Top 10 Best Types Of Cakes
Cakes are something special. Most of us won’t eat cake daily, or even weekly, but when there is a special occasion such as a birthday or wedding the first thing that goes on the planning list is the cake. And what a diverse choice we have!
Sponge cake is the most common and also the most versatile, yeast-based cakes have great traditional roots, chocolate cake of any description is top of the list for any child’s birthday party and there are a whole range of sweet, spicy, creamy and fruity cakes for our enjoyment.
10. Soufflé
Ahh, the Soufflé. What a way to start this list. The French are famous for their cooking of course and the soufflé is one of those dishes that remains quintessentially French. The word derives from the French word for ‘blown up’ and it is the way a soufflé rises from its dish as it is baked that gives this cake its unique character.
At its most simple, a Soufflé is simply egg yokes mixed with the beaten whites. Making a soufflé rise is not for the faint hearted. When it works it’s magic but you have to know what you’re doing.
All sorts of other ingredients can be added to create your own version of Soufflé. Chocolate, vanilla, fruits such as passionfruit and banana, lemon, jams. A versatile, delicate, delicious cake.
9. Passionfruit Sponge Cake
Passionfruit may well be the most intense flavor in the world. It is certainly one of the brightest, sunniest and zingy-est flavors around and perfect for use in a cake, either as a filling or as an icing. Or both!
The classic Passionfruit Sponge Cake will have two moist layers of sponge filled with a creamy mix of passionfruit, vanilla and mascarpone, topped with passionfruit infused icing or a dusting of icing sugar. Yum.
8. Babka
Babka originated in Eastern Europe but is now famous across the world, particularly for its spongy, brioche type of texture and cinnamon or chocolate swirls that give it such a distinctive taste.
Babka is made from yeast and many versions of this cake are probably closer to a bread than to a cake. It’s traditionally used for religious occasions like Easter and Christmas.
Different icing can be used to create something a bit unique, often using vanilla, candied fruits or nuts and a liquor like rum can add some zing. It is also often served with streusel for a dessert.
7. Carrot Cake
It seems like an odd combination, a vegetable in a cake, but if you haven’t tried Carrot Cake you are in for a very pleasant surprise. In fact even if you don’t like carrot you should give it a try because the standard carrot taste doesn’t really exist in this cake.
It’s very dense, very moist and the best have a dense, sweet cream cheese frosting that adds a super yummy taste and lovely texture. Walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg must be a carrot match made in heaven because the sum of the parts is very different to each individual piece.
Great for after dinner, the Carrot Cake is also the perfect daytime snack.
6. Croquembouche
Croquembouche is, if nothing else, a spectacular looking cake and very popular at formal occasions like weddings and baptisms for that reason.
Of course this French sweet dessert is also delicious with its cream puff choux pastry profiteroles providing taste explosions in the mouth and the caramel threads that hold the whole thing together giving it a sweet, sticky sumptuousness.
If you are going to make one of these have a practice first. They take some doing!
5. Spice Cake
Spice Cakes come in a range of styles depending on the spices used, but the best will typically include a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, mace and pepper covered with a cream cheese icing.
Different versions of the Spice Cake are famous in the US, particularly at holiday times, with additions like maple syrup adding another dimension to the flavor profile.
Moist, light and an incredible taste sensation that offers a great alternative to the big chocolate cakes.
4. Tiramisu
Originating in Italy in the 1960’s, Tiramisu is a mouth watering melange of coffee, mascarpone cheese and cocoa swirled through ladyfinger sponge cake, whisked egg yolk, egg white and plenty of sugar.
After being enormously popular in the 1970’s and 80’s it fell out of favour but has now rightly claimed its place as one of the classic cake desserts of all time.
3. Black Forest Cake
Black Forest Cake, or Black Forest Gateau as it is also known, is the most famous cake to come out of Germany and like the Austrian Sacher Torte, incredibly rich and chocolatey. It has been around since the early 1900’s and known globally from the 1950’s.
Although Germany does have a Black Forest, the Black Forest Cake is named after the liquor Schwarzwalder Kirsch(wasser). This liquor is made from cherries and the Black Forest Cake is distinctive mainly because of its cherry and alcohol characters. Oh, and the rich, rich chocolate.
2. Sacher-Torte
Franz Sacher was a 16 year old apprentice chef in the court of Prince Metternich of Austria in 1832. On the evening of an important dinner the court’s chief chef was taken ill and Sacher was given the task of creating a dessert for the guests.
The dessert was a hit. Sacher kept the recipe secret and in 1876 one of his sons, Eduard, opened the Hotel Sacher in Vienna.
Hotel Sacher is still going strong and the Sacher-Torte, a chocolate cake coated with apricot jam and chocolate icing, is one of the most famous cakes in the world.
1. Flourless Orange Cake
A controversial selection for the number 1 position, but what are lists for? The Flourless Orange Cake, also known as the Orange Almond Cake, is relatively simple in design (hence the controversy) but totally delicious.
The best Flourless Orange Cake will thrill your taste buds with well defined, tangy but subtle sweet orange flavor balanced by earthy almonds. It will be light and moist and will simply melt in the mouth.
Forget the stodgy cakes and try this fresh, zingy taste sensation.
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OddSpot
Cheesecake didn’t make our Top 10 and we feel bad about that so nothing odd about this Oddspot, we just didn’t want to leave the wonderful Cheesecake out in the cold.
Dense, cool, creamy and super refreshing when teamed up with seasonal fruits, this is a true dessert cake that allows all sorts of playful variations. Try it baked with a crispy, sweet topping. Oh yeah.
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