Update Review, August 2022 Visit
When I visit Sydney, there are a few things on my list of "musts". One of them is always ordering a cake from Andy Bowdy, for a party at my office. This visit was no different. As soon as I had my travel dates locked in, I made sure we had an occasion to celebrate, and ordered a big cake, and some bread pudding, for my group. We expected anywhere between 50-120 people, and thus we ordered plenty (plus, I knew I could take extra if there was any!). See my previous reviews, and details on the baker below, here.
The cake, as always, was a ridiculous site to behold, and everyone immediately pulled out their cameras to take photos. If you want a cake that makes an impression, these really are that. Many people asked where the cake was from, and I was happy to spread the word about this marvelous bakery.
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| Bread & Butter Pudding (Large). |
"Custard soaked brioche, mixed fruit and peel, walnut."
I wanted to get something else besides just the cake, so I could try more marvelous desserts from Andy Bowdy. One that jumped out, as it was available in large format, was the bread & butter pudding. I love a good bread pudding. That said, I like a specific style of bread pudding, with chunks of distinct bread, super moist, but crispy top. None of that homogeneous bread pudding for me. I didn't know what style this would be, but I was thrilled when I saw it.
Good bread pudding it was. It was remarkably moist, really, crazy moist. The hunks of bread were huge, and clearly had soaked up so so much custard. The top and edges though were nicely caramelized and crispy. Yes, this was totally, completely, the style of bread pudding I prefer.
Along with the custard, the bread hunks were interspersed with assorted boozy fruit, candied citrus peel, and walnuts. A different style of fruit than I am used to with bread pudding (usually fresh fruits), but it worked. I liked the additional crunch the nuts added too. It was well spiced, the spicing matching the winter flavors from the bread pudding itself.
Served warm, with a little ice cream to balance it out, it was, in a word, comfort. It ate like a warm embrace. I suspect custard would pair nicely as well.
There was nothing earth shattering about this bread pudding, but it was exactly the style I like, and I quite enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'd get it again, just because there is so much more to explore on the menu, but, I liked it. ****.
Individual sized ones are available at the bakery for $8.50 each.
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| Sir Jason James. 26cm. $410. |
"White chocolate mousse, vanilla butter cake, hazelnut praline, raspberry jam, blood orange custard, salted caramel, milk cookie crumb, torched meringue."
For the cake, I picked a new one on the menu, the Sir Jason James. Who is Sir Jason James? I have no idea, but, apparently the inspiration for this cake.
Like all Andy Bowdy cakes we've had, this one had a lot going on, and was ridiculous to serve. I tried to cut it so people got as many of the components as possible, but, it was certainly a struggle, as a top to bottom slice would be far too big no matter how thin you sliced it, but, without a full slice like that, you didn't get to taste all the components.
The base was a sturdy, crisp, caramelized layer. It was hard to cut through, but I loved the crunchy element it added. I believe it was likely made from hazelnut, like the praline in other sections of the cake? I really loved it, sweet for sure, but, tasty. I think it would be great with some fresh fruit and whipped cream or custard, just on its own really. Or as a cookie. So the base, definitely a winner, even if hard to serve. **** for that component.
Above that was layers of the vanilla butter cake and thick layers of white chocolate mousse, several of each. The cake was fairly average cake, moist enough, but not particularly compelling on its own, but, it didn't need to be, given how much else was in here. ***. The mousse was rich, thick, and creamy, almost like a really fluffy cheesecake ... but without the tang. It didn't really taste like white chocolate to me, but, as a lover of mousse in general, I liked it. ***+. Great with a bit of the crispy base layer and fruit too.
Between some of those cake and mousse layers was a thinner layer of fruity raspberry jam, that certainly made the whole thing quite sweet, but, it was nice to have the fruity element. The raspberry continued to the freeze dried raspberries on top as part of the decoration. I think fresh fruit would help balance it out better, but the jam and the freeze dried raspberries did give it some fruity component. ***.
Also between the layers was a touch of blood orange custard, but, honestly, I didn't really distinguish it from everything else going on. I suspect it was a bit thicker than the mousse? And should have added some acidity, but, it really did all get jumbled together. On top was a drizzle of salted caramel, more sweet, that tied the caramelized notes from the base and the praline together. Speaking of the praline, I did love that. Candied hazelnuts ... what isn't to love? They added crunch throughout as well, and went great with the mousse. ****.
Somewhere there was milk cookie crumb, but, uh, I didn't quite find that either. I think it was some of the decoration on top? Also piled on top was hunks of actual cake, and more praline, and the aforementioned freeze dried raspberries. And edible flours. And of course, the torched meringue. The meringue always makes the cakes look over the top, and this was no different. It too was sweetened, but light, and a fun component. I had many people ask if they could get more of that on their slices, so, clearly, it drew people in. ***+.
Overall, I'd call this a successful cake. It certainly was sweet, and certainly made it hard to really distinguish every element, but, it was enjoyable, and a crowd pleaser as always. I took a little home with me, and enjoyed it more when I paired it with ice cream ... which I know sounds crazy given how much it already had going on, but I think it actually helped balance it a bit. I wouldn't get this cake again, but, I do enjoy ordering these for a crowd.
***+ overall, **** for looks and reception alone.
Update Review, October 2019 Visits
Another visit to Sydney, another launch to celebrate, another reason to order a stunning, stunning cake from Saga. My group continues to be seriously impressed with these cakes and other goodies. See my previous reviews, and details on the baker, here.
As always, I was seriously impressed just opening the box up. I mean, really. It was stunning.
Every element just expertly perched, every freeze dried cherry, morello cherry, edible flower, and chunk of chocolate biscuit was in a deliberate location, nothing out of place.
"Vanilla cake, smoked almonds, morello cherries, vanilla mousse, chocolate crumb, Fresh cherry* (Fresh Cherry is used to decorate the cake when in season, if not in season Freeze dried cherries will be used)."
I went for the Pat, but modified it to use vanilla cake instead of chocolate. It sounded like a black forest inspired cake, e.g. cherries and chocolate.
The cake was cake. Simple vanilla cake. Not particularly moist nor particularly dry. Just, cake. The least interesting layer to me, but, it is the foundation after all.
Ok, the real foundation, the base, was chocolate crumb, compressed like a cookie. I'm sure this base made a bit more sense with the chocolate cake that Pat is intended to have, but it was fine here too. The same biscuit was also on top, in chunks. I liked that it added a touch of bitterness to the overall creation, and some crunchy texture. I wonder if this is the same cocoa nib cookies they sell separately?
The other main layer was the vanilla mousse, which was far denser than I was expecting for a mousse, and was almost like a Japanese cheesecake in texture, although the flavor was more like a custard. Kinda a hybrid Japanese cheesecake custard? Just pretend that makes sense. Once I was ready to accept that it wasn't a light fluffy mousse, I liked it, the flavor in particular.
Between the larger layers was an entirely unexpected layer: chocolate fudge and cocoa nibs. Neither were mentioned in the description, so I was caught off guard by the chocolate components, and the crunch of the nibs. That said, the chocolate fudge went very nicely with the custard-like mousse.
Now, the reason I opted for this cake is that I was excited for the cherries. The cake was decorated with freeze dried cherries (darn, fresh weren't in season), which were a fun texture, somehow crunchy and spongy at the same time, but they didn't provide much cherry flavor. I think this cake would be really different, and much better, when cherries are in season and fresh cherries are used. The morello cherries on the other hand were sweet, soft, sticky, impossible to miss. If you aren't familiar, these are the kind used in cocktails, like the classy version of maraschino cherries, made from sour cherries, and are intense sugar hits. I think there also was some cherry component between the layers, but since I didn't get a chance to inspect a perfect slice, I cannot be sure.
But wait, there is more. The meringue of course, a stunning cascade of sweet torched meringue - very sweet torched meringue, that I pretty much adored, although it made it very hard to cut and serve this cake, just like the other one I had previously. Excellent, albeit very sweet, meringue.
And finally, the smoked almonds. Which turned out to be my favorite component. Very random, but I really loved them. Slightly smoky, yet slightly sweet (caramelized?), and yay for crunch.
Finally, the edible flowers, I'm not sure what kind they were, but they were shockingly bitter. A number of my guests were asking, "Can we eat these?" I thought they actually were just a bit too bitter.
Overall, this was another stunning cake, well received by the group, but, I wouldn't get this one again - I wanted more creamy components and fresh fruit.
Saga carries two different cookies on the regular menu, peanut butter or salted chocolate cocoa nib, but Cookie S'mores are only available for catering, minimum order of 6. They come in 3 varieties, two of which use the chocolate cocoa nib cookies as the base, the other peanut butter. They are all filled with fascinating fillings (mint fondant & chocolate ganache, or amarena cherries/smoked almonds/chocolate ganache, or baked cheesecake & honeycomb), in addition to the torched meringue.
I mean, really, classiest s'mores ever. I had to try them.
I opted for the peanut butter version.
They looked just as good as I had hoped, the torched meringue really perfectly jutting out around the edges, and expertly torched. S'mores, kicked up *many* notches.
The peanut butter cookies were good - very thick, very dense, and I loved that they contained whole peanuts. Tons of peanut butter flavor, sweetened, but peanut was the dominate taste. They were slightly crumbly, in the right way. A single one of these cookies was a pretty substantial treat, but of course, there was much more here.
The meringue was the same as in the cakes, lovely, fluffy, extremely sweet, meringue. When I was growing up, I used to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter and sweet marshmallow Fluff from a jar (together, I was the worst, but I'd dip into the peanut butter, get that in the back of the spoon, and then dip into the Fluff, and have that on the front ... such a magic bite), and this was the same flavor profile, and sensation. I can only take this as a sign that I'm not the only one who did such things.
I forgot to get a photo of the inside, so you could see the filling, but, inside, in the center was a mix of cheesecake and honeycomb, also very sweet, and the honeycomb was a really nice touch. Honey roasted peanuts? Those exist for a reason. Honey and peanut butter are a wonderful combo.
Overall, these were quite the treat. Every component was good on its own, but combined extremely well.
I'm a massive sweet tooth, and have a pretty big dessert stomach, but I did find it hard to polish one off on my own in a single sitting (although I came shockingly close). I think splitting one is advisable, or, saving half for later ...
I really enjoyed this, and would get another if I was in the mood for a cookie type treat.
Note: I also discovered that they freeze beautifully. Just pop one out of the freezer 30 minutes or so before you want it, and nearly as good as new, even the meringue somehow remains in tact. Why do I tell you this? Because you have to order 6 at a time, so, you might as well fill your freezer. You'll thank me later, I promise.
Cake
The first thing I ever ordered from Saga / Andy Bowdy was a cake, and although last time I tried a trifle, I wanted to stun people again with the looks, and so a cake was in order.
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| Beautiful Cake Top. |
Every element just expertly perched, every freeze dried cherry, morello cherry, edible flower, and chunk of chocolate biscuit was in a deliberate location, nothing out of place.
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| Pat (sub vanilla cake for chocolate fudge cake). 18 cm. $220. |
I went for the Pat, but modified it to use vanilla cake instead of chocolate. It sounded like a black forest inspired cake, e.g. cherries and chocolate.
The cake was cake. Simple vanilla cake. Not particularly moist nor particularly dry. Just, cake. The least interesting layer to me, but, it is the foundation after all.
Ok, the real foundation, the base, was chocolate crumb, compressed like a cookie. I'm sure this base made a bit more sense with the chocolate cake that Pat is intended to have, but it was fine here too. The same biscuit was also on top, in chunks. I liked that it added a touch of bitterness to the overall creation, and some crunchy texture. I wonder if this is the same cocoa nib cookies they sell separately?
The other main layer was the vanilla mousse, which was far denser than I was expecting for a mousse, and was almost like a Japanese cheesecake in texture, although the flavor was more like a custard. Kinda a hybrid Japanese cheesecake custard? Just pretend that makes sense. Once I was ready to accept that it wasn't a light fluffy mousse, I liked it, the flavor in particular.
Between the larger layers was an entirely unexpected layer: chocolate fudge and cocoa nibs. Neither were mentioned in the description, so I was caught off guard by the chocolate components, and the crunch of the nibs. That said, the chocolate fudge went very nicely with the custard-like mousse.
Now, the reason I opted for this cake is that I was excited for the cherries. The cake was decorated with freeze dried cherries (darn, fresh weren't in season), which were a fun texture, somehow crunchy and spongy at the same time, but they didn't provide much cherry flavor. I think this cake would be really different, and much better, when cherries are in season and fresh cherries are used. The morello cherries on the other hand were sweet, soft, sticky, impossible to miss. If you aren't familiar, these are the kind used in cocktails, like the classy version of maraschino cherries, made from sour cherries, and are intense sugar hits. I think there also was some cherry component between the layers, but since I didn't get a chance to inspect a perfect slice, I cannot be sure.
But wait, there is more. The meringue of course, a stunning cascade of sweet torched meringue - very sweet torched meringue, that I pretty much adored, although it made it very hard to cut and serve this cake, just like the other one I had previously. Excellent, albeit very sweet, meringue.
And finally, the smoked almonds. Which turned out to be my favorite component. Very random, but I really loved them. Slightly smoky, yet slightly sweet (caramelized?), and yay for crunch.
Finally, the edible flowers, I'm not sure what kind they were, but they were shockingly bitter. A number of my guests were asking, "Can we eat these?" I thought they actually were just a bit too bitter.
Overall, this was another stunning cake, well received by the group, but, I wouldn't get this one again - I wanted more creamy components and fresh fruit.
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| Victory. |
The carnage after we carve up a Saga cake is always fairly amusing, and this was no exception.
I took the photo before we really did finish though ... I assure you, we got very last bite, there were several more bites left here!
I took the photo before we really did finish though ... I assure you, we got very last bite, there were several more bites left here!
Cookie S'mores
I've had my eyes on the cookie s'mores since the first time I saw them on the menu.
"Signature Cookies Stuffed with Filling and Torched Meringue."Now, I might not be a cookie girl, but, I sure love fillings and meringue ...
Saga carries two different cookies on the regular menu, peanut butter or salted chocolate cocoa nib, but Cookie S'mores are only available for catering, minimum order of 6. They come in 3 varieties, two of which use the chocolate cocoa nib cookies as the base, the other peanut butter. They are all filled with fascinating fillings (mint fondant & chocolate ganache, or amarena cherries/smoked almonds/chocolate ganache, or baked cheesecake & honeycomb), in addition to the torched meringue.
I mean, really, classiest s'mores ever. I had to try them.
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| Peanut Butter. $7 / each. |
"Peanut Butter Cookie, Baked Cheesecake, Honeycomb, Torched Meringue."
I opted for the peanut butter version.
They looked just as good as I had hoped, the torched meringue really perfectly jutting out around the edges, and expertly torched. S'mores, kicked up *many* notches.
The peanut butter cookies were good - very thick, very dense, and I loved that they contained whole peanuts. Tons of peanut butter flavor, sweetened, but peanut was the dominate taste. They were slightly crumbly, in the right way. A single one of these cookies was a pretty substantial treat, but of course, there was much more here.
The meringue was the same as in the cakes, lovely, fluffy, extremely sweet, meringue. When I was growing up, I used to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter and sweet marshmallow Fluff from a jar (together, I was the worst, but I'd dip into the peanut butter, get that in the back of the spoon, and then dip into the Fluff, and have that on the front ... such a magic bite), and this was the same flavor profile, and sensation. I can only take this as a sign that I'm not the only one who did such things.
I forgot to get a photo of the inside, so you could see the filling, but, inside, in the center was a mix of cheesecake and honeycomb, also very sweet, and the honeycomb was a really nice touch. Honey roasted peanuts? Those exist for a reason. Honey and peanut butter are a wonderful combo.
Overall, these were quite the treat. Every component was good on its own, but combined extremely well.
I'm a massive sweet tooth, and have a pretty big dessert stomach, but I did find it hard to polish one off on my own in a single sitting (although I came shockingly close). I think splitting one is advisable, or, saving half for later ...
I really enjoyed this, and would get another if I was in the mood for a cookie type treat.
Note: I also discovered that they freeze beautifully. Just pop one out of the freezer 30 minutes or so before you want it, and nearly as good as new, even the meringue somehow remains in tact. Why do I tell you this? Because you have to order 6 at a time, so, you might as well fill your freezer. You'll thank me later, I promise.
Original Review, March 2019
Saga is a bakery located in Enmore, a bit further afield than my normal stomping ground in Sydney.I haven't actually been there, but it has been on my radar for a while, for both the incredible pastries, but also, their signature cakes. Now, cakes aren't normally something I go for, but these ... these are special. More on that soon.
Saga is relatively new, opened only in 2017, by the pastry chef, Andy Bowden (Bowdy), and his partner, Maddison, after he left his famed post at Hartsyard, which is when I first heard of him.
As I said, I haven't actually visited Saga in person, but I was able to order from them, twice, for parties, including a signature cake. I've also been able to try a few individual pastries.
Ordering large format items was extremely easy, with Maddison quite responsive over e-mail, friendly, and fun to work with. They even accommodated my orders that were under the cut-off time, and recommended a local courier to use for delivery. Payment was done through their online portal. All really remarkably easy.
I highly, highly recommend, either for a casual visit to the bakery (they have breakfast and lunch items too!), or if you ever have need to arrange for a extremely memorable cake.
Individual Pastries
The range of treats for an individual runs from mini pies and cakes, to pastries like apple turnovers, paris brest, and croissant "snails", to cookies, savory biscuits, and focaccia. As a lover of all baked goods, this lineup was quite appealing.
While my orders were mostly larger items for a big group, I also was able to try a few individual items, picking from their Instagram feed, and giving Maddison a list of things I was excited to try, and letting her pick based on availability, since not everything is available every day.
I found that I loved some of these, but also really didn't care much for others. I was surprised by how varied my experiences were. I think this was largely based on personal preference, as the items do seem well made. I'd gladly try more (and, have my eyes on a few in particular ...).
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| Strawberry & Custard Tart. $8.50. |
"Pie crust, strawberry jam, vanilla custard, hazelnut praline, sour cream, fresh strawberry."
Saga always has a seasonal (weekly?) tart, along with mini banana cream pie. I was pretty excited when I saw the description of the brand new version: strawberry and custard! And I loved the idea that they use pie crust instead of tart shells, as I never love tart shells, and find pie crust just so much more enjoyable.
The toppings were slices of fresh strawberry, which were fine, ripe enough, and hazelnut praline, also fine, but just some mildly candied nuts.
But those were just the toppings, not where I'd expect it to shine anyway.
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| Strawberry & Custard Tart: Inside. |
Inside was the vanilla custard and the strawberry jam. The custard was fine, not all that vanilla forward, but a good consistency, not runny. The jam though was very very sweet. The custard and nuts didn't help balance it out for me. Just, too sweet for me.
So overall, I was not thrilled with this. Custard, fruit, nuts were fine, the jam too sweet, and the crust pretty bad.
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| Choux Bun. $8. |
Saga has long had a larger paris brest on the menu, but this is a smaller version, a new item.
That said, it isn't a mini treat by any means, certainly the largest choux puff I've ever seen.
You may recall that I don't actually like choux pastry generally, but I loved the sound of these fillings, so I tried it anyway. Plus, I'm always willing to believe that I can learn to like something if I have a good version!
But ... I still just don't care for choux pastry ... the eggy nature isn't for me. I can acknowledge that this was well made, crispy top, generously coated in powdered sugar, light yet custardy inside.
Speaking of inside, I was in this for the fillings.
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| Choux Bun: Side View. |
Adjacent to the bottom bun was the "pecan pie filling", a thick, sweet layer. It didn't have noticeable pecans in it, but it was really thick, and I'm still not sure what it was. It might have had ground nuts in it? It was very sweet.
Above that was a nicely piped salted caramel chantilly. The chantilly was rich, thick, and certainly sweet as well, I tasted the caramel very strongly, but not much salt. It was good chantilly, much like I had in the cakes and triffles (more on those soon).
And finally, both regular and candied pecans perched on top. The candied pecans were tasty, but very candied, so very sweet, and I was glad to have a few that weren't candied to offset that.
These fillings, much like the namesake pecan pie, were, as you might expect, very sweet. Every element was sweet. The pecan pie filling layer was certainly the sweetest.
Overall, this wasn't the item for me, just because the choux pastry isn't something I like, and the filling was too sweet overall. That said, I added some whipped cream to mellow it out, and enjoyed it as a caramel mousse with whipped cream and crunchy nuts.
I wouldn't get this again though.
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| Sticky Buns. $6.50. |
I actually really wanted to try the "Sticky Fingers", described as "croissant dough, peanut butter cookie, banana custard, salted caramel, peanut butter crunch", but, alas, they weren't available the day I ordered from Saga.
I pouted a little internally, and selected my second choice, the sticky bun. My frown quickly turned upside down as I took my first bite.
O.M.G.
What a sticky bun this was. Wowzer. Seriously, a phenomenal sticky bun, unlike anything I've had before. At first glace, it didn't even look that special, just a large, well glazed sticky bun, right?
But wow. What a sticky bun.
The brioche dough was rich, moist, fluffy almost. An amazing light yet rich bread, certainly not dense. Wonderful brioche, really. One of the best sticky bun bases I've ever had.
The icing too was fabulous, although it looked like something that had melted off and wasn't generous. It was sweet, slightly cream cheese flavored, slightly caramel-y. The caramel nature mirrored what you see in a traditional sticky bun with caramelized edges, the cream cheese was like that normally found on an icing topped cinnamon roll. I love how it married the cinnamon roll and sticky bun toppings into a new creation, caramel cream cheese icing. Really a wonderful glaze, and there actually was plenty of it. It accented the brioche wonderfully.
The cinnamon aspect of the bun wasn't just some cinnamon/sugar filling between the layers, rather, the entire thing was infused with cinnamon bourbon butter. There was more between the layers, but the top, sides, everywhere had fabulous cinnamon flavor ... and richness. And yes, there was some bourbon aspect to it as well.
The cheesecake I wasn't sure about, when I read the description this sounded odd ... would there be ... chunks of cheesecake in here? It confused me when I read it, and, as I dug in, it still confused me. I never really found anything that was distinct cheesecake, although I tasted cream cheese, and just assumed that was the icing.
So, overall, this was a lovely sticky bun. Large, decadent, and non-traditional. I think it would be fantastic warm and alongside a coffee. Large and easily shareable, particularly if you want to try another treat too.
Signature Cakes
The reason most people have heard of Andy Bowdy is for his signature cakes. These cakes are, simply put, incredible works of art. Available in 3 sizes (18 cm to feed ~20, 22 cm to feed ~35, and 26 cm to feed ~50), all layer cakes, many levels high, and filled with a huge variety of fillings, and then ... topped with torched meringue and a cascade of edible flowers. They are stunning, the flavors are creative, and, well, they are delicious.
They come in 15 pre-designed flavors, all with given names, such as Jasper or Izzy or Karl, and are available as special order only, with a full week advance notice required. Every "season", 4 are offered as mini 1-2 person cakes as well, which you can pick up at the bakery. But really, you should come up with an excuse to get one of these full size.
They come in 15 pre-designed flavors, all with given names, such as Jasper or Izzy or Karl, and are available as special order only, with a full week advance notice required. Every "season", 4 are offered as mini 1-2 person cakes as well, which you can pick up at the bakery. But really, you should come up with an excuse to get one of these full size.
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| Grace. 18cm. $200. |
Um, wow. Serious, wow.
This cake looked even more impressive in person than I expected. I had seen online photos, but still, I wasn't really expecting that the garnish would be this elaborate. Or, that it would survive transport so well! Thank you, thank you courier for treating this with great care.
Yes, those are chunks of carrot cake perched deliberately alongside, there is salted caramel dripping precisely down the sides, and there is a topping of crushed walnuts, mandarin segments, candied nuts, and I think some ginger cookie crumb. Oh, and the meringue of course. And, um, flowers. Wowzer.
I cater many events, but I've never seen soooo many people react so strongly (positively!) to anything I've arranged like they did for this. The number of people who lined up ... to take *photos* was impressive. Everyone was blown away by the looks.
But looks are one thing. We wanted it to taste good too. One co-worker cautioned it might be a "stunt cake", made for Instagram, but not for consumption. I too was skeptical.
The good news? It was very, very good. It turns out, that much insanity can be delicious too.
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| Grace: Layers! |
But none of that matters. It was worth the slicing difficulty. Because it was delicious. Every single component of it. It turns out, every single element had its place, and was most welcome. I was not expecting that, either.
Let me try to break it down.
The very base layer was a thicker, harder layer, I believe the ginger cookie. I think it had coconut in it as well. It was sweet, a good texture, and nice to have a more solid ingredient in the mix. I'm not a cookie fan, but I liked this. Now I'm curious to try their cookies (particularly the "Cookie S'mores", cookies stuffed with fillings and torched meringue. ZOMG. Available for catering only.).
Above that came layers of what looked like just carrot cake and caramel mousse from the outside, but actually had chunks of cheesecake, more salted caramel, crushed walnuts, and unexpected blood orange gel. The blood orange added an intense hit of citrus, the combined really pleasantly with the salted caramel, and set your palette up for wanting the fresh mandarins on top. What an unexpected, but totally successful, add-in.
The cake itself was good, moist enough, well spiced, pretty good carrot cake. I'd be happy with it as a regular cake.
The cheesecake, which at first made me think, "What? Why cheesecake?" made complete sense when I encountered it in the mix, as it provided the elements of cream cheese frosting you normally find on carrot cake, just in a richer, honestly more fun, way. Like the carrot cake, and the cookie base, it was a well executed version of cheesecake, rich, creamy, good consistency. I'd be happy with it on its own too.
The nuts throughout I loved, as I am definitely the type who wants nuts in her carrot cake, and I loved the crunch they added. There seemed to be regular small chunks of walnut within, but then on top was the candied walnuts, which of course I adored. And of course perfectly caramelized, not too hard of a caramel, no hint of burnt. I gladly took more than my share of the candied nuts.
Also on top were mandarins, which I wasn't particularly excited by when I saw them, as I don't tend to go for citrus, but they too had their place, providing a juicy freshness, and what I normally get from pineapple in my carrot cake. A totally different approach to a similar concept, and it totally worked.
The caramel mousse was creamy, fluffy, sweet. It was the one element I didn't necessarily want combined with the carrot cake, but it was still delicious fluffy pudding, and it was great with the nuts, with the cookie base, with the meringue. It was fine with the cake, but I felt both were better without each other.
The salted caramel drizzle was sweet and I loved it with the cheesecake in particular. It might have been the only component that didn't seem truly necessarily, but I still liked it and welcomed it.
And then, the rest of the topping. The meringue was, simply put, meringue perfection. I'm still impressed at how well it transported and stayed in place. Sweet, airy, fluffy, delicious. Many people specifically requested pieces with meringue, so as I sliced, I tried to give it out fairly ... while still saving plenty for myself of course! It was awesome with basically anything else. Or alone. It was perhaps the best meringue I've ever had?
And finally, the element that took me the longest to figure out: the crumb on top. It was softer than the ginger cookie base. It wasn't spiced like the carrot cake, it seemed more buttery. It didn't seem to be ground nuts. "Cookie crumble" is what I kept thinking, but that didn't seem quite right. So I asked the bakery. The answer? Milk crumb (vanilla cookie and a shortbread hybrid). Well, of course :) I know milk crumbs well, introduced to them by Christina Tosi years years years before Milk Bar was an empire, long before she was on TV, long before they were commonplace. She gave a really small talk in San Francisco way back, and she brought samples of all her different crumbs with her, just to share with us and introduce the concept. I remember adoring them, and thinking that I didn't even need her cookies and cakes, I just wanted tins of those milk crumbs. They were oh-so-snackable. I have no idea if that was the inspiration for the milk crumbs here, or if Andy Bowdy independently came up with these, but they were a wonderful component, sweet, crumbly, and yes, just as addicting as those from Milk Bar.
My words don't really do this cake justice. Every part of it was really nicely done, and I'd gladly get this cake, or any other variety, again. I highly recommend.
It is safe to say that my group felt the same.
I assure you, not a single bite went to waste. Yes I licked the serving utensils clean.
The topping of the trifle, while not as beautiful as the cake with its toasted meringue flowing off the edges and intricate edible flowers perched throughout, was no less elaborate. Every single slice of fresh peach, every single raspberry, every brown sugar candied pecan, every torn chunk of vanilla sponge, every crumble of anzac biscuit, was placed in a deliberate fashion.
I bought this expecting it to be easier to serve than the cake, but, it proved pretty difficult as well. Getting started without spilling toppings everywhere, and then actually getting scoops that had everything was a challenge. The first few servings inevitably were just the cake, fruit, crumble, and a little chantilly. The servings that came mostly from the base were crumble, chantilly and custard, and compotes, but no cake.
Still,we all enjoyed. It disappeared very fast.
The fruit was all fresh, good quality berries and peaches, all of which were sliced nearly identically. Since it was early autumn, the peaches weren't quite as juicy and ripe as I'd want for just eating as a fruit on its own, but in the trifle this was fine.
The vanilla sponge was fairly standard vanilla cake, moist, good crumb, not much interesting to say about it. It added the non-cream substance to the trifle.
The anzac crumb on top impressed me, just how well placed it was, as at first it looked like just the edges of the cake. It added a bit of texture, but not much more.
The brown sugar pecans were highly caramelized, I think in the pan a moment longer than ideal, as they were just on that edge of almost bitter and too far. I still loved having candied nuts for crunch though, and when mixed with the sweeter compotes this slight burnt flavor almost helped balance it. There was also a salty element I loved in here somewhere, and I think it might have been on the nuts? I'm not sure.
Now, diving in to the layers.
The base was more anzac crumb, then a layer of the peach and rosemary compote and more fresh fruit, then maple custard and vanilla chantilly. Next came a cake layer, above which was more compote and fruit, more chantilly and custard ... oh, and peach and bourbon jelly cubes in there too.
The peach and rosemary compote I was slightly skeptical of, as I wasn't so sure about the rosemary, but it actually was wonderful. Not a compote with broken down fruit really, rather, huge chunks of stewed fruit, really juicy and flavorful, and the rosemary, even though in sizeable big pieces, gave it a savory touch I appreciated. I really liked the compote. It ... might have been my favorite element?
The vanilla chantilly was just good rich fluffy whipped cream, much needed to complement all the sweeter flavors and break them up a bit. I failed to really get any distinct bites of the maple custard, which made me a bit sad, as I love custard and maple. I should have given myself a more ideal portion!
The peach and bourbon jelly cubes were very noticeable when you found one. There weren't many, but they were a fairly large size, and, quite different from everything else, rather firm cubes of jelly, slightly boozy. I'm not sure if I liked them or not. I think I did, but wasn't crazy about them inside the trifle.
And finally, the anzac crumb base, which I expected to just be kinda throwaway (I'm not much into anzac biscuits), but I ended up really liking the crunch and buttery quality to it.
Overall, this was quite enjoyable. There were some bites I really, really enjoyed, composed of a big chunk of the peach with rosemary compote, some creamy chantilly, crunchy biscuit and candied nuts ... truly great.
I'd definitely get another trifle, although I'd like to try another flavor, and yes, it was moderately easier to serve than the cake, but, only slightly.
Let me try to break it down.
The very base layer was a thicker, harder layer, I believe the ginger cookie. I think it had coconut in it as well. It was sweet, a good texture, and nice to have a more solid ingredient in the mix. I'm not a cookie fan, but I liked this. Now I'm curious to try their cookies (particularly the "Cookie S'mores", cookies stuffed with fillings and torched meringue. ZOMG. Available for catering only.).
Above that came layers of what looked like just carrot cake and caramel mousse from the outside, but actually had chunks of cheesecake, more salted caramel, crushed walnuts, and unexpected blood orange gel. The blood orange added an intense hit of citrus, the combined really pleasantly with the salted caramel, and set your palette up for wanting the fresh mandarins on top. What an unexpected, but totally successful, add-in.
The cake itself was good, moist enough, well spiced, pretty good carrot cake. I'd be happy with it as a regular cake.
The cheesecake, which at first made me think, "What? Why cheesecake?" made complete sense when I encountered it in the mix, as it provided the elements of cream cheese frosting you normally find on carrot cake, just in a richer, honestly more fun, way. Like the carrot cake, and the cookie base, it was a well executed version of cheesecake, rich, creamy, good consistency. I'd be happy with it on its own too.
The nuts throughout I loved, as I am definitely the type who wants nuts in her carrot cake, and I loved the crunch they added. There seemed to be regular small chunks of walnut within, but then on top was the candied walnuts, which of course I adored. And of course perfectly caramelized, not too hard of a caramel, no hint of burnt. I gladly took more than my share of the candied nuts.
Also on top were mandarins, which I wasn't particularly excited by when I saw them, as I don't tend to go for citrus, but they too had their place, providing a juicy freshness, and what I normally get from pineapple in my carrot cake. A totally different approach to a similar concept, and it totally worked.
The caramel mousse was creamy, fluffy, sweet. It was the one element I didn't necessarily want combined with the carrot cake, but it was still delicious fluffy pudding, and it was great with the nuts, with the cookie base, with the meringue. It was fine with the cake, but I felt both were better without each other.
The salted caramel drizzle was sweet and I loved it with the cheesecake in particular. It might have been the only component that didn't seem truly necessarily, but I still liked it and welcomed it.
And then, the rest of the topping. The meringue was, simply put, meringue perfection. I'm still impressed at how well it transported and stayed in place. Sweet, airy, fluffy, delicious. Many people specifically requested pieces with meringue, so as I sliced, I tried to give it out fairly ... while still saving plenty for myself of course! It was awesome with basically anything else. Or alone. It was perhaps the best meringue I've ever had?
And finally, the element that took me the longest to figure out: the crumb on top. It was softer than the ginger cookie base. It wasn't spiced like the carrot cake, it seemed more buttery. It didn't seem to be ground nuts. "Cookie crumble" is what I kept thinking, but that didn't seem quite right. So I asked the bakery. The answer? Milk crumb (vanilla cookie and a shortbread hybrid). Well, of course :) I know milk crumbs well, introduced to them by Christina Tosi years years years before Milk Bar was an empire, long before she was on TV, long before they were commonplace. She gave a really small talk in San Francisco way back, and she brought samples of all her different crumbs with her, just to share with us and introduce the concept. I remember adoring them, and thinking that I didn't even need her cookies and cakes, I just wanted tins of those milk crumbs. They were oh-so-snackable. I have no idea if that was the inspiration for the milk crumbs here, or if Andy Bowdy independently came up with these, but they were a wonderful component, sweet, crumbly, and yes, just as addicting as those from Milk Bar.
My words don't really do this cake justice. Every part of it was really nicely done, and I'd gladly get this cake, or any other variety, again. I highly recommend.
 |
| Grace: Success. |
I assure you, not a single bite went to waste. Yes I licked the serving utensils clean.
Trifles
"Want a hassle free, easily transportable, super tasty and overly impressive on the eye dessert for your feasting table? Look no further. "
For catering, Saga makes large format trifles, definitely less show stopper, but far earlier to serve.
For my second event ordering from Saga, I opted for a trifle, just for ease. However, trifles are only available in 4 flavors. And sadly, they do not feature the torched meringue from the cakes. But ... they serve 20+ people easily, and you get to keep the beautiful trifle bowl!
Just like the cake, I was impressed the moment I opened the box, both in the visual appeal, and in the fact that it was transported with no harm, elaborate as it was.
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| Nicely Boxed. |
Ok, I take it back, there was one element that went awry - a single brown sugar pecan, which I eagerly snatched up.
 | |
| "Philly". $195. |
"Vanilla Sponge / Maple Custard / Peach and Bourbon Jelly / Brown Sugar Pecans / Vanilla Chantilly / Anzac Crumb / Peach and Rosemary Compote / Fresh Peaches and Raspberries."
The topping of the trifle, while not as beautiful as the cake with its toasted meringue flowing off the edges and intricate edible flowers perched throughout, was no less elaborate. Every single slice of fresh peach, every single raspberry, every brown sugar candied pecan, every torn chunk of vanilla sponge, every crumble of anzac biscuit, was placed in a deliberate fashion.
I bought this expecting it to be easier to serve than the cake, but, it proved pretty difficult as well. Getting started without spilling toppings everywhere, and then actually getting scoops that had everything was a challenge. The first few servings inevitably were just the cake, fruit, crumble, and a little chantilly. The servings that came mostly from the base were crumble, chantilly and custard, and compotes, but no cake.
Still,we all enjoyed. It disappeared very fast.
 |
| Philly: Toppings. |
The vanilla sponge was fairly standard vanilla cake, moist, good crumb, not much interesting to say about it. It added the non-cream substance to the trifle.
The anzac crumb on top impressed me, just how well placed it was, as at first it looked like just the edges of the cake. It added a bit of texture, but not much more.
The brown sugar pecans were highly caramelized, I think in the pan a moment longer than ideal, as they were just on that edge of almost bitter and too far. I still loved having candied nuts for crunch though, and when mixed with the sweeter compotes this slight burnt flavor almost helped balance it. There was also a salty element I loved in here somewhere, and I think it might have been on the nuts? I'm not sure.
 |
| Philly: Layers. |
The base was more anzac crumb, then a layer of the peach and rosemary compote and more fresh fruit, then maple custard and vanilla chantilly. Next came a cake layer, above which was more compote and fruit, more chantilly and custard ... oh, and peach and bourbon jelly cubes in there too.
The peach and rosemary compote I was slightly skeptical of, as I wasn't so sure about the rosemary, but it actually was wonderful. Not a compote with broken down fruit really, rather, huge chunks of stewed fruit, really juicy and flavorful, and the rosemary, even though in sizeable big pieces, gave it a savory touch I appreciated. I really liked the compote. It ... might have been my favorite element?
The vanilla chantilly was just good rich fluffy whipped cream, much needed to complement all the sweeter flavors and break them up a bit. I failed to really get any distinct bites of the maple custard, which made me a bit sad, as I love custard and maple. I should have given myself a more ideal portion!
The peach and bourbon jelly cubes were very noticeable when you found one. There weren't many, but they were a fairly large size, and, quite different from everything else, rather firm cubes of jelly, slightly boozy. I'm not sure if I liked them or not. I think I did, but wasn't crazy about them inside the trifle.
And finally, the anzac crumb base, which I expected to just be kinda throwaway (I'm not much into anzac biscuits), but I ended up really liking the crunch and buttery quality to it.
Overall, this was quite enjoyable. There were some bites I really, really enjoyed, composed of a big chunk of the peach with rosemary compote, some creamy chantilly, crunchy biscuit and candied nuts ... truly great.
I'd definitely get another trifle, although I'd like to try another flavor, and yes, it was moderately easier to serve than the cake, but, only slightly.
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