Magnificent glazed mirror cakes | Lifestyle.INQ

OCTOBER 27, 2022

Rebecca Disini and daughter Natalia

 

Rebecca Disini and daughter Natalia

 

Shining, shimmering, splendid!” Rebecca Disini’s flawless mirror cakes capture your reflection and brings appreciation for handcrafted cakes to, well, a whole new world.

Each entremet (mirror cake) takes an entire day to bake. That’s a lot of work for a cake that is 16 cm by 4.5 cm in height.

But, as Disini said, “It’s never too much to bake the best for my clients.”

To achieve a glistening finish is no easy task. Mastering it requires skill and practice. Disini said the process of making this type of glaze is very technical, involving the right temperature and proper timing at each stage.

The lady chef takes pride in using only the best ingredients. The flavors of her cakes are intense and pronounced: matcha is matcha, hazelnut is hazelnut, chocolate is chocolate.

“We do not do any shortcuts, and we put in a lot of love and care in everything that we do,” she said.

Disini studied at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and London, worked around the world, “then I came home to share my passion for patisserie,” she said. “I handcraft every cake myself (my daughter Natalia helps) with an uncompromising commitment to excellence and elegance, and lots of joie de vivre.”

Ooh La La, the brand Disini’s cakes go by, is, indeed, the most appropriate description for her cakes, which captivate the eye as well as the palate.

 

Le Matcha

Personal favorite

My personal favorite is Le Matcha, which is sublime, silky, smooth, decadent and refined, each bite a complex mouthful. It is a cake, mousse, panna cotta and chocolate ganache in one, the taste buds sensing hints of chocolate, white chocolate and an intensely fresh matcha finish.

Le Matcha is a beautiful cake adorned with fresh air-blown edible flowers. It is as visually pleasant as it is delicious.

One must also keep an eye on Disini’s limited-edition cakes that are created to showcase ingredients at their prime, or to mark a season.

In March 2017, she released Reve Tropical à la Mangue, with Génoise, Mango Cremeux, Coconut Mousse, Mango Glaze and Desiccated Coconut.

Last December she showcased Le Nöel (limited-edition Christmas cake for 2017), made of nutmeg, Glühwein (mulled wine), cloves, aniseed and cinnamon—all the flavors of traditional German pastries within layers of silky chocolate génoise and milk chocolate mousse.

While Disini tries to cater to her clients by providing them with celebratory cakes, she keeps the cakes small and almost devoid of the usual trimmings.

“The whole idea is for the glaze to be appreciated for what it is,” she explained. “Even when taking pictures, I suggest that the reflection on it is not edited out.”

Variants

There is a cake to match every mood and taste in Disini’s selection. Other Ooh La La entremets include:

Le Mimosa—Chocolate génoise with demi-sec sparkling wine, bergamot orange crémeux, Belgian milk chocolate mousse, spider glaze.

Les Trois Chocolat— Chocolate génoise, milk chocolate crémeux, Madagascan vanilla mousse, dark chocolate glaze and 22K edible gold leaf.

L’Amour Rouge—génoise, raspberry jelly, white chocolate mousse, milk glaze and fresh strawberries.
Le Café Noisette—Real hazelnut praliné, 100-percent Arabica coffee mousse, flourless chocolate and coffee génoise, café au lait glaze and chocolate coffee beans.

La Pistache—Pistachio génoise, pistachio crémeux, white chocolate mousse, dark chocolate glaze with roasted pistachios.

Bebe Lila or Bebe Bleu— génoise, rose crémeux, white chocolate mousse, lilac or baby blue glaze, white chocolate pearl balls. (Bebe Lila is glazed in lilac color, and Bebe Bleu is baby blue color).

 

“Cookies for Good”

‘Cookies for Good’

Also inspiring is how Disini has instilled in her daughter the importance of giving back. In between work, school and play, mother and daughter bond in the kitchen. Together, they bake “Cookies for Good” Hazelnut Praline Chocolate Cookies in limited quantities.

Part of the proceeds from each box of individually packed cookies go to MovEd (Molding Optimism and Values through Education) a charity that helps send underprivileged children to school.

Call 0998-5570205; e-mail [email protected]

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