Hello everyone!

Somehow, being cooped up in the house for a prolonged period has led me to develop major cravings for foods that are not easily accessible in Singapore or at this time of the year, such as raw freshwater fish (long banned; it was great while it lasted 😢) and durian, and I really had it worse with the latter. Since the durian season has yet to reach its peak, it is almost impossible to find my preferred variants (i.e. sweet flesh only) and reasonably priced ones in the market. Therefore, I had to resort to less-than-legitimate alternatives, such as durian puffs and cakes.

With bakeries cashing in on the nation’s growing obsession with the king of fruits, there is certainly no lack of durian cakes in the confectionery scene. But the supply took a hit when stricter Circuit Breaker measures forbade brick-and-mortar confectioneries from operating. As a result, I had to turn to online retailers like Golden Moments, a homeground startup known for their handcrafted premium durian delicacies (you might have heard of their bamboo charcoal snowskin durian mooncakes), and it just so happened that they were also having a one-for-one promotion on their Signature Galaxy Mao Shan Wang Durian Cakes on top of a discount to commemorate their four-year anniversary of inception! Mind you, their prices are usually on the steep side (U.P. S$158.80 per cake, like hooooooly) so when the rare opportunity arises to get two for the price of one, you betcha I ain’t gonna let it slip away. The only issue was finding another person to share the cost with me (which I did eventually) because consuming two cakes would be stretching it (and my tummy 😂).

The cakes arrived four days after placing my order (to be fair, Golden Moments did forewarn about delays due to a surge in demand on their website) packed in white plastic bag, two hours shy of the start of the delivery slot I had opted for (i.e. 2pm – 6pm). Kudos for being early – too early, in fact – but I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed that it came without being in an insulated bag to maintain its temperature. Imagine frantically getting out of bed (because Sundays are for sleeping in) to receive my order, only to panic the next moment as there wasn’t sufficient space in the freezer for two cakes (this procrastinator had planned to make room when she woke up, but her bad; she should have done that the night before 🤷🏻‍♀️). Besides, what if no one was at home to answer the door in Golden Moments’ attempt to be (overly) efficient?

Dear (courier?) companies, if your customer has chosen a delivery slot, please stick to it 😒 Otherwise, give the customer a call before making that trip if you’re very early to ensure that he/she is available to receive the order! /rantover

According to the website, each cake weighs 1 kg and measures 8″ (or 18 cm), and comprises layers of cheese mousse, 100% premium Mao Shan Wang durian, coconut sponge and coconut crunch – a complex and bizarre favour combination, if you ask me, but I was genuinely curious how putting together two pungent ingredients – durian and coconut – would work out to be.

A gradual pull of the cake board out of the box revealed the ritzy cake blanketed in black mirror glaze coating, which marble effect is said to be different on every cake. Although marketed as having a galaxy design, there was a lack of blue and purple hues to justify its name – it was just.. black gelatin sheet with faint white marbling patterns (I would actually relate better if the design was described as smokey instead), decorated with gold sprinkles and a dash of gold leaf to add exquisiteness to the whole appearance.

Once removed from the freezer, it is best to leave the cake to defrost for a while or it’d be a pain to move the blade of the knife into it (rookie mistake 😟 see images below). After managing to dissect the cake, I took a peek at the cross-section and was slightly underwhelmed by how it looked. It was clearly a far cry from how it is depicted on the website (although as an advertising grad, I should have known better and adjusted my expectations). But I could definitely see the layers of the promised ingredients – cheese mousse, durian and coconut crumbs.

Despite the rather unimpressive presentation, I’ve got to admit – the aroma of durian was strong in this one. It wasn’t the smell of durian puree; but of a true MSW durian (but the smell got less distinct with each passing day). Just one bite into the cake and I was instantly hooked. It had an unrivalled texture of a cake. There was the lightness and fluffiness from the mousse, softness and waxiness from the durian flesh and gelatin sheet, and crunchiness of the coconut flakes and crumbs. My taste buds were confused, but in a happy way. The distinct flavour of each ingredient stood out with each bite, and all of them indeed fused seamlessly together. To say this cake was delicious would be an understatement; I would gladly swim in this this phenomenal cake and have it for all meals 😛

The cake can be stored in the freezer for up to one week, but it is best consumed within three days (though mine couldn’t last that long). Also, if you’re thinking of cutting the cake in slices before serving, just note that the gelatin sheet would fuse together upon refrigeration (or that was what happened to my friend at least).

Without a doubt, the taste managed to more than compensate for its shortfall in appearance. The cake was so good, every bite lulled me into a sense of euphoria – a feeling that no other cake had come close to giving me (I’m not even a cake person to begin with!). So this begs the question: would I repurchase? CERTAINLY, but only at the promotional price. S$158.80 for an 8″ cake is really pushin’ it, bruh 😭

What are your thoughts about Golden Moments and their products? If you’ve tried the cake above, does my review resonate with your experience? Let me know your views in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Golden Moments · GOLDENMOMENTS.SG · For more information, please visit Golden Moments FACEBOOK PAGE, INSTAGRAM or WEBSITE.

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