The bakery scene in Singapore is a fiercely competitive one. From meat floss cakes and mochi rolls at Good Day Bakery to croissant egg tarts from Kwaasong Bakeshop in Clarke Quay, we are always impressed by what innovative bakers have got to offer. But Plain Vanilla seems to be the one bakery that believes in the “show don’t tell” philosophy in terms of baking. This is reflected in the motto on their website: “To make life’s simple pleasures aspirational and accessible”. In other words, this bakery believes that simple is the best.
To test this philosophy, we got all 12 of Plain Vanilla’s mainstay cupcake flavours, all priced at $4.80+ each, and determined the top five cupcakes. The mainstay flavours include Salted Caramel, Chocolate Hazelnut, Red Velvet, Dark Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry White Chocolate, Earl Grey Lavender, Milk Chocolate Chip, Vanilla Bean, Milk Chocolate Banana, Carrot, Cookies & Cream, and Cinnamon Brown Sugar.
This was the flavour I was most excited for as banana and chocolate are my favourite dessert combination. At first look, I was slightly let down by the lack of rise in the cupcake but I saw that it was due to the chunky bananas giving the cake its denseness. The banana cake batter was also sprinkled with some cinnamon, taking its classic taste up a notch.
For those who like the texture of nuts in brownies, this flavour is for you. I enjoyed the crunchiness of cacao nibs on the top of the cupcake the most. The sweetness from the cacao bits was followed by a bitterness that complemented the chocolate cream. I also appreciated that the nibs were well-processed and did not stick to the sides of my teeth.
I liked the taste of caramel frosting and caramel on this cupcake as they reminded me very much of Werther’s Original hard candies. The rich caramel creaminess of the frosting and the subtle umami of the Maldon sea salt will convince even folks who prefer savoury dishes to desserts.
One of my colleagues told me that this is her favourite order whenever she visits Plain Vanilla, and I could see why. We liked the light crunch of the brown sugar on top at the first bite. What followed was the gentle warmness of the cinnamon powder. This one will go well with warm coffee as the cinnamon brings out the aroma of the coffee beans.
This flavour got resounding approval from almost all of my colleagues. We loved the flowery notes of the lavender frosting which was highlighted by the citrusy taste of Earl Grey cake. The sprinkle of tea dust in the centre of the frosting further accentuated the taste of lavender. A bite of this felt like I was sipping a strong brew of tea.
Overall, Plain Vanilla’s philosophy of “simple is best” was reflected in their cupcakes. Despite the flavours being somewhat conventional, it was evident that extra effort was made to ensure that every flavour was done well.
While not every cupcake made the list, an honourable mention should be made to the Vanilla Bean flavour! Real vanilla specks could be seen in the frosting, but the taste of vanilla was mild and not overpowering. The cake also had a rich butteriness which I liked.
For more cake in a cup, check out Chocolatea’s triple pistachio cupcake and goma tarts! If you are looking for more great bakes, read our list of the best bakeries in Singapore.
Website | Full list of outletsÂ
Plain Vanilla is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Hor Kia Ee.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.
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