Patisserie Platine’s return to Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands is something which I had been quite excited about — had made multiple visits to savour their intricate cakes which both my friend and I just can’t get enough of. While classic items such as the Ghin Cheesecake wasn’t available previously when the concept made a comeback, I was glad that I finally could give the iconic item a try when they had brought it back in April 2021. That being said, I was a bit bummed that the Black Forest hadn't made a comeback — so after having missed it after they had announced it to be in their May 2021 line-up due to the implementation of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), a trip had to be made when dine-in had resumed.

The Black Forest was the posterchild of Patisserie Platine when they had first launched the concept at Rise Lounge (subsequently renamed as Renku Lounge) — still remembered making my way down because of this particular item, and had the Chocolate Mousse with Vanilla & Macadamia during that first visit; both leaving a strong impression with the latter becoming Patisserie Platine’s signature offering, and also my go-to cake these days.

Featuring elements such as chocolate, dark cherry and pistachio mousse, I have always reckoned the Black Forest to be an interesting twist to a classic with a loose connection to the Neapolitan ice-cream; perhaps so given its distinctive layering of different mousses in its side profile. The stack of mousses is a consistently light, smooth and creamy layering of berry, pistachio and chocolate mousse — it’s a balanced mix of tart and bittersweet notes that sit atop a thin tart base that cracks neatly without much effort. The show-stopper here will be the kirsch-soaked dark cherry — chewing on the cherry reveals a burst of boozy flavours that coats the taste buds; something that those who love alcohol-heavy desserts will really appreciate. The Black Forest here isn’t complete here without the chocolate mousse that is encased in its own chocolate embellishment — the iconic aesthetic since Day 1; bittersweet chocolate that isn’t any bit overwhelming that finishes off the entire cake in terms of flavours and looks.

While the Chocolate Mousse with Vanilla & Macadamia is still my top choice here, the Black Forest still holds as an icon of Patisserie Platine — at least for me. Its the item that graced the cover photos of the various media coverages back then when Patisserie Platine first launched in 2015; a rather abstract conceptualisation of a classic cake that set Patisserie Platine apart from other patisseries in the day — and where my love for the brand had started. It’s good to see you finally back in the same glory where all has started; welcome back!