From the Universal Orlando Blog
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we’re serving it up the TODAY Cafe way! Located in the Hollywood area at Universal Studios Florida, this spot is every pastry lover’s one-stop-shop for fresh baked goods, and legend (me) has it that there are a bevy of new ones in town for you to try. This cafe is inspired by everybody’s favorite early morning daily digest: “TODAY” on NBC. Now, I’m not much of a morning person, but these treats are worth rising with the sun and planning a theme park day for. Trust that when you see them, you’ll understand exactly what I mean!
Cookie Butter Cake
Let’s start off with the dessert I’m most excited for: the Cookie Butter Cake. Made from scratch, this sweet vanilla cake is layered with smooth cookie butter and dressed in a sugary buttercream frosting infused with Biscoff cookies. It’s beautifully topped off with Biscoff cookie crumbles, a white chocolate curl, and a delicious Biscoff cookie.
Production Kitchen pastry chef Angel Santiago says with this round of pastry items, the team was looking to bring guests new, fresh flavors that they can take with them around the park. “It’s really about the profiles of the flavors, you know,” he says. “Everybody loves cookie butter. You eat one cookie, you’re not going to stop eating the cookies.”
My love for Biscoff cookies first began on an airplane. I can’t imagine a better treat to sink your teeth into from more than 30,000 feet in the air than a little, delightfully packaged Biscoff cookie. The Cookie Butter Cake takes that delight and multiplies it by 1,000 with its rich, creamy texture and decadent flavor. My excitement surrounding the new Cookie Butter Cake at the TODAY Cafe simply cannot be contained, and I’m positive you’ll share the same sentiment when you try it!
Mixed Berry Cupcake
This baked good is berry delicious, hence why TODAY Cafe is calling it the Mixed Berry Cupcake! You can see every layer of goodness with this new dessert as it’s made up of vanilla cake, a fresh berry compote, and topped with a blackberry whipped topping and an array of sweet berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. The chefs dress the Mixed Berry Cupcake in a tasty Chantilly cream, which offers a light, fluffy — yet still sweet — sensation.
You’ll find that this treat is a little different from ordinary cupcakes in that it’s not quite in a cup. Director of culinary operations Chef Al Youngman describes this dessert’s presentation as being similar to that of a trifle and wants guests to see every layer of flavor and fresh fruit. We see it. And TRUST — it tastes even better than it looks. I’d highly suggest going for this dessert if you’re the kind of person who fancies tastes on the fruitier side that aren’t overwhelmingly sweet.
Strawberry Cupcake
Don’t let the name of this dessert deceive you! TODAY Cafe is calling this pastry a Strawberry Cupcake, but its ingredients are made up of more than just a fresh fruit. With fluffy chocolate cake as its base, this treat is filled with sweet strawberries and with a light, airy whipped topping and of course, more strawberries. It’s like the perfect combination of a strawberry shortcake and chocolate cake. As a girl whose favorite cake is chocolate and favorite fruit is strawberry, this pastry was made just for me!
Hazelnut Crunch
FINALLY! Rich, hazelnut goodness that can be enjoyed outside of a jar! TODAY Cafe unveils its Hazelnut Crunch dessert, and it’s practically a match made in heaven for chocolate fanatics. This chocolate cake is thoughtfully decorated in crunch topping and chocolate mousse and topped off with chocolate whipped topping, a gold leaf and an artfully decorative chocolate to garnish. Quite the mouthful of ingredients — both figuratively and literally!
Chef Al describes dining at TODAY Cafe like walking into your local city bakery. “You want to see all the color and array of fresh pastries and, you know, baked items and sandwiches that we have there,” Chef Al says. “They’re very elegantly presented to you individually, and I think that’s a really big thing for TODAY Cafe.”
Berry Crème Puff
TODAY Cafe just has a myriad of ways of taking fruit and making it even better than it already is. Stuffed with strawberry whipped ganache, a tangy raspberry jam and an assortment of glazed berries, the Berry Crème Puff pastry is a confectionery work of art. Its crackling topping and decorative shiny gold leaf paint a pretty picture and an even prettier flavor. If you don’t trust me, trust the expert himself!
Chef Al says of all the new pastries at TODAY Cafe, the Berry Crème Puff is definitely his favorite and reminds him a lot of a doughnut. “The way that it’s crafted and it’s baked, and the fresh fruit that you see on top and those pillows of cream — it’s just fantastic. That’s why I love it,” Chef Al says.
Chocolate Croissant
Before you ask “What’s so exciting about a chocolate croissant?” — hear me out. The new Chocolate Croissant at TODAY Cafe is quite the pastry. It’s bigger. Lighter. Flakier. And the chefs didn’t skimp out on the chocolate, either! I’d say its buttery taste and rich, melty chocolate perfectly complement a cup of your favorite morning brew, which you can also get at TODAY Cafe while trying this new delight.
Guava Cheese Lattice
I’ve saved what Chef Angel would argue as the “best” for last: the Guava Cheese Lattice. This puff pastry holds a special place in Chef Angel’s heart as it’s inspired by a traditional sweet from his home country, Puerto Rico. The Guava Cheese Lattice is a flaky treat filled with fresh guava and whipped cream cheese, bringing guests the perfect contrast of sweet and savory. If you’ve never had guava before — like me up until I tried this pastry — I’d describe its taste as mildly citrusy with a vibrant, tangy flavor that beautifully blends with the whipped cream cheese and flaky bread. You’ll waste no time in seeing why this one is Chef Angel’s favorite!
The team at TODAY Cafe wants guests to feel the heart that was put into these new pastries and leave them with an experience that is more than just enjoying theme park food. “These desserts really enhance the ambiance of the location,” Chef Al says. “There are fresh pastries that are individualized for guests to pick and walk away [with]. I think that’s key.”
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As co-owner and co-creator of The Main Street Mouse.Working in a technical support position for 18 years, it was time for a change.As the Webmaster and Project Planner, I spend most of my time researching everything from the latest Disney News, technology advances and of course keeping up on all the Marvel news that comes out.I never considered myself a writer but I’ve come to like blogging and sharing news with all.I feel blessed everyday that I get to spend my days working with my best friend and love of my life while we continue to grow and expand what started as a hobby all those years ago.
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