Us Malaysians like to be the biggest, the largest, the first and the …. tallest. Now, Malaysia’s very own first cupcake cafe; Cupcake Chic is now opened at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara. Cupcakes are already a big hit everywhere especially in the States, so I guess it’s about time we have our own cafe! (And REAL cupcakes)
Very chic and boutique-ish outlet, its like a new trend for cake cafes / bakeries. No longer there are rows of close-open plastic covers or the typical cake display counters. And, doesnt that cupcake-outline image looks clubbish ?
And so, there are a whopping 25 cupcake flavours to feed everyone of all ages, and preferences. Offering 12 daily, one can buy half or a dozen and be able to try all the flavours! They’re not just the same base (like doughnuts, where they ARE just only plain dougnuts with different icings on top). There’s a variety of cake textures if u’re more technical. The flavours are also very diversed, from the traditional chocolate and vanilla ones, there are things like, LAVENDER, butterpecan, pistachio and peaches and even a malaysian one; pandan with gula melaka
big BIG menu board
trays and trays of cupcakes.
*warning, writings ahead might offend, but really, its just my opinion and to make some justifications*
So, what is a Cupcake? We (Some of us) all know cupcakes were somehow made famous by a scene in Sex and the City while they were dining in the infamous Magnolia Cafe. And soon after that, its the cupcake revolution. Its small, cute and chic. Its versatile and suitable for just about any occasion, for favours, gifts, and even wedding cakes! Even celebrities like Katie Holmes and Oprah Winfrey enjoys them. Is it a trend? It is a lifestyle. People are changing and opting for a more affordable luxury. I wouldnt say that cupcakes are the answer, but a boutique-ish trendy cafe is. Even fast food are revolutionizing. So, what about bakeries and cake cafes? The cakes that I see now are not the same as how they were 2 years ago. New techniques and flavours are invented. People want to have an assurance on what goes into what they eat. That’s why, Cupcake Chic claims they use only the finest ingredients like New Zealand Butter, Spanish Vanilla essence, Belgian Couverture Chocolate and French dried Lavender, plus, the alcohol is real. Shortening, Margerine and heavy colouring does not exist in the Cupcake Chic dictionary. It is true, thats why you see the cupcakes are all natural looking. Not super-infested with colouring. By all means, I AM quite against heavy colouring
Back to Basics; Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Frosting. One of the best sellers
Simple is the new black. Gone are the days where a million and one things go ontop of a simple cake. Or maybe some still prefers butterflies and trees on their cake. I just dont.
Often people ask or say, cupcakes are so sweet!. My dears, cupcakes are sweet, but then again, level of sweetness depends on personal preferences. Where do you think, the word icing or frostings come from then! I would rather prefer my icing to be sweet than otherwise. Frostings are made from butter and sugar and vanilla. If they’re not sweet, then one might becareful on what ACTUALLY goes into the frosting. Margerine? ew. Shortening? DOUBLE EEW!! oil ? super duper ew. corn flour? eerrgghh. superfaints.
Frostings are also meant to be paired and compliment the cake itself. So if the frosting is as high as mountain or the same size as the cake, then the ratio is just too wrong. It should just be about less than half the size of the cake so one wouldnt be jelak or have any frosting overdose. For example, take Persian Love; a pistachio cake with rosewater frosting. Just a plain pistachio cake wouldn’t wow anybody because its just a normal pistachio cake. But paired with rosewater, the whole experience just differs. It’s just like cooking and wine. Certain wine pairs better with certain types of food. So does frostings and cakes. See, it’s not a dumb-blonde thing
Tropical Bliss; Coconut Lime cake with Coconut frostings and hawaiian coconut flakes.
Cupcake Chic’s 25 cupcake flavours is really an eye catcher. There are chocolaty ones, vanilla based, fruity ones, super rich, kiddy and healthy and even a local-inspired one. The only thing missing is probably some truffle oil and gold leaves cupcake. HAHA. no pun intended. Offering only 12 daily, one can pick their favourite easier than having 25 thrown at their face at 1 time. plus, you can even choose your favourite day! Mine’s Saturday.
Peaches ‘n Cream; Peach cake with real peach bits inside the cake, topped with Cream chantilly (sweetened whipped cream with vanilla) and toasted almond flakes.
Sexy and alive, they dont look too fake with abundant colourings or pipings. Not only food on plates should look appealing, cakes too should have a distinctive look to attract and relate to people. Its not wrong to do colourings and pipings (cause elaborate wedding cake have those), it just depends on what people are looking for and what’s the purpose of the cake. If it is for display, by all means finish the whole bottlte of colouring. But if they’re meant to be eaten, then, beware because no one wants to eat colourings.
Red Velvet; An infamous cake from Southern US. It’s a cocoa cake, a cross between a vanilla and chocolate cake with cream cheese frostings.
You dont often see red velvet here in Malaysia so its pretty excited to see one!
Done with frostings and outlook, now to the cake texture. Being a trained pastry chef, I really read cake texture. I believe that cakes should be real. They’re suppose to be moist, soft, flavourful and most importantly, not dry or hard. Especially cupcakes, because of their size, they tend to dry faster than the bigger cakes because it takes no time for the air to travel into the inner-part of the cake. So, cake recipes should be created in a way to prevent cupcakes from drying too fast.
Many people say, who cares about the texture of the cake. as long as the look of the cake is nice, then its good enough. I am so against that. The texture of the cake should be the main point, looking good is a plus point cause it attracts eyes. But if the cake texture is bland or uninteresting, then there wouldnt be returning clients. But bad looking cake that tastes good isnt that good too because one needs to try to find out, and bear in mind, we eat with our eyes too. So, looking good and tasting good is a win-win situation. Not easy, but not too hard either. With passion and love, one can do it.
On Cloud 9, Chocolate Mud cake baked with marshmallow topped with marshmallows.
So, how soft should a cupcake be? take a table knife (from the cutleries set, not chopping or chef knife) cut the cake. You can feel the texture of the cake. If its dense, hard and dry (ok lah, you need to taste dryness with your own mouth) the air bubbles are very tiny and close together or almost non-visible when you cut the cake, then higher chances that its a dense cake. Vanilla based cakes are suppose to be light and soft. Chocolate cakes are more densed and moist instead. But it could also be light and airy, depending on what kinda cake it is. Sachertorte is a dense and moist cake but Black Forest Tortes have a lighter texture of chocolate cake cause its made with sponge based cakes. Cupcake Chic’s Fatal Attraction (one of the best sellers) wins alot of hearts. Cake texture is melting and moist and CHOCOLATEY! I mean, whats a chocolate cake when there’s no real chocolate? NO, COCOA POWDER DOESNT COUNT FOR ME!
Cupcake textures are like almost melt in your mouth and not too buttery. Because if its too buttery, you will have a layer of oil on your tongue and make you feel uncomfortable. Same as icing. Butter become soft in body temperature, and shortening (animal fat) has a higher melting point. So, when you eat the frostings, it should be also melt-in-mouth kinda feeling rather than having a oily film coated in the mouth. And to be sure that frostings are made from pure butter, it should be creamy in colour instead of pure white. Because, Come on, we all know butter are not WHITE right??? Cheating and reducing cost is one thing. But causing health hazard is certainly unforgivable.
Box of 6. Top row from left, Forget me not (Lavender cake with Baileys Frosting), Butter Pecan (Burnt butter cake with butterpecan topped with caramel frosting), Fatal Attraction (Belgian Chocolate cake with Belgian Chocolate Frosting), Bottom row from left, Persian Love (Pistachio cake with Rosewater Frosting), Banoppy (Banana and Poppy seeds cake with vanilla frostings), Envy (Green Tea cake with Green Tea Cream Cheese Frostings)
Chocolates. There’s no denial that I wished everyone in the world uses couverture chocolate, instead of compound chocolates. I have written about chocolate before, and have read about chocolate. To cut things short, compound chocolate is made mainly with oil, cocoa powder and sugar, and preservatives. Couverture chocolate contains cocoa butter and cocoa mass and sugar; ratio depends on whether its dark, milk or bittersweet. Cupcake Chic’s chocolate cake is made with Belgian Couverture chocolate (hence the price) and frostings too are also made with the chocolate instead of just adding cocoa powder or adding brown colouring.
Quality comes first, then the price. Would you rather pay for something of moderate price but it doesnt satisfy you, or rather pay slight more (about 10-20%) for something that would make you go “mmm so good?” and made from quality ingredients. I would rather pay and get a good piece of cake, than to waste my money on something that would end up in the bin anyway even though its cheaper than the first. You get my point?
But if one cannot differentiate what a good or dry and bad cake is, then one doesnt deserve to have cake, or review it. Hate me, but its about training up one’s palate to differentiate good and bad cakes. Otherwise, any cow and dog can become a food tester.
I think I’ve written a really really really long post. But do go ahead and have a try at Cupcake Chic’s cupcakes. Specialty stores are booming up so, dont miss out on this one!
It’s located in The Curve, 2 doors away from Secret Recipe, directly facing Ikea.
Add them on facebook too !
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My favourite for now is Onde-onde. how about yours?
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