The Unforgettable Estrel’s Caramel Cake

My birthday is coming up. It’s tomorrow actually. In the Philippines, abirthday wouldn’t be complete without a birthday cake. This gives me a perfect excuse to indulge my sweet tooth and get any cake I want for my special day.

Birthday cakes are usually done by Goldilocks or Red Ribbon. These are really popular bakeshops that specialize in cakes. The past two years I’ve been getting my birthday cake from Goldilocks, butter cake with sugar icing. The butter cake is sort of like a pound cake. It’s rich, heavy and delicious. This year however, I’m craving for an old time favorite, Estrel’s Caramel Cake. My mother remembers when she was a child, having her birthday cake made by Estrel’s bakeshop. It was long forgotten until a few years back when she heard about it again by word of mouth (it’s how some of the best foods are discovered). Their specialty is of course the caramel cake, and what adds to its deliciousness is the perfect flowers that border the cake. It’s made with real butter and provides that hint of richness that isn’t overwhelming.

This year has been particularly hot and the weather makes you want to eat light and refreshing desserts. Estrel’s caramel cake is made from chiffon cake which is light and fluffy. The caramel icing is not too sweet or rich, the beautiful flowers are made of creamy butter.

Estrel’s bakeshop was established in 1947 and is located at 54 Scout Tobias corner Scout. Limbaga Sts., Barangay. Laging Handa in Quezon City, still within Metro Manila. They only have just one branch and all the cakes are made to order. You have to place your order at least two days in advance because they can only make a limited amount of cakes in a day. Estrel’s pays particular attention to the quality of their cakes. That is one of the reasons they want to keep the business centralized and not mass produced. With the traffic in the city it makes it an ordeal to drive all the way to Quezon City. It takes about 2 hours to get there from where I live, and it really takes a special occasion for me to brave the trip there. This adds to the enormity of my craving for the cake. Also for my special day, I paid extra to add caramel filling in the middle of the cake. I’m not counting calories on my birthday.