WICKERMOSS: EATS: [A Search for The] Best Cupcakes in Singapore. Plain Vanilla Bakery.

Just when you thought they have vanished but oh yes, they are still everywhere. Singapore has just been bitten by the cupcake revo bug. I am beginning to think that a cupcake, if ever it’d mutate to, say like a drug…would pass up as an ecstasy pill. Here in Singapore, I have seen endless queues of women standing patiently in line to score a piece of cupcake.What is it in cupcakes anyways? Why do women swoon over these multi-coloured-too-pretty-to eat sugary ‘tempties’? They may be overrated but they are a sexy and flirtatious dessert that brings us women to a level of levitation filled with sweet music. To me, a cupcake brings but a joy of an honest appetite with ecstasy.

With the cupcake resurgence in Singapore, it’s not like getting blood out of a stone case scenario anymore on where to find the best cupcakes. Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, red velvet…what’s your signature flavour? How do you like yours done? With frosting, candied faces and little trinkets on top or you prefer to bastardize yours with whipped cream and chunks and chunks of mixed fruits? Do you like to eat them paired with coffee or cuppa tea? I believe a cupcake just like any other dish’ presentation or plating adds up to its yumminess yeah?

I asked my Singaporean friends on their thought about cupcakes and here are some of them:

“I bake mine myself! Nothing like a moist one straight out the oven” : D x

~@mariaveronicaa

“It’s in the details so I drive all the way to xxxxx just to satisfy my cravings! Only to find out that my favourite flavour is sold out! Argh.”

anonymous

“NO discussion that xxxxx serves the best cupcakes, plus I love their cute store..makes me wanna buy everything!”

anonymous

But let’s face it, not everyone have the luxury of time to bake a dozen thus opting to scour for shops dedicated to cupcakes for their sugar rush. I have visited and tried cupcakes from two of the best cupcake shops in Singapore. I did not read online forums and researched for stores via net, sometimes the best finds are found by chance. These two stores are perfect examples. Both stores are fairly new however they have already made a name for themselves and are now considered to be serving the best cupcakes in Singapore. First off be informed that I am not a cupcake connoisseur, so this is what my palate dictates me and opinions expressed are my own and uninfluenced by other entities. I do not expect any of those high or low standards, in fact I did not set anything on my list. I let the cupcakes do its wonder and show me what they got. For a cupcake to be considered good, it needs a moist, flavourful cake paired with an icing that complements the cake. Searching for the best cupcakes in Singapore is a never ending hunt for yours truly and I think I can say that I have found two that happened to swept me off my feet. Count on a cupcake-coma sensation on your first encounter with each shell. Allow me to start off with..

Well hello there sweet heaven!

PLAIN VANILLA

34A Lorong Mombong, Holland Village

“One is never enough. That is one thing you’d tell yourself upon tasting Plain Vanilla or …. PV’s cupcakes.”

PV or Plain Vanilla Bakery is tucked away in the 2nd floor of a Holland Village, (mostly called HV) shop house. It is right opposite Harry’s Bar and above El Patio Mexican Restaurant & Wine Bar; do note that they have no dine-in service due to its limited retail space. Small but quaint! One would ask why chose to put up a cupcake shop in the midst of the thronged area of Holland Village, famously swamped with bars and restaurants. Well whatever the reason is, it certainly did not matter as people really make a trip down to HV just for PV :) The shop is not really convenient to find, but hey once you make that scrumptious bite, you’ll whisper “It’s worth it”. Their cupcakes give you that pure ecstasy that would ignite your senses.

This is not one of your whimsical cupcake bakery; so do not expect a carousel of fancy decors neither swing chairs or pastel walls when you come here; what welcomes you is the aroma of those cupcake goodness. The store is usually manned by two sweet young ladies, ready to serve and always make good recommendations especially for first timers. They have 9 cupcake flavour mainstays (as I wanna call it), minimal choices you see…this is good if you are an indecisive person. You can easily grab a half dozen and you have sampled most of them already. They do release special flavours from time to time.

A cupcake at Plain Vanilla costs SGD3.50 a piece; SGD19 for half a dozen. Majority of people says they are pretty expensive. You’d say this if you haven’t tasted it.. yet. Well perhaps then after which you’d say, “Oh, no wonder it’s pricey.” The cake itself was moist, fluffy and luscious. Each flavour has a different cupcake base. Different cake, different attack.. awesome. They made their cupcakes with just the right texture (not to mention sizeable) and has the right blend of ingredients that equates to a delicate balance of flavours that’d sure explode in your mouth. Oooh la la PV got them all. Why name it Plain then, whereas the taste was indeed extraordinary?! I love the simplicity goodness nonetheless. Their frosting was creamy, no artificial taste to piss you off. It just gets a little grainy at times and brings down the overall taste of the cupcake. The sweetness is just the right amount and not overpowering that one can’t handle.

I am now hooked to PV’s über-delicious cakes, definitely a hidden enclave worth the trip. I just hope they would have a bigger space and put up tables or counters in the future, as it’s nicer to spend more time there… readin’ a book, relishing my cupcake while sippin’ on some Earl Grey tea. And oh, did I mention that the aroma of PV’s cupcakes is such a delight? Remember to whiff the cake before you take that bite. Since Holland Village is not a place one would frequent often, they have a delivery service with applicable charges, I suggest you call in advance or make any bookings as they are usually loaded with orders.

The cupcakes are housed in a plain brown sturdy box; logo and branding speaks of simplicity. Now moving on to a few of their cupcake delights:

Recommended Flavor: Salted Caramel. The Salted Caramel decadence are little morsels of heaven and I can scarf it down in less than a minute. Their Red Velvet needs little bit of more work; I was surprised that their RV flavour is my least fave. Not the cheapest cupcake on the block but definitely one of the tastiest.

(top/all 3 in a row)

Salted Caramel

(from left-right)

Chocolate Hazelnut | Milk Chocolate Chip | Dark Chocolate Ganache

Famous for: Dark Chocolate Ganache

Valrhona dark chocolate cake smothered in bittersweet chocolate ganache and dipped in Valrhona cocoa nibs

Strawberry White Chocolate

Vanilla cake with a centre of fresh strawberries topped with white chocolate frosting

Milk Chocolate Banana
Chocolate chip-studded banana cake with milk chocolate frosting

Chocolate Hazelnut

Valrhona dark chocolate cake with a chocolate-hazelnut filling topped with chocolate hazelnut frosting

Cookies and Cream

Dark chocolate cookie cake with crushed-cookie vanilla frosting

This Strawberry White Chocolate is a stunner. I did not think this would appeal to me. Aside from the topping, there were little chunks of strawberries inside it. So creamy and rich, not too sweet. The cake was super light it seemed to melt in my mouth.

Plain Vanilla makes my heart sing. Their cupcake variety may be minimal but the overall taste got me hooked on them. I even leave them at room temperature for up to 2-3 days and they still taste superb, if not better. I wished they have zero calories in them so that I can chomp on them everyday..yup am stingy with my calories :)

Quality and taste is what made Plain Vanilla distinguished itself. They are original, fresh…and different. In Manila, getting that cupcake fix is like a walk in the park as it has a lot of great cupcake shops to boot. So if anyone of you knows where else I could try heaven-licious cupcakes in Singapore, feel free to comment below and I’d be pleased to check it out! Cupcakes never fail to tap that childhood experience that each of us were all looking to get back to and seriously, who doesn’t need a good cupcake in their life?:)