We Singaporeans are a bunch of Durian fanatics! Not many of us would say “No” to a durian party where a bunch of durian fans would gather to eat, talk, give thanks and praise to the King of Fruits. Off durian seasons, we would hunt for durian products to treat our withdrawal symptoms. There are durian by-products in countless forms. Restaurants, confectioneries and bakers would create all kinds of cakes, pastries, puddings, crepes, sweets, breads, cookies… and the list goes on. The Durian Bakery is one such bakery. And you’re spoiled for choice looking at the variety of durian cakes and pastries on their website. I’m tasting some of their best selling items to see how they fare.

D24K Black Gold Durian Crepe Cake ~ 21 layers (yes I counted) of Charcoal black Crepe, one layer over another with mildly sweet Hokkaido whipped cream sandwiched in between each thin crepe; 3 of which, filled with fresh Black Gold Durian puree. At first, I felt the cake was lacking in durian, and wished they had filled more layers with it. But upon taking the last bite, I’d changed my mind. It would have been too heavy if there had been as much durian as there was cream and crepe. So despite not getting a full-on durian fix, it worked out rather well. Its also a great cake for people who are new to the infamous fruit. A little teaser to beginners!

On to the rest of the cake. The cream was fine and silky, and naturally sweet. I would have preferred softer crepes; though some might like the bite this one gives. The cake looks as luxurious as its named. Dressed in black and speckled with 24K gold flakes. Send this to someone important. They will feel the love!

Dark Choco Musang King Mousse comes as part of the Dessert Box Bundle. A dark chocolate ganache shell blankets the dome shaped cake. And the shiny chocolate is topped with specks of 24K gold dust, adding to the gorgeousness of it. Despite the description on their website, there wasn’t any chocolate mousse in sight when I dug into the Mousse Tart. But the creamy Musang mousse encasing a thick Musang Durian filling in the middle were evident. The durian filling was quite wonderful, being neither too sweet or overpowering. I personally would like it stronger (I’m obsessive that way!) but frankly, I do understand, different batches of durian will produce different levels of flavor and scent. So, you may get one that is stronger than the one I’m having! I didn’t miss the absent chocolate mousse; the smooth chocolate ganache totally made up for it, if not totally sufficient.

Instead of sponge, a crispy hazelnut Feuilletine base holds everything together. I struggled to cut through the thick Feuilletine; yet contrary to my doubts, it crumbled nicely between my teeth and added a good crunchy nutty biscuity contrast in texture to the soft durian mousse and velvety chocolate.

The Dessert Box also included 8 Super Burst MSW Giant Puffs. They promise a burst with every bite and they were not kidding. The choux puff pastry overflows with so much durian meat it’s impossible to take a bite without durian oozing everywhere! Again, it isn’t too sweet but it did pack a reasonably good punch without OD-ing me out (unless you have 2 in a row!). Hoping to sink your teeth into thick, pasty, luscious durian during off seasons? This will do it!

The choux pastry, however, felt a little dry. I would have liked it lighter, airier and crispier. But in all fairness, eating it straight out of the chiller probably didn’t help. I think this should be devoured straight out of the bakery!

Snowy D24 Durian Mochi & Black Gold Musang King Durian Mochi

This one’s gold! Both the black and the white! They’re small, but you know what they say! Good things come in small packages! The 6 pieces of white Snowy D24 Durian Mochis are part of the Signature box. But while I was at it, I had to get some of the black ones for comparison.

Imagine mochi skin that’s super soft with a slight chew. Then imagine a soft creamy durian purée core that melts in your mouth. The combo comes together like a marriage made in heaven! Best part is, you don’t need to imagine it all as it is exactly all that when you pop one of Durian Bakery’s mochis in your mouth!

The black and white version use different types of durian. The black, premium Musang King durian; whereas the white, D24 durian. Therefore, expect a richer, stronger durian in the former, with a clear bitter aftertaste; and a lighter subtler filling in the latter. Both aren’t overly sweet, and both are made to perfection in terms of texture, consistency and flavor. I tried them 2 ways, frozen and thawed. And I’m happy to report they taste equally good! The word, in fact, is Fantastic!

The Durian Bakery advises all cakes and pastries to be consumed on the day of purchase. And if you must, all products last up to a week in the freezer and 2 days in the chiller.

I decided to do an experiment and these are the results. By Day 4, the crepes on the Black Gold Durian Crepe Cake have dried out significantly. While the cream stayed intact, the durian lost some flavor. So I would definitely consume this cake within 24 hours to enjoy it at its peak. I still appreciated the bountiful durian filling in the Giant Puff after it hibernated in the freezer for 5 days. It was as flavorful, creamy and rich as day one. It actually tasted like pure durian ice cream coming out from the freezer. But as expected, the pastry did not hold up as well. Of all 3 items that went through the freezer experiment, the mochis came up champion in taste, structure and texture. For me, there weren’t any noticeable differences between day one and day five. I feel confident stocking up on these babies!

There isn’t any sugar or sweetener used in The Durian Bakery’s durian fillings, be it purée or whole. Stevia sweetener is used in their sponge cakes and they promise only the highest quality of ingredients are used in all their bakes. I guess that is why none of the pastries and cakes I’ve tasted were excessively sweet. There are many other cakes on their menu that sound and look absolutely tantalizing. If it ain’t obvious enough, the mochis are my favorite of the lot. The giant puffs, a close second for the incredulous amount of durian in them! The decadent Dark Choco MSW Mousse in third place, followed by the 24K Durian Crepe Cake. I’ve also got my eyes on the Black Forest Dark Cherry Mao Shan Wang and the MSW Burnt Cheesecake. Can’t wait to try those out soon!

The Durian Bakery’s cakes and pastries are available for order on their website. They offer delivery services as well as self pick up by appointment. Until the next durian season hits, its definitely worth picking something up from them to tie over the drought!

For those of you confused with the different durian terms, here’s a quick glossary on the different varieties mentioned. *Mao Shan Wang/ MSW/ Musang King durians have a creamy texture and a strong bittersweet taste. *D24 (also known as Sultan) durians are more subtle in flavor. They’re creamy, with just a little bittersweet after-taste.

The Durian Bakery @ The Commerze @ Irving #02-26 369546 Phone: +65 8875 1069 https://thedurianbakery.com.sg/

Disclaimer ~ This is a collaboration between The Durian Bakery and Fatsochef. Products were received free in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.