Photo courtesy of Kirchgasser Photography
Treat yourself
From Austria to Singapore, fanciful cakes are a sweet welcome setting the tone for a spectacular hotel stay. Luckily, a few of these hotels will even ship their cakes to satisfy cravings around the country.
Photo courtesy of Kirchgasser Photography
Hotel Imperial | Imperial Torte
Created in 1873 for Emperor Franz Joseph I to commemorate the opening of the Hotel Imperial, the Imperial Torte is now available to be shipped throughout the world for chocoholics to enjoy.
The original recipe layers fluffy chocolate cream with almond praline and marzipan, but the talented pastry chefs at Hotel Imperial have created two new fruity flavor updates on the classic as well. There’s dark chocolate with orange marzipan or a dark chocolate with raspberry paste to choose from.
Photo courtesy of Hotel Sacher
Hotel Sacher | Original Sacher-Torte
The most famous cake in all of Austria, this ostensibly simple glazed chocolate cake is layered with apricot preserves, created in 1832 by 16-year-old kitchen apprentice Franz Sacher for Prince Metternich.
The ubiquitous Sacher-Torte can be found in every Austrian patisserie and even in Austrian Airlines’ lounges, but the original recipe, still a closely guarded secret, is only made at the family-owned Hotel Sacher in Vienna and Salzburg. It can also be purchased online and shipped.
Try it with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and a Wiener Melange, the signature Viennese coffee drink.
Photo courtesy of Andaz Singapore
Andaz Singapore | Pandan Chiffon Cake
The Andaz Singapore pastry team has reinvented the humble national cake of Singapore by adding a layer of velvety mousse in flavors like yam, durian, bandung (rose syrup), black sesame and coconut.
Traditional pandan chiffon is a light sponge cake of Indonesian, Malaysian and Dutch origins, flavored with the juice of pandan leaves, which gives it a bright green coloring. At Andaz, the cakes come in a kaleidoscope of vibrant glazes. These treats are too delicate to ship, so you’ll have to visit Singapore someday to try for yourself.
Photo courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton | Signature Chocolate Cake
The Ritz-Carlton’s signature chocolate cake is a staple at Ritz-Carlton hotels globally. Inspired by the friendship between Cesar Ritz and Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle (who invented Grand Marnier liqueur), this cake is a fudgy combination of Valrhona chocolate, Grand Marnier and ribbons of caramel and orange chocolate ganache, studded with pieces of orange confit.
The modern homage was created by The Ritz-Carlton Toronto pastry chef Yusuke Aoki. It’s available for purchase and shipping via the Ritz-Carlton online shop.
Photo courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo | KUMO Cake
Kumo is Japanese for “cloud,” and this light and fluffy cake was created for Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo by executive pastry chef Stéphane Tranchet after a day spent with his head in the clouds watching the sky. A thin, hard shell of white chocolate envelopes soft layers of mousse, jelly and sponge cake within.
Seasonally rotating flavors might include strawberry and yogurt in spring, mango in summer and chestnuts for autumn. Tranchet even created a sweet and savory black truffle flavor with Périgord truffle cream one winter. When the Mandarin Oriental Gourmet Shop is open, you can try the cake there.
Photo courtesy of Hilton Reforma Mexico City
Hilton Reforma Mexico City | Sunny Sunrise Cake
Pastry chef Samantha Martinez was inspired by the beauty of a Baja California dawn to serve sunrise on a plate at the Hilton Reforma Mexico City with this guanabana (soursop) cake accompanied by jellified vanilla, white chocolate and amaranth.
Martinez uses indigenous ingredients including prized vanilla from Papantla to create a vibrant and sweet representation of Mexico’s culinary heritage.
Photo courtesy of Peninsula Grill
Planters Inn | Ultimate Coconut Cake
The Ultimate Coconut Cake has been the signature dessert at Peninsula Grill in Charleston, South Carolina since it debuted on Valentine’s Day in 1997. The 12-layer cake at Planters Inn has been awarded a trademark and everyone from Martha Stewart to Bobby Flay have gushed over its rich vanilla and coconut flavors.
Thousands of cakes are shipped throughout the country each year with a spike of orders during the holiday season. Peninsula Grill sommelier Mark Solomon recommends sipping a slightly effervescent Moscato d’Asti to pair with the cake.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Deron
InterContinental Paris Le Grand | Mille-Feuille
The mille-feuille at Café de la Paix at InterContinental Paris Le Grand debuted on the menu in 1862 and is still the most popular dessert. Variations of this delicacy date back over a thousand years to the Byzantine and Roman times, but the French version is made from at least three layers of puff pastry separated by confectioner’s custard.
The key to a great mille-feuille is the perfect ratio of custard to pastry, baked to crisp, caramelized perfection with lots of famous French butter.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Green
Wynn Las Vegas | Flower Pot Cake
This trompe l’œil flower pot cake is a nod to the massive bouquets that cover every corner of Jardin, a signature restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas. Pastry chef Alicia Frick layers a spongy, decadent chocolate base with Cacao Barry 64% dark chocolate mousse and housemade raspberry jam, served in an edible chocolate flower pot, airbrushed using orange-tinted cocoa butter.
She tops off the unique cake with crushed chocolate cookies and real flowers.
