Order two days in advance.
Creator: Estrel’s
Call: 3722965 or 3717938. Address: 54 Scout Tobias St. corner Scout Limbaga. Bgy. Laging Handa, Q.C.

7. Mocha Nelusco
Come-on: Tender mocha chiffon cake iced with smooth mocha butter cream and topped with crunchy cashew praline. This stunner is well worth every calorie.
Cost: P750 for an 8-inch round cake. Order a day in advance. For pick-up only.
Creator: Costa Brava by Judah Liu
Call: 8961267, 8966872 and 09178340815. Address: 12 Polaris Street Bel-Air 1, Makati City.

8. Claycakes with Chocolate Sauce
Come-on: This custom-made birthday cake is made with finest ingredients but with much love and patience as well. Sink your teeth into this confectionery creation and be surprised to savor the wicked richness of dark, moist chocolate underneath the beautiful gummy icing. This cool cake that tastes as good as it looks brightens and completes every festive table.
Cost: P4,000 and still depends on your choice of art cakes. Order two weeks in advance.
Creator: Claycakes by Karla Lapira-Magbanua
Call: 6461739, 6761733 and 0917-9246032. Or visit www.claycakes.com.

9. Mango Madness
Come-on: A delightful pairing of sweet cream and alternate layers of fresh mangoes in crunchy crust. The oval-shaped cake is utterly elegant (and almost too pretty to eat)!
Cost: P1,000. To ensure freshness, two days’ advanced notice is requested.
Creator: Park Avenue Desserts by Chef Buddy Trinidad
Call: 8346636 or e-mail parkavenuedesserts@yahoo.com.ph.

10. Frozen Brazo de Mercedez
Come-on: Also known as Brazo Mantecado, it’s a cool concoction of brazo made out of gooey, chewy “yema,” layered with ice cream, topped with meringue on Graham crust. It brings any meal to a memorable close.
Cost: P600 for a 9"x9"-cake.
Creator: Dimpy Camara
Call: 8438086 and 8439021.

11. Mango Charlotte
Come-on: This is the ultimate mango indulgence! This frozen confection is generously cloaked with Chantilly cream, vanilla-flavored whipped cream all over and daintily designed with spiral of mango slices on top.
For every bite, you get to taste the gentle crunchiness of cashew-flavored crust, the sweetness of mangoes and silky whipped cream.
Cost: P950. Available for delivery and pick-up.
Creator: Sweet Bella by Cristina Santiago Rivera
Call: 8440680 and 8449905. Address: 1730 Banyan Street, Dasmariñas Village, Makati.

12. Strawberry Charlotte
Come-on: Inlaid with generous fresh strawberries, this frozen cake is a temptation that will magically melt all resistance. Layers of cashew meringue with Chantilly cream topped with fresh strawberries and capped with pretty white chocolate butterflies, the creator’s signature touch.
Cost: P1,450. Available for delivery and pick-up.
Creator: Sweet Bella by Cristina Santiago Rivera
Call: 8440680, 8449905 and 0928-5025027.

13. Pastillas de Leche Cheesecake
Come-on: Undeniably very Filipino, this not-so-sweet and densely baked cheesecake comes with generous topping of pastillas from Pampanga. It’s served with thick caramel on the side.
Cost: P1,000 for a 9-inch round cake. Available by special order.
Creator: Uppercrust by Doren Tayag
Call: (045) 8883357 and 09175312712. Address: 35-3ST. 2 Carmenville Subdivision Angeles City.

14. Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch
Come-on: This super dark chocolate confection certainly brings the ooohs and aaahs to the table, charming and exciting everyone. It has a yummy combo of hazelnut crunch with crème brulee and caramel cream. A real showstopper!
Cost: P1,200. Order two days in advance.
Creator: Park Avenue Desserts by Chef Buddy Trinidad
Call: 8346636 or e-mail parkavenuedesserts@yahoo.com.ph.

15. Red Velvet Cake
Come-on: Surprise your palate with this dramatic-looking chocolate cake with its unusual bright red color that is sharply contrasted by cream cheese with white chocolate curls on top.
Cost: P500 for 8-inch round cake. For pick-up and delivery within major financial districts
Creator: Karen’s Kitchen by Karen Young
Call: 8982280, 8982880 and 09175252004. Address: 428 Adalia Street, Palm Village, Makati City.

16. Chocolate Ganache
Come-on: Any self-respecting chocoholic can tell at first taste that this is rich, moist and really flavorful. This lets you get your chocolate fix any day, anytime. Enjoy the dark milk chocolate goodness.
Cost: P650 for 8-inch round cake. For pick up and delivery within major financial districts
Creator: Karen’s Kitchen by Karen Young
Call: 8982280, 8982880 and 09175252004. Address: 428 Adalia Street, Palm Village, Makati City.

17. Pandan Cake
Come-on: Pandan-flavored chiffon cake with pandan-flavored butter cream with chocolate shavings on top.
So good it will be hard to resist a second slice.
Cost: P650 for an 8-inch round cake. Order a day in advance. For pick-up only.
Creator: Costa Brava by Judah Liu
Call: 8961267, 8966872 and 09178340815. Address: 12 Polaris Street Bel-Air 1, Makati City.

18. Good Ol’ Fashioned Chocolate Cake
Come-on: Every time you crave for chocolate cake, grab a slice of this decadent sweet thing with sinful fudge frosting and thickened custard filling. Sweet but unbelievably scrumptious.
Cost: P1,050. Order in advance.
Creator: Homemade by Roshan by Roshan Samtani
Call: 6317786 and 09178336286.

19. English Sticky Toffee Pudding
Come-on: For those who are tired of cakes covered with whipped cream or butter cream, here’s a perfect alternative that’s prepared with lots of dates. It’s called pudding. However, this is a moist cake with caramel topping (the sticky part). It’s plain and simple but flavorful. It comes with extra butterscotch sauce.
Cost: P450 for 7-inch cake. P900 for 9x12 cake. P300 for a loaf (minimum of two). Order two days in advance. For pick-up and delivery.
Creator: Katey Q’s Cakes by Olive Isidro-Cruz
Call: 6477636, 6477632 and 09178191808. Address: No. 1 Hillside Lane Blue Ridge, QC.

20. Strawberry Shortcake
Come-on: Freshly baked three-layered chiffon cake spread heavily with glorious whipped cream and strawberry flecks. It’s topped with imported strawberries.
Cost: P1,400 (round cake) and P1,500 (rectangular). Order two days in advance.
Creator: Baby Yulo
Call: 8108078 and 8124961.