Surrey artisan wins Three Stars for ‘showstopping’ miso cake
Surrey-based cake company Made by Adele is celebrating after one of its cakes won the coveted Three Stars rating in the Guild of Fine Food’s international Great Taste Awards.
The cake has also been named as one of three finalists for a prestigious Golden Fork award, having been chosen from among more than 3,200 entrants across England.
It’s a banana brown sugar sponge cake layered with miso caramel and roasted peanut Swiss meringue buttercream, starting from £80.
The judges, who include chefs, food critics, writers and producers, described the cake as ‘simply outstanding’ – a ‘showstopper’ and a ‘flavour blaster’.
Of the 13,600 food and drink entries from across the world, fewer than 2 per cent were awarded the maximum Three Stars rating in the blind tasting.
“Each element is in total harmony with each other, from the banana sponge to the most exquisite caramel layer,” said the judges.
“The Swiss meringue buttercream is just sublime. It's all sublime. We went back for a second slice. And then a third.
“We cannot wait to see who made this, so that we can order one for ourselves.”
Adele Hing, founder of Made by Adele, added: “It’s a cake with a cult-like following.
“A growing number of customers try it and then never order anything else. Now it’s excelled on a world stage.
“In a way, it reflects two trends in food. One is a growing recognition that sweetness and saltiness work well together when balanced astutely, and the other is the appreciation of umami – one of the five basic tastes alongside the better-known sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
“I get orders for this cake for occasions like birthdays and parties, but increasingly for weddings, too.
“Couples and their families come to me saying they want a cake that looks amazing, and tastes even better.
“Winning Three Stars and being shortlisted for a Golden Fork vindicates their decision. This cake makes an impact in blind tasting at the highest level, and I’m absolutely ecstatic.”
Two of Adele’s other cakes also won Two Stars, and another received One Star, meaning all four of her entries were recognised.
Before founding Made by Adele in 2020, Adele spent more than 15 years working in food development and operations for some of the UK’s most recognised restaurants, and for retailers including Waitrose.
She also works as a private chef, with a CTH Diploma in Culinary Arts – having been trained by a Michelin-starred chef – and an Advanced Level 4 Food Safety & Hygiene Certificate.
