Cake-off: Très Calme's Pistache Apricot over L'Abricotier's Montelimar

Working through fourth-round cake-offs for May cakes (based on when I first ate), I ran to L'Abricotier to get their Montelimar (for which I was successful). I went via Aigre-Douce, but the sign on the door indicated that, while they are still in business, they've shorted their hours and switched their holidays so that my working hours overlap theirs. It's a good measure to keep the riffraff out of the neighborhood, though it works better if they don't have to visit to find out. My backup was Très Calme's Pistache Apricot, which is somewhat out of order, but this cake is seasonal, whereas they always have their Mont-Blanc, and also this meant a match-up of two fruity nutty cakes, which seemed reasonable.

After getting the cakes safely home, I had lunch with a pastry rather than the cakes: a Canelé de Bordeaux from L'Abricotier, which usually doesn't have pastries (they also had a card for a chocolate tart next to it, but it was sold out, so I'm not sure what kind of product it was). It was definitely good, which a pretty thick firm crust.

It's a tough choice. The Montelimar is more distinctive among my great cakes, but I really like the pistachio better (versus almond), so I have to go with the Pistache Apricot.

Ryoura, Fromage Cru

Friday night was a neighborhood run. I only managed the revised Minami-Motomachi--Wakaba--Yotsuya--Sugachou--Shinanomachi loop, which itself is just 4.17 km.

Saturday, I had some time before a 10 am Skype appointment, so I went out before 8 am. At the last minutes, I decided that I'd try the updated Tomigaya--Yoyogi loop, which I hadn't reviewed and failed. Still, I went around to the new sites I had added that prompted the update and confirmed and photographs them (one of which I decided was a mistake to add). Since it nearby, next to route, and famous, I tried looking in on Path Cafe, which was full and had people waiting and eating take-out outside. The freshly made Croissants and Pain au Chocolat were already spoken for, so I would have had to wait 30 minutes. I could buy a Cannele immediately, so I went with that. On one hand, it seem perfect, not like my fake ones (which don't replicate the outside coating). On the other hand, in the end, they were too strong for me, at least without some sort appropriate beverage. Maybe I'll not that into real canelé. If I get by there nearer 8 am (when they open), I'd still like to try their Pain au Chocolat. Coming back, I could do the updated Jinguumae east and Minami-Motomachi--Moto-Akasaka loops clockwise.

The cake run came from after 11 am. I went to Yoga and visited Ryoura for a 16th cake. I've had the least luck with seasonal variations there and recent good look else with Fromage Cru, so I got that from Ryoura and brought it back for eating at home. It's two layers, so I suspect it's actually a rare/baked cheesecake combo, but whatever it was, it was definitely excellent. Not sure what a great one would be like, but I'll have to consider that when I get to a third-round cake-off with my favorite cheesecake.

Paris S'éveille: Tarte Rhubarbe

I'm calling it: 35 degC is too hot for cake, even by bicycle.

My goal had been to get to Au Bon Vieux Temps, since they won a cake-off a little while back. It's really hot, so I went by bicycle. However, since Paris S'éveille hasn't had any new cakes for a while and it was a new month, I stopped by there. Even if I decided that they are a superb rather than a quite superb cake (looking like the case, but they have the disadvantage that I've had more of their limited-time cakes and their standard cakes are mainly the great ones), I would be one cake behind on them, so kind of a priority. I was still prepared to get a second cake elsewhere, on the grounds of missing a week recently, though I'm ready to call things even now.

In fact, Paris S'éveille had a few new cakes, so I took the one they were particularly recommending, the Tarte Rhubarbe, which is a hard crust type standard shallow fruit tart with flavored whipped cream on top. Not necessarily a bad idea, and certainly pretty, but for me, whipped cream and fruit rarely works, even though that's considered a pretty standard combination (such as in most Japanese "short cakes", which a recent Japanese NHK program backed me up on as having a silly name since they lack short cake, which is biscuit-like cake made with shortening, since the Japanese definition is sponge cake and whipped cream). Good tart but not that interesting to me. Of course, not being 35 degC would have been better, but probably wouldn't have changed my evaluation, bested on previous experience with this type of tart. Not the best photo, but I wanted to eat before the cream died in the heat.

At this point, I decided that it was too hot for eating cake, or carry cake in a box dangling in a bag from my handlebars, or even in fact for cycling, really, so I headed home. Until I realized that I wanted to check the line-up at L'abricotier, which was way too far north, but I went and confirmed that they still have Sicilien Figue anyway, because I'm obsessive compulsive like that, so that's want I want next weekend for the cake-off. Then I convinced myself that I should go some place local and get something that I can't get on a weekday, so I was off too far back south, though at least I talked myself down to 365 Jours, which is a apparently super-popular bakery west of Yoyogi Park (closer at least than Daikanyama). Fortunately, the line was not out the door (though there were instructions for how the line should fold if it came to that), but it still took a while to get a Canelé. I also got photos of the shop and of 15°C (not that far way; interesting number theme around). Not sure about After Hours around the corner, which is apparently on vacation until next month. The canelé was good, as expected. The shop is mostly little breads, with the only other pastries a croissant and essentially a chocolate croissant.

Hi-Cacao: Chocolate Canelé Fondant (plain)

Went looking for a pastry and at the second stop got a Chocolate Canelé Fondant (plain) from Hi-Cacao for the first time. They're part of a network of food and clothes shops, so not really a step up from a chain coffee shop, but chocolate isn't such a bad theme. Not sure that this shouldn't count as fresh cake, since that's what I count fondant as usually, but for 180 yen I'll let it be pastry, since that's how I categorize canelé usually. Basically, it's a thin canelé sheel filled with chocolate cream, which isn't a bad thing. Also, coco powder on the outside. I made this one travel too long in my backpack with too little protection, but it was still good, if not compelling. For fresh cake, I'll probably try their heated (the menu says fresh-baked) fondant.

Cake-off: Éclat des Jours's Baked Cheesecake over Frédéric Cassel's Fraisier

The previous Friday, I tried to get a pastry from The Baked (or maybe that was Thursday, as I seemed to have failed to get anything that day), but they were sold out (or maybe they just don't sell pastries at night, which is reasonable). I was practicing my southwest Shibuya course, so I hit the next shop on that course, which was Chez Lui, which is open late. They had many flavors of canelé, but I went with the plain. This was definitely good, although softer than my preference, but a legitimate choice. I still need to get cake from there sometime.

Saturday, I ran out to finally get Éclat des Jours' Baked Cheesecake for a cake-off as a match against Frédéric Cassel's Fraisier. Even though that latter involves generally more expensive ingredients (pistachio), is bigger, and from a fancier shop, this baked cheesecake is really great, so it takes this first-round cake-off and suddenly I'm extra behind on visiting this shop, who unfortunately have a fairly unvarying line-up.

Cake-off: Aigre-Douce's Tarte Chocolat Caramel Salé over Jean-Paul Hévin's Matcha

Friday, I finally went inside Binowa Cafe, which is a place I found along my neighborhood running course opened by a "traditional confectionery research company". It's a little rustic as a café and the selection is small and overpriced for take-out, but they advertise canelé, so I figured they deserved to be on my map as a source of pastries/cakes. Their Canelé was excellent, having a nicely crunchy crust around a moist, flavorful, and spongy (versus dry or overly gooey) center. I can say that it was excellent, but again, I'm not sure similar quality couldn't be had much cheaper without a more direct comparison.
The run basically looped around Shibuya station and back back along Gaien, so a long run for a Friday night.

Saturday, for this week's cake-off, I set up a second round for Jean-Paul Hévin's seasonal cake Matcha against Aigre-Douce's Tarte Chocolat Caramel Salé for no other reason than the latter was the next first-round-winning cake on the list, not because they are well matched. Not a long run for a Saturday, but I did enough running during the week that it wouldn't hurt (or maybe would me hurt less) if I gave my feet some rest. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling the Matcha today. Could be that I was eating it in too small of bites to get the full impact (though the cherry was coming through fine) or that the sweetness of the tart interfered with it, but I definitely preferred the tart, which is what matters, and that's fine: it's a great tart. I'll give Matcha another chance next year.

So it looks like I'm going back to Aigre-Douce again tomorrow instead of down to Jiyuugaoka. I wouldn't otherwise get to Aigre-Douce these days because I've had too many disappointing cakes from them, but they vary, so hopefully I'll get lucky tomorrow. They still haven't put Fraicheur Framboise back in the line-up after more than a year of looking.

[Saturday, Isetan] Le Salon Jacques Borie: Mille-fieulle and Tarte Citron

Took a rest at Jacques Borie, which is the most expensive café I go, by far. This is café cake, which follows different rules. I'm not even going to get into the pricing, since you're paying a lot for atmosphere (though the 10% service charge could be said to cover that).

Had the Mille-feuille, which is vanilla cream (not custard) in between fairly loose layers, so it was more like vingt-feuille than mille-feuille. This is not necessarily a complaint. Because it was cream, not custard, the inner layer could not support much force, so the pastry layers need to be fairly easy to cut through for it not to be quite difficult to eat. It was unique and excellent, as it should be. The lemon tart was definitely good, but not so much that I was too impressed, at least not by the couple bites I had. So the café is still excellent. I'll save up and maybe go back again in a year.

I also got the new Canelé au Caramel from Henri le Roux, C.B.S., Chocolat, and Framboise. These were disappointing. I'll say they are good, but they aren't anything I need at all. They are bit heavy without being particularly chewy and I can't recall much rum flavor. These run at least through April, so I'm still waiting for the cake to come back to see whether it was really as great as I thought the first time around.

Meiji Gingu Gaien course: canelé

Just a training/body-testing run today, about 4 km total, 1.2 km of which was 10 km/h interspersed with some 8 km/h, with the final 1.5 km at 9 km/h to Marusho supermarket to get milk for canelé to use the yoke left over from yesterday's experimental cake component, which was just egg white and almond powder (basically, just an almond, unsweetened shortbread, so it was just a base). I suspect that there was an error in the book that left out more sugar that went in with the almond powder.

I include a picture of the canelé I made because these are actually new: I got a regular mold (maybe 60 ml?), so even you bake it until the outside is brown, it's still custard-like in the middle (and you can taste the rum), unlike the mini-canelés. This should tide me over as far as homemade until Friday, when I plan to make carob brownies (tomorrow, I want to run to Ginza for patisserie cake).

I should also mention that I had another chocolate from Henri le Roux that was excellent, this time the Goma (sesame), which is seasonal. Haven't had a bad one yet, though I have avoided the coffee ones and stuck to the dark coated chocolate ones. I'll do milk chocolate before coffee.

Mont St. Clair: Mont St. Clair (Isetan exclusive)

Let's start with the cake: I made a mistake and got the Mont St. Clair from Mont St. Clair, which is an advertised Isetan exclusive this week. It is also coffee buttercream with a layer of coffee gelatin, which is as vile as it sounds (to those who do not like coffee, although the gelatin looked nasty up close even before I tasted it) and 582 yen. It's my mistake, so I can't blame them, but I do not trust them for having more than one cake with coffee in it on display, which makes me doubt that they are the shop for me. Still, I should give them another chance while they are at Isetan, since Jiyugaoka is a tough distance for me right now and I haven't posted anything else on them.

The running was okay. It was relatively crowded at Meiji Gaien with people going faster than me in groups, including sight-limited people running with guides, who I often see there, and no where else. It was raining a little, but not unpleasantly. Walked 1.7 km, ran 4 km, with 1.5 of that at 8 km/s and the rest at 7 km/m, alternating first 100 m and then 200 m and once 300 m, although it was hard not to go too slow or too fast, respectively: I need a bigger difference for real interval training, but I'm still just trying just slowly increase minimum speed running.

In fairness, I should also review my own cake. This is number 4 for my exploration of nut biscuit based cakes, Fraise aux Roses. Actually, the pictured one has been frozen once, the strawberries were frozen to begin with (when I made it), and the butter cream was not that fresh by the time I got around to assembling it, although it did not turn out to be had hard except for using a lot of bowls (I need more mixing bowls).

I don't recommend this cake because the jelly topping, which is delicious and sort of simple, dominates, so you can't really taste the pistachio biscuit (and pistachio powder is triple the cost of almond powder, and pistachio paste is double that), even though it is about twice as thick as it should be. I couldn't really taste the rose from the rose buttercream (which was pretty delicious to begin with and still seemed okay yesterday, when I took this picture) and I substituted cherry liqueur for rose liqueur in the imbibage (syrup for spreading on the cake), because I had a deadline and didn't want to search any more. I make these cakes mostly to learn about the process and the components, so I'm not so disappointed that I'll probably never want to make it again. The next one is even more gelatinous, so I need to get some real cake forms or kludge a really short version using my 14 cm tart forms again.

Also, I've figured out the timing to get my mini-canelé made with the silicone mold nice and brown uniformly without burning the bottoms (tops when baking). Now I have to figure out if that's the way I really like these and try buttering the sides more.  Unlike with the metal brioche forms I was using, no trouble getting these out, but not as chewy on the outside from butter and they have a higher surface-area to volume, so I actually be using more butter rather than less, I think. Of course, I could try beeswax, but I'm not ready to go there yet.

Wednesday: Glycine failure

Ran out to (P. la) Glycine, which I've gone to three times now, and I'm zero for three in finding them open. First, it was preparation for Christmas and then it was holiday after Christmas (neither of which were really shocking). Today, I went on a day when they are supposed to be open and their hours are posted as until 20:00, and yet they were closed at 19:27. Not the only shop like that, but it means that I'm taking them off the list of places for weekday evening visitations.

Good run though, so no worries. Did a moderately paced 6.4 km out in 37'12'', which is just short (at 5.81 min/km) of being fast. To balance that, my coming back time (more up hill, on average) was a slow 41'50'', not far (at 6.53 min/km) from being very slow. Some pretty steep (like, with warning signs on the road with the grade, as well as road texturing) hills, strong winds, cold, and I went through Omotesando, so a little crowded. Also, there were multiple stairs involved.

Third attempt at canelé with brioche forms, and at least I smothered them with enough butter so that they popped out, but I found pouring that I did a poor job of mixing up the batter and they seemed soft coming out, but not burnt, a first. The canelé seem good enough to make again. Even reducing the cooking time another 3 minutes to reduce burning, the center was not such a blob, although that might have to do with how long I let them cook before eating. I may try chilling the batter next time, since that would effect how it interacts with the butter coating, and for that matter, I might try chilling the buttered forms enough that the butter all solidifies (I refrigerate them before buttering, which speeds that up, so it wouldn't take long).

Also found out tonight that pecan pie tartlets are delicious straight from the freezer, which is dangerous knowledge.

Sunday run to Lettre d'Amour [Closed]

Ran just over 14 km, which was a couple kilometers too far (I walked the last kilometer), although the stiffness went away before I had a chance to ice it, so no harm done, I think. You can't find out how far you can go without going to far. I think an approximately 30 km run for next Sunday to get back doing new History and Culture course should wait another weekend. Also, I'll rest from running and cake shops tomorrow. I'm busy the end of next week, so it might be hard to keep the training.

Of the 14 km I did, first there were a very slow 0.63 km in 4'19'' (6.85 min/km) as a loop back home for another layer, a credit card, and a point card. Then I did a moderate-speed 8.26 km in 50'46'' (6.15 min/km) with one early stop to go to Tokyu Hands to check out cake rum and a replacement silicone mat for one that I burned, neither of which I bought; then the basement, where they have a new baking section that will be my new place for buying pecans (smaller cheaper bags, although the nut pieces aren't quite as pretty) but does not do baking alcohol (and the basement alcohol section only had a 700 ml bottle, which I'm not ready for; and also in the basement、Fauchon, where I bought a canelé again (no photo) for 259 yen. The taste was good, but it was too soft for me (says the person who charred the batch yesterday). Speaking of which, I should correct what I wrote about canelé forms, since what I actually have is brioche forms, which I'm not interested unless I'm going to try bostock, which I'm ready for. Lastly, was a very slow 5.19 km in 36'16'' (6.99 km/min) before just walking the last kilometer.

Weekly (Mon to Sun) stats then stand as 26 km very slow and 8 km moderately paced. There's a holiday the coming Thursday, but I'm busy from then to Saturday, so I'm not sure how much running I can get in besides Tuesday, Sunday, and probably Wednesday, although Saturday night I could do a little. I should be able to make 40 km, with at least 20 km slow or faster.

At Lettre d'Amour, I got a croissant for 220 yen and Praliné Opéra for 520 yen. The croissant (no photo) was nothing special, I decided. The cake, which was marked "NEW", was excellent, but very sugary. As one would expect, it is hazelnut biscuit, praline butter cream with chocolate ganache layered and accented with caramelize nuts. When talking about yesterday's cake from Aigre-Douce and labeling it "great" only because I couldn't think of any way to improve it without making it into a different cake, this might be the cake I was imagining. And yet, it was not great to me, so I'm going to stop treating Lettre d'Amour as a "Great" shop, but I don't doubt that when the "Worthy" group gets thoroughly reviewed, this shop will end up in whatever category is below what now I'm calling great, along with Ryoco and others that I started in the great category but later demoted.
.

Aigre-Douce: Miroir Cassis and Canele de Marquet

Had a real run of 12 km, still at a slow speed of almost 7 min/km average, but no problems, so I plan to run again tomorrow, despite making my goal of 20 km for the week today. I worked hard to keep in shape while I couldn't run, so if my right lower-leg tendon is happy, nothing else should give me trouble, although my hips while I was running didn't quite seem used to it toward the end (no problems, though).

I ran to Aigre-Douce, as a great shop that needed further visiting, and got Miroir Cassis for 530 and Canelé de Marquet (the last one, which was somewhat hidden) for 230 yen. Up until the actual time of ordering, I thought that I was going to get the cake next to the cassis one, but suddenly realized that I had misread the name and it was actually something I've already had/blogged, so no time to read the card. I'm counting on memory and a description lifted from Google. I had also already picked out a different baked good before I as a new canelé to try, as well.

The cake was very good, and I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt that it was great, because I can't think of any way to make it better that would not make it a different cake completely. The cassis is in the mousse outside and inside there is lemon panna cotta (cooked cream) and red fruits gelatin. Outside, are what look like macarons to me, although called something different on the blog I was comparing with.

The canelé is different from other ones in being more wet/custardy inside, although not in a bad way. Still, it didn't stand out.

I tried to make canelé today and failed, but not in a discouraging way: they burned. My recipe says 26 min for 20-gram size and 45 minutes for 70 grams, so I went with 40 minutes. My forms are very short compared to regular ones, and I don't know what that implies. The burnt taste is enough that I wouldn't want to give them to anyone else, but not enough to stop me from eating them, so I put the remainder in the freezer so that I at least don't eat them all today. Struggling to decide how many minutes to try next: 35 min or 30 min. I suppose 30 min, since I might theoretically back them back to bake longer if they aren't done, although I'm not sure whether that would work.

Running and Paul [Yotsuya]

Sorry for the monotony, but I went to Paul and this time I saw where they keep the canelés, so I got one, for 259 yen. It was very good. Not at rummy as others, I think, which I'm not complaining about, just giving my impression. I was looking for "dark rum" at the grocery, but had to continue on to a different station until I saw where it was. On the way, I visited outside of Aux Bacchanales [Kioicho] and the neighboring Pierre Hermé and Patisserie Satsuki, just to confirm them, so I added them to the map. Only rum I found was the one I already have a few teaspoons of, so maybe it is as dark as it's going to get. Found rum extract, too, which I'll keep in mind. Still need to get milk, but probably Marusho is good enough, and closer. Or Natural Lawson is probably find. I always have yogurt on hand, and it would probably work, but I'd like to stay close to the canelé recipe the first time. I should get more bread flour, though.

Maybe it was because of the stops and slow speed, but I could run 5 km with no problems, in 34 min, so still extra-slow. I decided that I'll be satisfied with 10 km this week, so I'm almost there, but my target (must made up today) is 20 km.

Wednesday: more Canelé

Went to Isetan and got two canelé: one from D'une Rareté for 174 and a chocolate one from Sadaharu Aoki for 380 yen. I almost didn't get the Sadaharu Aoki one, because it was wrapped in plastic, which traps moisture, which makes it soft, and the caramelize exterior is the whole point to some people. Didn't run or walk extra, but did my indoor workout, with squats (which I seem to be pretty immune to now: I can just keep doing them continuously in place of running). I don't buy from D'une Rareté because, for bread, I'm usually looking for something less fancy.

Both cakes were definitely good, but I'll say that I'm not sold on chocolate canelé, but it might just have been canelé overload, since I ate the other, smaller one first.

Running and a Canelé from

Tried running. My initial instinct to just do 1.5 km was correct: I did 3 km and it was a 1 km too much for my shins, although I'm fine. I'll not run tomorrow, watch for any problems, and try again Wednesday and keep it at just 2 km. My time was  20'38'', so near but under 7 min/km, which was what I was trying for: a slow run. Went too far because I got sucked into the Gaien Walk part of the Shinjuku History and Culture course (or at least the west half of it). Found another discrepancy between the posted 2010 version and the markers on the ground. Since the posted one crosses where you can't cross, I'm definitely going with old route and updated the map using the new information. I also did some refinements elsewhere for the entire Shinjuku course, as I've been more strict with routes that I've drawn more recently.

I compromised as far as store-bought cake and got a bakery-type cake from Noix de Beurre, at Isetan. I got a Canelé (for 194 yen), which I've been reading up on because I have a bunch of canelé forms for tartlets, although stainless steel ones rather than the copper ones that are supposed to be best for actually making canelé. Anyway, I've had this in the past and was disappointed, but I've had a lot of cakes since then and today had a better idea of what to expect, so I could appreciate it this time.

Definitely something I want to try to make, in a small amount at first, like one, maybe. My forms are huge compared to this thing (mine are 7.5 cm in diameter, but this was probably about 3 cm). In the meantime, I'll be sampling canelé from other places. Doesn't look like I'll get farther than Isetan during the week, so I'll look around there Wednesday. They are closed tomorrow, so I'll have pecan pastries again, which is fine. I know Sadaharu Aoki has chocolate ones.