"If you can't change the way Manila looks, change the way you look at Manila"

I spent this Sunday afternoon getting lucky at Lori Baltazar's "tea party" in Malate. Quotations because what occured was more of a cake party, and not just a cake party, but a serious cake party for lovers of sugar, cream and chocolate, of which, I have come to discover, I am simply a rank amateur.

How can you not be overwhelmed with 12 or so cakes there for the taking? Some were very good, some were exquisite, all quite rich. We're talking a banana cream pie, a carrot cake, a strawberry shortcake, mango torte, this nut pie contraption, lemon torte, cheesecake, caramel cake, chocolate xanadu, strawberry short cake, blueberry and strawberry cheesecake, white chocolate cake, and a triple hazelnut mousse.

It was crazy. The cakes were served in two batches to avoid impacho (sp?) as Carlos said, but there was still an audible (yet happy?) groan when it was announced that the 2nd batch of cakes had arrived. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies. Damn good.

My assessment of the cakes probably was colored though by the heat that was permeating throughout the Living Room. I think some of the other creations would have tasted better in a chillier setting. e.g. the chocolate xanadu. But given the circumstances, the winning cakes for me were the lemon torte and the triple hazelnut mousse, the latter being made with Gianduja chocolate.

Part of the event was a cake raffle, where I parlayed a mango torte I won into a triple hazelnut mousse. I had tasted this mango torte last Christmas and wasn't too excited about it. Thanks to a friend's extra raffle ticket, I also won a framed photograph of Panna Cotta (sp?). [I'll spell check all these terms ASAP, sorry].

Will try to get some interesting photos of the event. In the meantime, lots of info about the event and the features desserts at Lori's blog: dessertcomesfirst.blogspot.com