What is it about this small cake that makes it a big hit? Aside from its ability to soothe the mood, what else makes it irresistible? Admittedly, cupcake stores are everywhere, but it seems like people don’t get tired of them. Now not only physical shops are in abundance, but home-based/online sellers as well. They’re all over Facebook and Instagram, destroying everyone’s diet with scrumptious pictures of their products.
But how do you choose an online seller? How do you know who to trust? With gadget sellers like Kimstore and Sulit, customers look at testimonials, reviews, and buyer feedback—factors which, aside from low pricing, make an online store popular—and trusted. But what about food? Tastes differ and reviews are subjective, so how do we make a choice?
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Check out other featured online sellers:
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I first heard about The Silly Goose Gourmet in Spot.ph, in an article which featured their Apple Pie Pops. Intrigued, I checked out their Facebook page and was bombarded with stunning photos of cupcakes, cookies, tarts, pies, and other goodies. “Another cupcake store?!” you might ask. Seems like it, until one day, I could no longer contain my excitement over salted caramel cupcakes and decided to send The Silly Goose a message.
That’s when I met* Steph Puno, a New York-trained chef who is also the owner and creator of the home-based bakery, The Silly Goose Gourmet. I was trying to place an order for some cupcakes, but that time she was traveling abroad. Curious, I stalked the Silly Goose Facebook page, and indeed she was traveling—exploring the foods of Europe and New York.
In fact, travel is one of the things that keeps her inspired in her baking, she says. The things she sees, the people she meets, and the new experiences she gains all contribute to being an inventive, experimental baker—which reflect in Silly Goose’s intriguing cupcake flavors.
I finally got my cupcakes when Steph returned to Manila: a box of exquisite-looking cupcakes, delivered to my office. I almost had to wrap the box up in heavy-duty packaging tape so I could wait until I get home before feasting on them.
Cupcakes are perfect with coffee, but with Silly Goose’s Italian Espresso, coffee takes the cupcake form itself. This variant has a rich, dark chocolate cake base, topped with espresso frosting and roasted walnuts. The cake is moist and doesn’t crumble when you slice it, the frosting hinting subtly of coffee—aroma and taste alike.
The Mexican Hot Chocolate uses the same base, but the frosting is cayenne-laced chocolate. A first bite is sure to be weird-tasting, but after several more, you get used to it. I ended up even liking it! In fact, I thought the spice was too subtle; I would’ve loved to get kicked hard on the mouth!
Delicious lemon cakes are hard to come by in Manila, but fortunately Silly Goose delivers a far-from-mediocre one. The lemon buttercream frosting has just the right acidity and sweetness, and is speckled with chia seeds—a type of seed known for having tons of health benefits. The Lemon Chia Seed is my second favorite flavor among the four I’ve tried.
Those who love anything salted caramel are bound to love Silly Goose’s version. The cake is composed of the healthier brown sugar, then topped with caramel frosting, and drizzled with a bit of fleur de sel. The result is a perfectly balanced French Salted Caramel cupcake: a fluffy, chiffon-like base that’s gentle on the taste buds, and a sweet-salty topping. It is by far the BEST SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKE I’ve ever tasted!
What I love about Silly Goose’s cupcakes is that all the flavors are balanced. No ingredient is trying to outshine the rest—yes, even the ones which are supposed to be the star. The cake base is perfect. The frosting is not cloying at all. You could eat two, three cupcakes in a row, and you wouldn’t even notice it—trust me!
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French Salted Caramel and Mexican Hot Chocolate: PhP350/box of 6; PhP650/box of 12
Lemon Chia and Italian Espresso: PhP400/box of 6; PhP750/box of 12
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What else makes it special? “The Silly Goose [aims to] make desserts and pastries a little better for you without sacrificing taste,” Steph shares. “I do this by sourcing healthier alternatives to traditional ingredients, making things from scratch (no shortcuts), and cooking up creative ways to offer intriguing flavors you don’t usually see.” People with special dietary needs can request for dairy-free, sugar-free or gluten-free products. How does an egg-less chocolate chip cookie sound?
And that’s when it hit me. How I choose my food sellers. The story. I want to listen to their stories. What’s behind their products, what inspires them to create, and why they do so. It’s not just about how delicious their products are, or how cheap they sell them, or how inviting their food photos in Instagram are.
“’Silly Goose’ is a term of endearment that you use for someone who has done something to make you smile or laugh,” Steph says. “It refers to someone quirky, happy and a little weird—someone who thinks out-of-this-world ideas to delight and surprise. So I thought The Silly Goose was the perfect name for my brand.”
Indeed it is.
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The Silly Goose Gourmet
0927.743.9821
Email: thesillygoosegourmet@gmail.com
Online menu: click here
Facebook: The Silly Goose Gourmet
Instagram: @thesillygoosegourmet
*An online interview is awesome for busy people like us, but nothing beats a good conversation over coffee—and cupcakes.
Where is your favorite place to get your cupcake fix? Any favorite flavors? Have you tried The Silly Goose’s cupcakes? Drop a comment below!
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aw. ba't ko ba binuksan to ng disoras ng gabi. ginutom ako haha :P
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Don't worry ganyan din ako pag nakakabasa bigla ng travel posts, di ako mapakali. Hahaha. :)
ReplyDeleteOorder ako ulit! Padala ko sa office mo you want?
ReplyDeleteSure kuya! hihintayin ko yan :) Excited na ako. haha
ReplyDelete