Cielin's cupcakes

Cielin's cupcakes was an instant success in our family. We all have different tastes so everyone found a flavor to their liking. All cakes are soft and just right, the icing not too sweet since I think they're all made of whipped cream (which I dearly love!) unlike the other cupcakes out there that has a towering icing of pure sugar or whatever. I just really don't get that. Anyway below is a pic of the cupcakes. I imagine it would be hard writing down the cupcake flavors saying L-R, clockwise, etc, so I made a pic with the details below.

Cielin's Assorted cupcakes, chicken pie and tarts

I love the Strawberry cupcake most of all. It's not too sweet. The cream on top has a refreshing strawberry flavor and the cake soft with a strawberry filling inside. Whenever I have this cupcake in front of me I have this urge of burying my face in the cream and lick everything afterwards. I just wish I have tasted this during my childhood. I'm pretty sure I would've been the happiest girl back then knowing that a cupcake like this existed (that goes also with Yulo's strawberry shortcake). Lol. I know what I would want for my birthday! My younger sister loves the Mocha cupcake. You can really taste the mocha-ness in this one. The cake is bursting with mocha flavor and goes well with the cream on top. It would be my fave as well if not for my overly fondness of strawberries. My older sister's favorite is the cheese tart. Oh yes not all are cupcakes in this assorted box. We have a chicken pie and tarts as well. The Cheese tart is somewhat similar to the egg tart but oozing with cheesy goodness. Not too salty and not too sweet, just the right amount of cheese. I think everyone in my family loves this tart. The Chicken pie is great for merienda. It doesn't have sauce inside like other chicken pies but it's flavorful and satisfying to the stomach. The Walnut tart is a tart on the sweet side so you would want to eat this one slowly. I love it  especially when I'm craving for something sweet with some crunch. The Mangoes and Cream honestly I can't remember tasting it. I think I have but maybe I was too smitten-ed with the strawberry cupcake I totally ignored this one. It would be one of my favorite flavors as well.  The other cupcakes I find just normal probably because it's not my favorite flavor or there's none left for me to taste it. Next time I'll revise this post and add more pictures of the cupcake fillings. By the way the most expensive one in this box I think is around P24. The price for each cupcake or tart or chicken pie ranges from P18 to P20+. Not bad eh? Enjoy looking at the pics!

Cielin's cupcakes including the choco cupcake from my Mother's day post

Cielin's cupcakes (without the text)

Cielin's cupcakes (another view)

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Cielin's Lemon Meringue Torte

My younger sister discovered this cake house at BF, Paranaque and she was able to convince me to try out one of their cakes since the pics in their Facebook page looks appetizing. We also found out that the delicious 'free' chocolate cup cakes we availed from Shopwise during Mother's Day was from them as well. Knowing that, I decided to try one of their cakes since the price is quite reasonable as well. I asked my sister to buy me Lemon Meringue Torte to try one day while she accompanies her three-year-old son to preschool and will be passing by there.

I chose this flavor because I haven't tasted a lemon cake before and I have a soft spot for lemons. Why I ask myself. Hm let me see. When I was a kid I had these pretty pencil translucent erasers that are shaped and colored as lemons, limes and strawberries so I've always thought of them as pretty things. It reminded me of preschool, of soft sunlight, of grass and leaves and the cartoon Strawberry Shortcake! Lemons don't grow in our country so I was only able to taste it when I was older since trade liberalizations only started in the 90s . When I tasted lime I found them too strong. When I tasted lemon and found out about their soft tangy sweet taste it has earned my respect. Strawberries on the other hand... that's another story and will be having a different post for it -- for the perfect cake!

Oh! I have to mention my older sis's lemon squares. She did make one before when she was first trying out her cooking skills. I was so smitten-ed she's making a lemon dessert. But alas she mistakenly put salt instead of sugar so the pastry was a disaster. Imagine eating a sour salty dessert. I think the family still managed to finish it all since it's still food, and we don't waste food, but my sis never recovered from it and hated baking ever since. While me I'm still looking for that perfect lemon dessert.

Cielin's Cakehouse box with address

Cielin's Lemon Meringue Torte

Lemon Meringue Torte

Getting a slice of the torte

 I almost truly love this cake. It just had the right sweetness and tang and I love the nuts and meringue inside. But I think it was lacking crunch and has too much cream. Well actually everybody in our family said it had too much icing and less of a cake. I think if you take a thin slice it would be okay but we're accustomed to slicing as much as we want. lol. Also I think if lemon zest were added to the icing it would just be fine. I just taste too much of the egg whites and it's almost like eating a Brazo de Mercedes without the yellow filling. Well for those who love icings I would say this is for you. I do hope they improve it a little because it's almost perfect.

Me and my sis do plan to try out their other cakes as well. Will keep you posted :).

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Mother's day with Bizu and Cielin's

I've been so busy with work lately I haven't had time updating my blog. Also most of my free time I give it up to reading ever since I bought a Kindle. Even when I finish my work at 2am I still find myself reading before going to bed. Anyway I'll be posting about my Kindle soon enough and all my appreciation about it will be included there :).

So, Mother's day this year was  on May 8, 2011, Sunday. It was a perfect day to celebrate because Pacman Pacquiao's fight was on that day as well (well here in the Philippines that is). Me and my older sister decided to surprise the mothers in our family with a cake, some flowers and a pay per view show of the fight. It was a bit hard concealing about it for a week pretending we've forgotten the date but I could honestly say that we pulled it off beautifully. Both my mom and younger sis were surprised.

We decided to try out Bizu's Mother's Day cake special called Cheesecake Camilla.

Bizu's Cheesecake Camilla with box

Cheesecake Camilla front

Cheesecake Camilla side

Cheesecake Camilla eaten

My mouth is kinda watering now when I look at these pics. I do miss it a little. I say 'little' because I remember I'm not much of a fan of cheesecakes and too sweet desserts. Cheesecake Camilla is both. For those who like sweets like my sister and mom and those that love cheesecakes then this is for you. It's creamy, it's sweet, it's yummy. Hm the taste experience reminded me actually of 'yema' but in a cheesecake form. It does look small at first but we realized it's small for a reason. A little really goes a long way. Usually a cake in our family is gone in one or two eating but Camilla I think it lasted a week. So, I think the price (1k plus) is just right when it comes to quantity.


Another treat we had for Mother's day was chocolate cupcakes from Shopwise. It was a free gift from them for the mothers who are members of their store.

A gift from Shopwise on Mother's Day

How sweet

This is actually from Cielin's Cakehouse where a branch can be found in Shopwise

Since we have two mothers we got two gifts ^^

I really love this chocolate cupcake. They're moist, chocolatey and not too sweet. Their moistness is quite surprising I guess since most cupcakes nowadays are a bit exaggerated on the toppings and don't focus much on the cupcake itself. I don't even like the big toppings on those other cupcakes. Most of the time they're too sweet. Anyway this one from Cielin's is just right! I can't wait to try their other cupcakes as well. I'll be uploading a post soon with another Cielin cake.



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Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is the time for lovers and romance and being lovey-dovey with your partner.  Well for our family it's just the time to satisfy our sweet tooth since all we're hearing and seeing in the media are chocolates, cakes, etc.  It's family time for us as well because everyone's at home due to the city holiday.  Well most of us are single anyway so we didn't have plans on dining out with a date.

 So, to get the feel of Valentine's I asked my mom to make us Carbonara which is a common date food and since I was craving a heart cake I asked my sisters to bring home one.  They said they searched the mall and only one store had a heart cake on that day, Feb 14, and it was Sugarhouse.  I was kinda hoping for Bizu because their Valentine's cake looks wonderful but the store didn't have it.  Oh well.  Anyway, here are the cakes -- yes cakes with an S -- that my sisters brought home and made my "single" Valentine's day complete ^_^.

Chocolate Truffle from Sugarhouse and Tentazione from Cara Mia Gelateria

Chocolate Truffle from Sugarhouse
This cake is just what I craved for.  It's surprisingly light and fluffy and just the right amount of sweetness for me.  I think we finished this cake in one sitting because one slice is literally not enough since it's so light.  But it's yummy so it was satisfying ^_^.

Chocolate Truffle from Sugarhouse

Slice of Chocolate Truffle

Tentazione from Cara Mia Gelateria
This cake is very rich and chocolaty.  My sisters and I agreed it tastes like Conti's chocolate cake but with a sweeter taste.  We cannot finish this cake in one sitting.  That's how rich and thick it was.  Also for me I found it too sweet for my liking but my brothers and sisters seem to like it. Anyone who has a sweet tooth would really like this.

Tentazione from Cara Mia Gelateria

slice of Tentazione

Tiramisu from Cara Mia Gelateria
This I recommend a must have.  I think everyone will like this Tiramisu.  It's soft, fluffy with the right amount of cream and sweetness.  Next time I'll be requesting a whole of this one instead of a slice.

Tiramisu from Cara Mia Gelateria

Tiramisu

Midnight from Sugarhouse
This cake and the Tentazione are quite similar in taste and richness.  I'm not really a fan but my officemate and my brothers and sisters seem to like its rich and sweet flavor.

Midnight from Sugarhouse

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Media Noche

I apologize if this was a tad late. Been busy with work since it's peak season in one my of transcription jobs.  But here it is, what we had for our New Year celebration! The settings of my cam was off so I'm going to post here what my older sister shot from her camera.  I was really sad about it but it's okay.  Most of the food pics are from her. Good thing 'ate' was taking pics as well.  During New Year our theme is usually Pinoy food but this year some of us bought our favorites and added to the spread. Enjoy!

Christmas Tree

Delifrance Fruit Tarts

 fruit tarts - they look great but the taste is a bit bland

  Refrigerator Cake - mom makes great ref cakes and my number one diet crasher

Breadtalk, Krispy Kremes and Ref Cakes

Media Noche

 Media Noche

 Top L-R: Excellente Sweet Ham and homecooked crab
Bottom L-R: Caldireta, Excellente Scrap Ham, Rellenong Bangus

 L-R: Rice Syrup Chicken from BBQ Chicken, Jap Chae from Kaya (My favorites!)

 Top to Bottom: Excellente Sweet ham and Scrap Ham (everyone's fave)

 Excellente Sweet Ham

 Dessert Tray with Delifrance fruit tarts and Krispy Kreme's Kruffins

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