A cakewalk across Bangkok

IF YOU LOVE sweets (and you’re defiantly heedless of calories), the pastry chefs at seven top hotels in the Ratchaprasong area are beckoning you for International Cake Day – not just one day but right through September.

The festival organised by the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association is bigger for its second year. Last time out it was the Centara Grand, Grand Hyatt Erawan, Renaissance and InterContinental hotels. This time the Four Seasons, St Regis and Novotel Platinum are joining them.

The theme is “Berries and Flowers” for a walking tour of baked marvels that takes you from one hotel to another, burning off a few kilos in transit. 

My sweet tooth knows its limits, but when zesty berries are involved and the cake isn’t too creamy, I know I can indulge without feeling bloated. Of course no one expects you to sample all the goodies at all seven hotels in one day – but you can certainly have fun trying.

I managed four hotels, starting at the Grand Hyatt Erawan’s Erawan Bakery, where executive pastry chef Prayooth Klomklieng is deploying mixed berries and yoghurt, accentuated with the unique scent of jasmine.

The six-layer Berries and Jasmine Yoghurt Sponge Cake comes in three flavours – raspberry, blueberry and honey, each forming a mousse – at Bt130 per slice or Bt990 for two pounds. There are hazelnuts as well along with the jasmine-scented syrup.

“It’s smooth and light and easy to eat, and most Thais love the fragrant scent of jasmine,” says Prayooth. “Rendered a bit sweet by the honey, the fruity mousse gives it freshness. I recommend hot green tea to go with it.”

The Erawan Bakery has more than 20 choices of baked goods every day. Not to be missed are the Macaroon Raspberry with fresh strawberry cream, Chocolate Marquise, Flourless Chocolate, and Raspberry Mousse.

It’s a short stroll to the Renaissance and its New York-style bakery, The One. Chef Dech Sangsrijan does a great square cake called the Berry Rose Delight that weighs nearly half a pound – making it ideal for sharing.

The pistachio-biscuit base gives it crunch and the soft white-chocolate-mousse topping mixed with berry jelly ensures a sublime tangy flavour. The white-chocolate mousse inside is intermingled with aromatic rose petals. The cake comes with a glass of cold mixed berries and rose-petal tea for Bt199. You can buy just a slice of the cake for Bt150 or a pound of it for Bt580. Dech, who also serves as president of the Thai Bakery Club, says the cake expresses “loving desire”, another reasons couples will adore it. 

“Bakeries are popping up all over town,” he notes, “which shows that pastry is gaining popularity among Thais. This festival offers new and varied choices and at the same time gives the pastry chefs a creative challenge.”

Onto Mocha and Muffins at the Four Seasons, where crisp and crumbly mille feuilles are baked in accordance to a traditional French recipe. The Raspberry & Violette Flower Mille Feuille comprises delicate layers of puff pastry containing raspberry and vanilla pastry cream and dusted with “violet flower crisp”. The top layer is extra-crispy under a cloudy layer of icing. Together with a strawberry, blueberry, black currant or berry macaroon and a cup of coffee or tea, it costs Bt222. Buy a single sample for Bt110 or 1.4 pounds for Bt700. 

“The mille feuilles have a variety of textures in one bite,” says chef Ayoth Srimanop. “I think it reflects the personality of the younger generation – cheerful and energetic. This is a lively generation that loves anything crunchy that’s a bit sour inside and smooth with light cream.”

My final stop on the tour (at least for today) is the St Regis, where Thitiphong Suanborae demonstrates his passion for white chocolate and berries in a rich and unforgettable Tutti Fruity Cake. It’s a new creation that’s served on the hotel’s Sweet Afternoons every weekend in The Drawing Room. Afternoon Tea from 2 to 6pm costs Bt650 (Bt1,200 for two).

The layers this time are a hazelnut biscuit, vanilla and orange white-chocolate mousse, a mixed-berries jelly and almond sponge cake, all finished with a pink glaze of whipping cream, sugar, milk, gelatin, strawberry flavouring and pink colouring. It’s sweet and slightly sour tasting of vanilla and orange.

I’m planning to make room and time for a trip to the Centara Grand, where the three-layer Purple Pudding Cake is also redolent of violets. Then I’ll head to the InterContinental for its Dark Chocolate Fudge with gooey marshmallows, and finally to the Novotel Platinum for a thick slab of creamy mousse with strawberries on crisp pastry.

 

 

PASTRY PATROL

>>The Erawan Bakery in the lower lobby of the Grand Hyatt Erawan is open daily from 7am to 8pm. Call (02) 254 1234.

>>The One in front of the Renaissance Bangkok is open daily from 7am to 9pm. Call (02) 125 5111.

>>Mocha & Muffins at the Four Seasons is open daily from 7am to 8pm. Call (02) 126 8866, extension 1241. 

>>The Drawing Room is on the 12th floor of the St Regis. Call (02) 207 7826.

>>Zing Bakery on the first floor of the Centara Grand is open daily from 7am to 9pm. Call (02) 100 1234, extension 6485.

>>The Deli at the InterContinental is open daily from 8am to 9pm. Call (02) 656 0444.

>>The Platinum Lounge at the Novotel Bangkok Platinum is open daily from noon to 6pm. Call (02) 160 7100, extension 8704.