Carrot Cake Hunt Round 2

Hello everyone!

Part 1 of this series can be found here. I've managed to try 2/5 of my To-try list carrot cakes! I'll definitely try all of them and give y'all a review! But for now here's how the carrot cakes I've tried fared:

Maison Ikkoku:

Felt that theirs was quite moist, icing good cos its a thin layer. But could have more walnuts. There were a few grapes too, personally I dont like having grapes in my carrot cake? But definitely one of the better few around. Think it was $6 for this? Or possibly $5+ 4.2/5

Blackbird Cafe:

Theirs was the WORST tasting carrot cake I've ever eaten in my whole life. It tasted sourish and like it was bad. Barely any hint of cinnamon or tastes you'd associate w a carrot cake. Walnuts look aplenty but they were small pieces and you could barely taste them. Bad on the whole, totally lacked taste. I paid $8+ for the tea set, 3-6pm, slice of cake or 2 muffins with tea/coffee. 0/5

Room For Dessert:

Cakes on display!

Very quirky artwork in the store. There's a 2 or 3 seater sofa in the shop and you can just ask if you can sit there and eat the cake (:

Her icing was quite nice, not too sweet and hers had raisins too. Felt that it was a bit hard? Like not as moist as I'd like it to be. Maybe cos I came in with v high expectations of the cake so when it didnt meet my expectations I was rather disappointed? 4/5

House of Robert Timms:

Think this was $8 or so? I think $8.80 or something aft GST&Service charge! One of the more expensive ones I've eaten! Well you may say its four layers, but some like Cedele's give you 2 thick layers which equals to about this size? Anw this one had raisins tho not that many. Icing isnt done nicely as you acn see, there are uneven layers. Moist, walnuts could have been more, cinnamon taste a little stronger would be good. I'd rather they just give 2 layers so its more of the cake than the icing! 4.1/5

So now I'm down to:

1. Calendar Cakes
2. Coffeesmith
3. Room Coffee Bar
4. Any oth cafes I come across

Please recommend any oth places if you know of!! (: My friends really think I'm carrot cake crazed now cos I've seriously been trying whenever I see one :D

Carrot Cake Hunt Round 1

Hello everyone!

Here's another comparison entry because I feel like I'm on the hunt for carrot cakes in Singapore haha. Its another one of my fav kind of cakes, love the cinnamon taste and crunch of the walnuts! And recently, many cafes seem to be serving carrot cakes! So I'm gonna aim to try all of 'em and come to a conclusion wrt my fav carrot cake!

Here's my criteria:

• Must be a little bit crumbly and moist
• Cinnamon taste
• Generous with walnuts
• Cream cheese icing must not be too sweet and cloying, doesnt overpower the carrot cake but complements it
• Cake must be nice enough to be eaten on its own w/o icing!

So I've tried carrot cakes in a number of places:

Contender #1: Cedele 

$6/slice

Credits to celededepot.com

Many say Cedele's is the best carrot cake they've tasted so far and love this cake, but I think that the standards have been dropping? Firstly, slices are getting smaller, and the walnuts in the cake itself getting lesser, and its getting a little dry? Not sure if that's because of comparison with other cakes or because the standards are really dropping but my most recent tasting of their carrot cake is Dec last year. I would say this is definitely not on my top carrot cake list for now. This used to be much nicer!! 3.5/5

Contender #2: 7th Manna 

$4.50/slice

The best friend and I have heard some good reviews of their cakes and their short opening hours are such that we couldnt have a chance to try them while schooling! We happened to pass by them and they were opened so we happily went into the shop and tried the carrot cake! We both felt disappointed by the carrot cake because it tasted bland, no happy smiles after taking the first bite so yup. This was in Sept 2011 so not sure if anything changed now. 2.7/5

Click here for the review previously done on them (I lowered the ratings in this post 'cos since then I've ate oth carrot cakes and felt that in comparison, this doesnt deserve that rating given in the older post)

Contender #3: Kooka Cafe 

(Think the cake was $6 or $6.50 per slice, ongoing promotion of cake + coffee for $7.50!)

If I'm not wrong, the yellow stuff are pineapples! There are a few recipes online adding crushed pineapples to the carrot cake batter, heard it makes it more moist? Well the cream cheese frosting here is different from normal cream cheese frostings I've eaten on carrot cakes, this one's less sweet and a little sour in fact? Have a small issue w the pineapple bits in the cake (guess I'm not used to it?) but the cake was not bad, quite moist and crumbly, walnuts were generous too. 3.5/5

Contender #4: All Good Things

(Cake was $6 or $6.50 also)

Disclaimer: this cake, when given to us, wasnt totally ready yet ie it was still supposed to be refrigerated for a bit more for the flavours to develop before putting it in the cake counter for sale but 'cos the boy and I were rushing for time and we waited quite a while for the cake, the very kind lady gave it to us and didnt charge us for us. So our opinion of it may not be the true reflection of how it tastes like when its ready!! 

1) I liked the frosting, enough for me to eat quite a big portion of it tgt w the carrot cake (because honestly, most of the time I just try one bite of the carrot cake w the frosting and then proceed to eat it w/o frosting) 

2) Rather generous w walnuts

3) Cake was moist, cinnamon taste could be a bit stronger though and a little more moist perhaps?

I shall make another trip down one day to try it when its truly ready for sale! 4/5

Contender #5: House Barracks Cafe Carrot Cake

Credits to House Barracks Cafe Dessert Menu

This one's goooooood. Had it quite sometime back in mid 2011 and I remember it to be v good (: Loved the addition of figs into the cake and it was well studded with walnuts too! Frosting was definitely not too sweet and kept to a thin layer, cake was moist and crumbly too. Though after a heavy meal, I gladly polished this off! Its given a 4 because I rmb the cake to be a tad sweet. 4/5

Contender #6: Homemade carrot cake by a home baker

This is the best carrot cake I've had so far!! The boy, someone who doesnt like carrot cakes (although I always make him eat 'em w me haha) loved this too!!! He gladly finished huge portions of this cake along w me HAHA. Fats 'r us. But wtv this is totally worth the calories!!! 

1) Super moist and crumblyyyy mmmm.

2) Cinnamon taste was q strong but not overpoweringly so

3) LOVE how the frosting is thin and kept to a minimum so I can truly truly enjoy the carrot cake in all its glory (:

4) Frosting wasn't sweet at all, went v well w the cake!! One frosting that I finished (: and I think the only one thus far

5) V generous with walnuts

Till now I'm still missing this carrot cake. This was given to me by my Aunt whose friend gave it to her! I've got the contacts of the awesome lady who baked this cake and I'm planning on ordering from her for maybe my bday? I have a feeling she only does whole cakes (I mean which homebaker sells cakes by the slice right) so rather sad that I'd have to order a whole cake in order to enjoy this!!! For now, this is 5/5!

Carrot cake to try list

1. Room For Dessert - Summertime Carrot Cake featured in Straits' Times 50 Yummiest Cakes
2. Maison Ikkoku's carrot cake
3. Coffeesmith's nude carrot cake
4. Room. coffee. bar carrot cake (Previously room with a view)
5. Calendar's carrot cake (people have said their's is the best in Spore!)

Any other places to recommend?

Min Jiang Kueh Hunt Round 1

Hi! I'm looking for the best MJK in Singapore! This is just part 1 of my MJK diaries! Okay let me give you my criteria:

• Generous fillings
• Filling must not be too sweet, must have the nice roasted peanut aroma
• Kueh must not be rubbery, must be soft and pillowy
• Good kueh to peanut filling ratio
• Ideally, it shld be hot! (because to me, that's when you can truly enjoy MJK!)

Contender #1: Weng's Pancake

Have been reading quite a few reviews on Weng's Min Jiang Kueh so I decided to try it out! I guess the kueh's green cos pandan is infused into it? But I couldnt taste any pandan. The peanut filling was quite little, towards the end there was no peanut filling alr. Kueh was soft no doubt. Peanut wasnt v aromatic, didnt have the attack-nose peanut smell? But this was cheap, 50cents for one! 3/5

Contender #2: Pastry King

Min Jiang Kueh


The first time I ate this, I thought I was in MJK heaven haha. Because the kueh was pillowy and soft, piping hot, and the nuts smelled so darn good and it wasnt too sweet! Just nice! And there was a lot of filling. So add that up all together and I was in MJK heaven (: And best part was, there were bits of crispy stuff at the sides! Like the thinner parts of the kueh dough/where they cut it so it was crispy too at some parts! I reallyyyy loved this one and was glad to have found this! 5/5

However, I must warn you, there are days when quality of this isnt good at all! That day, the aunty just made it and I bought 2 pieces immediately thinking they'd be awesome since its freshly made but to my disappointment, this time the peanut filling wasn't enough! Measly in fact though the fact that it was piping hot made up for it a little! And there was another day when the kueh felt like it wasn't like the first time I tried, so yup. Guess its down to luck man haha. This is $1 per piece

Butter cake

Mom commented that the butter cake was not bad, quite loose though butter taste could be stronger!

Egg Tart

Please DO NOT try the egg tart. I saw quite a few people buying so well, I jumped on the bandwagon as well and to my horror (I now know I shld trust the rational side of myself who learned not to go w the masses so easily) I was sorely disappointed!! The tart was quite hard and the custard was just ew. Not fragrant and tasted super duper eggy. Fails in every category. Maybe it was just an off day, but argh no more egg tarts from here for me!

Contender #3: Some coffeeshop in Compassvale

My Mom heard from her friends that this store sells awesome MJK so she brought me there and we tried, but sadly, peanuts were a little too sweet and kueh too chewy at some parts maybe cos its been left out for too long? Peanuts weren't v crispy and a little lao hong or tastes a bit old? 3/5

I've heard great reviews abt the one at Pek Kio FC and of course, I've yet to try the famous Tanglin Halt! If yall have any recommendations, please comment!! OR anywhere yall want me to try out! (: Am v bummed that the one at Kovan FC isnt selling MJK anymore :( The boy used to be a fan of theirs but now they arent selling it anymore!! Have been reading rave reviews abt them online as well (thought quite dated ones) But argh, so wasted :(

Contender 1: Weng's Pancake

Maxwell FC

Contender 2: Pastry King

AMK Central, the coffeeshop next to Courts!