Plain Vanilla Bakery

C says:

I'm usually not a big fan of cupcakes, mainly because more often than not, they're more about aesthetics than flavour. The cake base - usually a dry vanilla or chocolate cake - is an afterthought and simply a carrier for elaborate frostings and toppings, showcasing the baker's artistic abilities at the expense of fundamental baking skills.

That's why I like Plain Vanilla Bakery so much. Each of their cupcake flavours utilises a different cake base, so the fact that they're cute little cupcakes is secondary; at the heart of it, they're still really yummy cakes. As it should be.

Cousin L introduced them to me at a family tea, so I promptly placed an order for W's belated bday dinner. I was really impressed that everything was packed and ready for me when I popped by to collect them, and they even remembered my request for a little candle.

We haven't tried all the flavours yet, but so far my favourite is (surprise surprise) the Salted Caramel, which actually isn't on the mainstay menu. It's a special that will only be available till the end of the month. The cake has swirls of caramel, and I like that the caramel is quite boldly salted.

The Dark Chocolate Ganache is good for those who don't like things too sweet, nor too much frosting. It's coated with a thin layer of ganache, then topped with crushed cocoa nibs. What was most surprising was the cake - I expected it to be quite dense and heavy, but it was anything but. It was really light and fluffy, with a very fine crumb yet still very chocolatey.

A found the Chocolate Banana a tad too sweet, but really liked the Chocolate Chip because the cake base, a vanilla studded with chocolate chips, was less sweet and therefore complemented the sweeter frosting.

I won't lie; the fact that they're in Holland Village is definitely a plus for us. But that aside, what'll keep me going back is just really good cake. Now, if only they'll put the Salted Caramel on their main menu.

A says:

The texture and fluffiness of the cupcake is the best I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, most of the icing/frosting/topping mixes are really way too sweet. I’m talking “omg I need a triple shot of espresso just to cancel the sweetness” kind of sweet. The only ones that didn’t put me in immediate risk of diabetes were the Dark Chocolate and surprisingly, the Chocolate Chip. I’ll be back for those and maybe ask if we can get some special orders that are a bit less sweet.

Plain Vanilla Bakery

34A Lorong Mambong

(2^nd floor, above El Patio Restaurant)

Tel: 6465-5942

Tues to Sat: 12 noon to 8pm

Sun: 12 noon to 6pm

Closed on Mondays

www.plainvanillabakery.com