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Eloquent, elegant and well-crafted – these are the words I would use to define Cinq’s sugared luxuries. Angela Villoria, owner and an interior designer by profession, does an exceptional job at making desserts look too beautiful to eat. It’s no surprise her creations are executed with such technique and grace – almost like a ballerina. I chanced upon Cinq online while I was looking for desserts to fulfill my nightly visual cravings. I had a lovely time talking to Angela herself and we spoke casually about why she chose the name Cinq and what made her decide to apply her skills of precision in food. At first I constantly repeated the name in my head as “sink”, wondering if I was pronouncing it right. But after meeting Angela personally, it put a halt to this mental guessing game of mine and affirmed that her dessert line is actually pronounced as “sank”. Of course, it is said with a bit more oomph than you think. Cinq, which translates to the number five in French, represents the 5 basic ingredients that are often used in baking – flour, sugar, eggs, milk/cream and butter. Her desserts are also very French-inspired and each cake is made meticulously, making sure that the level of sweetness and flavors are balanced. What started off as a few Saturday baking lessons in 2007 turned into busy days participating in bazaars and taking care of orders made by many. Realizing that she had a passion for baking, Angela went to France in 2009 to learn more about baking and then to the USA in 2010 to further her training. It was all about precision, balance, symmetry, scale and color. Now I understand how the shift in career path was a clever choice!
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| An array of mini Cinq cakes |
When I first set eyes on Cinq’s desserts, I couldn’t help but stare at them in fascination and wonder how they were made in such a delicate and intricate manner. I felt that it was almost a sin to consume them. I started off with the Lexi cakes (P150), which comes in two flavors, Strawberry and Exotique: Mango & Passionfruit. It is made of a cheesecake base, fruit coulis, diced fruits, cheesecake mousse and almond dacquoise. Just a quick side note, Angela makes EVERYTHING from scratch. So if you think you’re going to get some store bought fruit puree on your cake, then you are mistaken. The Lexi is light in flavor and has just the right amount of sweetness to it. I’m more of a strawberry kind of gal when it comes to fruit flavored cakes so I’ve got my taste buds set on the red number!
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| Lexi: Exotique (Mango & Passionfruit) and Strawberry (both P150) |
The next dessert Aurore (P150) is a chocolate tart with caramel and macadamias. The marriage between chocolate and nuts is one of my favorite things ever. Smooth chocolate coupled with that crunch and a delicious crust is all I needed to give this bestseller a thumbs-up! Actually, if I had a hundred hands, I would lift all 200 thumbs to show how much I enjoyed eating this cake.
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Aurore (P150)
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Pascale (P150), shaped like a dome, almost looks pretty intimidating to eat cause you never know what kind of tasty surprise it holds. The sweet and zesty tandem compliments each other and although the cake is made up of mostly chocolate mousse, the tanginess of the oranges are enough to make its presence known. If chocolate and nuts isn’t your thing, then perhaps chocolate and orange mousse cake will be more to your liking.
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| Pascale (P150) |
Another bestseller on the Cinq menu is Louise (P150). Generously loaded with pecans and a sticky syrup that holds everything together on a crusted base is something nut-lovers would really find heavenly. Again, there’s so much crunch in this tart with just the right amount of sweetness to it.
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| Louise (P150) |
Of course, a cake menu isn’t complete without a tiramisu. At a glance, I almost thought that it was a chocolate capsule atop the tiramisu. Well, it really was chocolate but Alessandra (P170) is so light, it made me feel like I was eating sweet clouds minus the bumpy texture. The mascarpone cheese was mild and toned down the flavors of the liquor in the cake. Now, Patti (P120) is something you don’t see every day. I mean sure, it’s a chocolate sponge cake with chocolate buttercream, but how often do you come across a chocolate topping with star-like glitters? It’s almost like I was given a sneak peak as to what chocolate skies would look like if a place where desserts ruled over the land existed. Two layers of chocolate sponge cake glued together with chocolate buttercream is easily another favorite of mine.
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| Alessandra (P170) |
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| Patti undressed (P150) |
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| Pascale: Chocolate and orange mousse |
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| Enjoying each cake from Cinq! |
I’m sure you’ve noticed how Cinq cakes go by the names of different
people. These are the names of very special people Angela has come across from
her trips to France and the U.S.A. and one of her cakes is even named after her
dog! I still wonder how Angela does it with her one-woman operation but one
thing’s for sure, all the ingredients she uses are nothing short of the best quality.
The chocolates are couveture, which means that they are made with extra cocoa
butter to give her cakes a high gloss and as I mentioned, her sauces, sponges,
glazes, fruit coulis are not pre-mixed or store bought, she concocts them
herself.
Cinq sells cakes that come in larger cakes measuring 9x11 and of course,
their mini versions as featured in this entry. Part of the menu also includes
cookies, profiteroles and mini cake mixes. Orders and inquiries about the full price list can be made through the
numbers below and are for pick-up with a 48 hour lead time because all the
cakes are handmade and made from scratch. So if you’re planning a tea party
with your girlfriends or you just want to feel like royalty with these desserts
on hand, order up!
What’s next for Cinq? “My dream is to be able to open a small pastry
shop where I can create everyday masterpieces that people can enjoy.” And it is
something we will all definitely be looking forward to! J
Cinq
244 Amapola, Palm Village,
Makati City
0917-6252611 / 890-6858
angela@cinq.com.ph
p.s. Be sure to keep checking REVEL Magazine's website for a Wooden Spoons & Muffin Tops feature this SEPTEMBER and a whole lot more! :)
