Tell mom you love her with these sweet treats
With its ability to evoke joy, express gratitude and thoughtfulness, and celebrate special occasions, desserts surely make for appropriate gifts. This is evidenced by the noticeable spike in cake sales every Mother’s Day, according to celebrated home baker Roshan Samtani. “Our Sundays are normally very busy, but it gets really crazy come Mother’s Day,” she says. How come? Well, because apart from indulgence, sweet treats bring happiness—exactly like what these 10 guarantee.
Black Sesame, Ube and Matcha Torte from Homemade by Roshan @homemadebyroshan on Instagram
With three earthy flavors present, this cake, in print, might seem one-note in flavor. But it’s by Roshan, and based on experience, she always makes non-traditional flavor combinations work. And so any doubts easily fade away especially after that very first surprisingly pleasant bite.
“I wanted to combine these earthy flavors which my mom loves in one dessert, as I feel they complement each other, and I haven’t seen this done before, with all three together in a single dessert,” she says.
The base is her signature walnut meringue, which is both crunchy and chewy. One layer is filled with a vibrant matcha ganache, while the other is filled with an ube halaya ganache. The whole thing is cloaked in black sesame cream made with both ground roasted black sesame and a roasted black sesame paste. Though earthy, each component delivers a different profile, making it harmonious and complex at the same time. It’s another stellar addition to the brand’s already studded roster.
Susan’s Berry Pistachio Cake from Leonisa’s Kitchen @leonisaskitchen on Instagram
The lovely bakers of Leonisa’s Kitchen wanted to immortalize their mom Susan’s unforgettable Parisian vacation with her grandparents with a cake. And the result is just as memorable: red mirror glaze enrobes an entremet composed of layers of caramel chocolate mousse, berry ganache, chocolate sponge, pistachio white chocolate creme, and dark chocolate almond crumble.
Strawberry Donuts from Strawberry Haus @strawberryhausph on Instagram
A fairly new player in the dessert arena, Strawberry Haus is a specialty bakery that sells desserts made with pesticide-free, hydroponically grown strawberries harvested daily from the country’s first indoor vertical farm. Their array of desserts put fresh, sustainable and chemical-free berries in the spotlight. They have a Dubai Berry Bowl, which pairs the fruits with Nutella, pistachio cream and crunchy kataifi, but it’s in their line of glazed donuts that the strawberries shine front and center. There’s a classic with strawberry jam, a strawberry-pistachio, strawberry and lemon curd, and a strawberry with light cream cheese.
High-protein spreads from Mood Food @moodfoodmarket on Instagram
Following her successful roster of granola snack bars, Liz Uy’s Mood Food recently released her smooth and creamy line of bread spreads. There are currently two on offer—Energy Peanut Butter and Recover Chocolate Peanut Butter. Both produced with just four ingredients, they are high in protein, have no added sugar or artificial flavors, and are great sources of protein, each packing 10g per serving. They’re plant-based, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and best of all, great tasting. Time to start spreading!
Chocolate Potato Chip Bark from The Candy Lab @thecandylab_ph on Instagram
Chocolate-covered potato chips aren’t new but the version from young premium chocolate brand The Candy Lab trumps most. By crushing the chips, it allows for the chocolate (two variants: milk and dark) to do its job while still letting the saltiness of the chip come through. It looks like someone has finally crushed this particular snack game.
Oreo Burnt Basque Cheesecake from El Born Cheesecake@elborn.ph on Instagram
For Mom’s Day, chef David Amoros walks down memory lane by featuring a flavor that was pretty prominent in his childhood. The Oreo Cheesecake is his nostalgic tribute to simpler times. The iconic cookie is present in both the crust and the filling. The base is a rich, chocolatey crust made from crushed Oreo cookies, while the body is not just infused with the signature vanilla flavor of the sandwich cream, but also blended with bits of Oreo for taste and texture. Unlike other commercial cheesecakes of the same variant, this one has that gooey center that distinguishes burnt Basque cheesecakes.
Infinite Roses from Flour Pot @flourpotph on Instagram
Some profess their feelings with a bouquet of flowers, while others, such as chef Rhea Sycip, say it with a cake that has roses through and through. Aptly named Infinite Roses, her naked creation features a limited edition butter cake that’s adorned with fresh Benguet strawberries as well as local and Moroccan roses. The flavor is as obvious as the visual with TWG Bain de Rose tea and vanilla seasoning the cake. The ensemble includes smooth lychee custard, tonic white chocolate buttercream, and Moroccan rose buds. This is the brand tipping the hat to the luxurious roses of Grasse, Provençe.
Strawberry Tiramisu by BBakery @bbakeryph on Instagram
When it comes to celebratory and picture-perfect cakes, BBakery has a lot to offer. You can take the traditional route with a colorful fruit tart or their caramel cake. But you can also go the extra mile by opting for the Strawberry Jelly Cake or a fondant-covered cake that’s been meticulously hand-painted. Celebrating the best of what the season has to offer, they also introduced the Strawberry Tiramisu, where each ladyfinger is soaked in strawberry milk, layered on a container with sliced strawberries, then finished with a mascarpone frosting. It’s unique, in season, looks sexy, and best of all, is heart-shaped.
Coco Pandan Cake from Hearts and Bells @heartsandbellsph on Instagram
Take your love for buko pandan to another level with this Mother’s Day special from Hearts and Bells. Three pillowy layers of pandan chiffon cake are bound by latik and coconut strips in cream, then covered in pandan whipped cream and accessorized with colorful flowers made of buttercream. It’s very tropical in flavor, something different from the string of red velvets and berry cakes that get introduced around this time. It’s definitely one of the best cakes this brand has on offer, one that, for sure, many would wish to be a mainstay rather than just on limited offer.
Blockies from Mo’ Cookies @mocookiesforyou on Instagram
The edgiest cookies ever to hit the block are making a most welcome comeback. From the brand that brought us palm-sized cookies comes Mo’ Blockies, which are square-shaped cookies. They’re akin to brookies, only a little more extra. Available only for the month of May, the line has three variants: South Cotabato Fudge, which is chocolatey; Peanut Butter Blockie, which is sweet and salty; and Oatmeal Rebel Block, which is rich in fiber.
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