Daily Tribune: The best new cakes in town!

by Dolly Dy Zulueta | October 27, 2021 10:00 PM

Just when you thought you have tasted the best and the trendiest cakes in town, here comes five new cakes to love. Yes, five! Each a fresh new flavor for the palate to savor or an insanely delicious interpretation of a classic favorite.

I “discovered” these gems of a dessert through media colleague, good friend and fellow foodie Spanky Enriquez, whose taste for outstanding sweet treats, such as cakes and pies, is impeccable and, yes, very reliable. So, the cakes were subjected to a taste test. I thought I had tasted it all — from the commercial cakes that bakeshop chains offered to chefs’ creations to award-winning recipes to homemade treats — but these five cakes (actually four cakes and a pie) completely changed my perspective on what a really good cake is. It should not just pass the usual standards on taste, texture, color, clean lines, theme and consistency. It should also excite the palate like crazy.

Yes, guava cake! It goes by the name Helen’s Guava Cake, baked by Monique Tancongco of Moniquecakesph, and it is such a unique and refreshing treat. The guava flavor is very pronounced not only in the two layers of pillowy soft, moist chiffon but also in the homemade organic red guava jam filling enhanced even more by steeping guava leaves and fruits and covered in whipped cream frosting. Slices of red guava are used to garnish the cake.

For Monique, a former ship building executive and experienced hotelier turned happy home baker, guavas bring about the fondest childhood memories.

“During my growing up years, we had guava trees at my grandma’s and relatives’ houses. My aunties and uncles and elder cousins built swings and playhouses around them. My late grandma, late dad Crispino Tancongco and my mom taught us the nutritional value of eating natural and unprocessed food as much as possible. Guava fruits are amazingly rich in antioxidants, potassium, fiber and Vitamin C. My dad used to work for Del Monte Philippine Packing in Davao City, and the Del Monte Guava Juice was his brainchild. The jam recipe I use for my guava cake was my grandma’s pamana to my mom Helen, who inspired me to create a cake out of it. Hence, the cake’s name,” explains Monique.

Helen’s Guava Cake has been available via direct messages on their Facebook and Instagram pages (@Moniquecakesph).

SOURCE: https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/10/27/the-best-new-cakes-in-town

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