Nothing spells joie de vivre better than a lavish Hungarian almond sponge torte (a Central European delicacy also known as a Dobos torte) flanked by 70% Valrhona Guanaja chocolate, or a dark and luxuriant Foret Noir. These are a couple of noteworthy picks from the One of a Kind Cake Selection by ITC Royal Bengal and ITC Sonar; the line-up assembles a range of elaborate celebration cakes curated by award-winning chef Vikas Shrivastava who heads the Confectionary Patisserie at ITC Royal Bengal and ITC Sonar.
There are many things that set these bakes apart from gimmicky, highstreet or store-baked picks, but the ingredient-first approach is the menu’s biggest USP as Chef Shrivastava has cherry picked top-notch rarities from across the world for his recipes.
“We’ve worked with flavours that are not usually spotted on any and every ingredient list, which is what establishes their novelty; be it the premium single-origin chocolates, Guatemalan vanilla, Guanaja dark chocolate, Turkish saffrons, cream from Chantilly, they’re all authentically sourced. We’re essentially revamping familiar curations and recipes, in fresher ways. A good example is the Tiramisu Gateaux, It still has coffee and mascarpone but the format and the texture are so different; it features Nicamalai Coffee Ganache, a saviorde dipped in coffee liqueur and a coffee bean jaconde sponge,” the chef shares.
Another modernist example would be chef Shrivastava’s take on the tarte au crumble which features a decadent play on textures. His Hazelnut Tarte Au Crumble Chocolate is made with 80% bittersweet chocolate crumble tart base, a milk chocolate hazelnut mousse and a hazelnut whipped ganache topper.
“Every number from the One of a Kind Cake Selection by ITC Royal Bengal & ITC Sonar is a work of art. They encapsulate the spirit of the extravagant and the fancy and craft a combination of unusual flavours and textures with the finest ingredients from across the world. A ‘must have’ masterpiece for special occasions,” says Tejinder Singh, Area Manager East ITC Hotels & Cluster General Manager ITC Royal Bengal & ITC Sonar. The menu also features some light and summer-friendly curations like the Lemon Meringue Tart (made with a tangy lemon curd custard and a torched fluffy Swiss meringue), or the contemporary carrot cake (made with 70 percent Guanaja dark chocolate).
The menu switches up staple elements in familiar recipes as it gives a new makeup to classic items like red velvet cheesecake – chef Shrivastava’s version of this recipe lines up a beetroot and vanilla cream cheese baked cake on a Venezualean chocolate sponge. There’s even a Gulab Jamun Cheesecake that uses sugar soaked milk dumplings baked with white chocolate cream cheese and a Farmlite crumble base, for those who simply can’t seem to get past homegrown treats.
Our top picks:
Baked Chocolate Gateau made with 70% Guanaja Dark chocolate – Exceptionally rich and balanced base, with a delicate silk ganache; it offers a complex and aromatic sweetness with lingering warm notes
Revisited Black Forest made with a chocolate mud sponge, Morello cherry compote – The Opalys Chantilly cream is a total stunner and the caramel chocolate mousse adds a good consistency in texture
Available on a 24 hours pre-order
Rs 3,750 onwards
