Pine Garden's Cake
One of my fondest memories growing up was made of fluffy sponge cakes layered with heavy buttercream bought by my gran from the mom-and-pop neighbourhood bakeries that were a dime and dozen back in the 80's. Over the years, they've become an endangered species of sorts. The millennium wave of haute French patisseries and Japanese-influenced contemporary confectioners has surely eroded the heartland strongholds of these old-school bakeries. Rarely these days do I see these local bakeries anymore. Even in the heartlands.
Enter Pine Garden's Cakes, who's evolved with the changing times, by fusing modern preferences with traditional sensibilities. They've maintained that unabashedly heavy buttercream evocative of vintage bakeries, now given a new lease of life with newfangled flavour pairings. And what I found particularly pleasing of these lovely cakes was how fluffy the sponge was, an enlightened airy contrast to the heavy buttercream. It may not be the most refined of confectionery, but they do offer a good sweet dose of nostalgia.
My favourite by far, the Pulut Hitam ($2.80) was a butter-creamed twist on a local dessert. The black glutinous rice pudding topping was perfectly nuanced.
Although I generally don't like orange accents in my chocolate, I didn't hate the Orange Zest Chocolate ($2.70). The orange was delicate, and light, without being saccharine like it usually does in most desserts.
The Mango Passionfruit ($3.50) was lively and tart, tinged with sour elements.
The Lychee Martini ($2.80) was very light. So light it tasted more like a vanilla buttercream cake. I could hardly taste any alcohol in this.
The Blackforest ($2.80) was, perhaps, the most traditional of them all, but it was quite the throwback to my childhood.
Pine Garden's Cake
529 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-2369
Tel: 6457 6159
Open daily from 8.30am to 9.30pm
Enter Pine Garden's Cakes, who's evolved with the changing times, by fusing modern preferences with traditional sensibilities. They've maintained that unabashedly heavy buttercream evocative of vintage bakeries, now given a new lease of life with newfangled flavour pairings. And what I found particularly pleasing of these lovely cakes was how fluffy the sponge was, an enlightened airy contrast to the heavy buttercream. It may not be the most refined of confectionery, but they do offer a good sweet dose of nostalgia.
My favourite by far, the Pulut Hitam ($2.80) was a butter-creamed twist on a local dessert. The black glutinous rice pudding topping was perfectly nuanced.
Although I generally don't like orange accents in my chocolate, I didn't hate the Orange Zest Chocolate ($2.70). The orange was delicate, and light, without being saccharine like it usually does in most desserts.
The Mango Passionfruit ($3.50) was lively and tart, tinged with sour elements.
The Lychee Martini ($2.80) was very light. So light it tasted more like a vanilla buttercream cake. I could hardly taste any alcohol in this.
The Blackforest ($2.80) was, perhaps, the most traditional of them all, but it was quite the throwback to my childhood.
Pine Garden's Cake
529 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-2369
Tel: 6457 6159
Open daily from 8.30am to 9.30pm
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