Cakes 🍰

This dome-shaped dark ganache houses an almond dacquoise and a hazelnut feuilletine – two layers of crunchy, nutty goodness, with just a scintilla of sweet. A dollop of hazelnut praline mousse sits atop the cake like its crowning glory, spiking the chocolate exterior with more velvety nuttiness. My only misgiving is located in the strong imbalance of flavours: I found it a pity that the surfeit of nuts ultimately obscured the chocolate, but it is, after all, a rocher cake! So if nuts are your thing, you’re in for a real treat.

🏅 9/10
💭 Must try

What I loved about this cake was the sublime convergence of alcohol, coffee and dairy. The base layers alternated between bitter and sweet: mascarpone with a faint sweetness pillowing on a triplet of lady’s fingers steeped in wine and espresso, both so light and airy that they dissolved instantly on the tongue. Crowned by a dusting of cocoa powder, this cake deftly balanced the two conflicting flavours – truly phenomenal!

🏅 10/10
💭 Must try

Beautifully done! The hazelnut praline dacquoise sits atop a crunchy feuilletine base, crowned by a layer of dark chocolate mousse and velvety ganache. Alone, each was wonderful; together, they made for an irresistible confluence of flavours. Slightly sweet, fleetingly salty, seductively rich. I savoured every crumb.

🏅 10/10
💭 MUST TRY!

We tried this discreditable GST-not-counted Frankenstein from Lady M so you don’t have to. First cardinal mistake: where’s the espresso????? As if that’s insufficiently dispiriting, I failed to taste any alcohol – though the menu informs me that the sponge is “whiskey infused”. This cake is frankly regrettable: gelatinous and chewy mousse (diametric opposite of what mousses should be), dense sponge, sickly sweet white chocolate buttercream… I could go further, but the upshot is to stick only to what you’re good at, Lady M, and what you’re good at is plainly not coffee mousse cakes.

🏅 1/10
💭 Just forget it

Matcha is vegetal, astringent, penetrating—flavourfully complex. It’s so distinctive that it should be the centrepiece; it must be complemented and not competed with. That’s why this cake wasn’t for me: the matcha was dulled by the black sesame base and the equally rich dark chocolate layer. So many things fought for my attention that it was plain confusing. The layers just don’t meld together. Sponge was a tad chewy and could certainly be airier. Verdict: Melbourne & Masterchef Australia ruined me, you’re probably better off sticking with their signature Opera (dark chocolate cake).

🏅 5/10
💭 Try once for the curious cats

Found the most exquisite cakes in this hidden gem! Black Diamond, happily, reminded us of the inimitable G Spot by Patisserie G. The rich chocolate mousse packed a punch but the cake was missing some crunchiness. We also tried their Tiramisu (not pictured), which had the softest mascarpone layer and struck the perfect balance between bitter and sweet. In sum, this bakery was an absolute delight: rustic, traditionalist, nothing too fancy or pretentious about their cakes. Been back twice, will be back again.

🏅 8/10 (Black Diamond)
🏅 9/10 (Tiramisu)
💭 MUST TRY more than once!

Glad the pastel gelatin layer didn’t eclipse the fruity and flowery flavours of the cake. I loved the taste of the raspberry coulis & rose crème. Opera was simply divine – an irresistible blend of chocolate and caffeine. Will be back!

🏅 8/10 (Rose Lychee)
🏅 9/10 (Opera)
💭 Try at least once!

Didn’t exactly OOZE chocolate, which made the dissection a little lacklustre. Saving grace: the moist chocolate cake, baked to perfection and which contrasted sharply against a crispier exterior. But the lack of any traces of molten chocolate was truly upsetting. Fix your recipe please?

🏅 3/10
💭 Can do without it

Devoured this in a flash!!! Small thing but don’t underestimate its power (a bit like me). Pairing the cake with their French Hot Chocolate was not the wisest life choice, but this was WELL WORTH the 3-day sore throat… mmmfff possibly the best chocolate cake ever!!!

🏅 10/10 A+ first class honours
💭 MUST TRY!!!!!