Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake by Chagee

I was intrigued by the concept of using tea to flavour Western-style cream cake, because I felt that the vivid fragrance of teas paired well with the milkyness in the cream and the fluffyness of the sponge. This Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake by Chagee sounded promising. I had previously tried their Floral Osmanthus Pandan Cake but was disappointed at the lack of tea flavour, and was hoping to see if the other flavours are any different. Furthermore, orange seems like it would pair exceptionally well with oolong - I can see how the fragrant but sharp citrus would both complement and blend with the mellow but fragrant oolong, perhaps like earl grey ceylon.
Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake by Chagee
Overall, I would say that it was a pleasant experience, but I was still somewhat disappointed because I didn't feel like the Da Hong Pao oolong flavour came through. But first, there were many positives to it, and I felt like it was a much better experience overall compared to the Osmanthus Pandan Cake. 

The basics were generally done well - the overall mouthful was not too sweet. The sponge cake was fluffy and moist, not dry and crumbly. 

The cream was a tad heavy with oil like in buttercream (see how the light reflects off it in the photo below to get an idea), but still closer to a whipped cream, and it left no waxy or greasy mouthfeel at the end, which is the most important part. As for whether it is lighter and airier like whipped cream, or heavier and oilier like buttercream, I think that's more of a preference, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.
Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake by Chagee - cream texture
As for the specific flavour experience, the good part was that the orange flavour was very well executed. It was richly fragrant, strong on the herby and slightly bitter citrus peel flavour like a marmalade, but also with the floral fruity orange fragrance that was well balanced overall. It was a very natural orange flavour, not artificial or candy-like at all like some orange pastries I've tried.

While the candied orange peel on top and the orange confit between the sponge cake layers were a tad sweet, the cake and cream weren't too sweet, so the overall sweetness level balanced out. 

I also felt that the use of orange confit instead of a marmalade as the filling between the layers was a good idea, because it ensured a soft texture throughout, without presenting me with any hard strips of orange peel mid-bite. And the orange flesh probably held together much better than the pectin jelly of a marmalade, which would have been more liquid and drippy.

That said, I couldn't seem to taste any tea at all, much less the difference between da hong pao and normal oolong. It's possible that I'm just not very sensitive to it, or else the floral fragrance of the oolong blended in too well with the citrus peel notes and floral aroma of the orange. So don't be expecting any obvious tea taste, unlike typical tea-based pastries like earl grey buns or cakes.
Da Hong Pao Orange Confit Cake by Chagee - closeup of layers
In short, I would actually recommend it as a nice orange cake, just not a tea-flavoured one. The floral orange and herby-peel fragrance comes through a lot stronger than many other cakes I've tried, but without being too sweet or heavy.

Discover other tea or citrus treats

Comments

Post a Comment