Badiani Gelato Cakes & Pinguino Hearts Review

Reviewed by Helen O

I was absolutely delighted to receive this fabulous bundle of deliciousness from Badiani Gelato, comprising one heart shaped hazelnut gelato cake, one heart shaped pistachio gelato cake and a box of 6 Pinguino hearts.

I was impressed with how these gelato products arrived in lined cardboard boxes, with dry ice packs and were still perfectly frozen. The boxes were labelled that they must be delivered today, so as soon as they arrived, I popped them straight into my freezer, until I was ready to taste them. The products themselves were in insulated polystyrene boxes (within clear plastic bags, which probably weren’t necessary). They were also clearly labelled with any relevant allergen information, as is required these days. Unfortunately the pistachio cake box had become slightly damaged, but the cake itself was undamaged. There appeared to be a lot of packaging, but due to the nature of the products, I would suspect that most of it was necessary to ensure the products arrived in tip-top condition.

When I opened the insulated boxes, the cakes were securely placed on gold cake boards and wrapped with plastic to maintain their shape. So much care had been taken to ensure that they arrived in pristine condition. The Pinguino hearts had also been placed in a rectangular insulated polystyrene box and arranged top and tail, unfortunately the chocolate on one of the hearts had been cracked slightly in transit.

The Pinguino hearts were first on our list. They are thick heart-shaped bars of Buontalenti gelato on a stick, coated with premium chocolate – 3 white and 3 pink. I had a quick peek at the website, so I could understand what Buontalenti is and discovered it’s a simple mix of milk, cream, sugar and eggs, named after Bernardo Buontalenti, the Florentine inventor of Gelato.

I took them out of the freezer for approx 10 minutes, patiently waiting for a first bite! What can I say, they were delicious! The chocolate was beautifully thick and the gelato was so deliciously creamy. I am so used to biting into similar mass-produced frozen products and all the chocolate cracking and falling off, so it made a really pleasant change to have a mix of chocolate and gelato in each individual bite, right until the end.

A box of 6 of these Pinguino hearts retails at £27, which works out at £4.50 each, which on first glance may seem quite expensive, but in reality, for such a premium hand-made product, I actually think is pretty good value and it’s likely that you’d purchase these for a special occasion, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or an Easter Celebration, when you’re more likely to push the boat out for something a bit special. I’d definitely purchase them for a special occasion.

Next we tried the Pistachio Heart Gelato Cake. Quite frankly, it looked divine and we couldn’t wait to have a taste! So again we took it out of the freezer, removed the plastic surround and sat patiently watching the clock for approx 10 minutes, until we could have a taste. The cake is a mix of Buontalenti with layers of pistachio spread on a sponge cake base, in the shape of a heart. There is a beautiful green layer of pistachio spread across the top, with a Badiani logo’d dark chocolate square and a delicious dark chocolate truffle on top, decorated with grated dark chocolate. Heaven.

Using a sharp knife, we sliced into the cake and it cut beautifully. It tasted amazing, a wonderful blend of creamy gelato, moist sponge and a layer of pistachio spread in each mouthful. Wow, what a treat!

As for the Hazelnut Heart Gelato Cake, it was another wow moment! Unlike the pistachio cake, the hazelnut cake is made with La Dolcevita, which is a contemporary twist on the Buontalenti gelato, layered with cocoa and Piedmont hazelnut sauce. This was awarded the best flavour at the 2015 Gelato Festival and is a real treat for the senses. La Dolcevita is layered with hazelnut chocolate spread and sponge cake base. The top of the cake is covered with hazelnut chocolate spread and decorated with the Badiani dark chocolate logo’d square, a chocolate heart truffle and a smattering of chopped hazelnuts. Hazelnuts and chocolate have always been a firm favourite in our house and this cake certainly didn’t disappoint. It tasted amazing, such a wonderful flavour combination and I had to take small mouthfuls, to make it last longer!

These cakes retail for £35 each and are recommended to serve 4 people, which I think is a pretty decent portion size, compared to some manufacturers. As there was just the two of us eating, we cut ourselves a slice (quarter each) and popped the remainder back into the freezer for another day; we didn’t attempt both cakes on the same day, however tempting it was! You can keep the cakes in the freezer for up to 2 weeks (if you reckon you can resist that long!) Although the price seems quite high, you need to take into account that they are hand-made and really aimed at special occasions – particularly Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthdays or as a special Easter treat. I’m sure any loved one would be over the moon to receive such a delicious, thoughtful gift.

There are 5 London Based Badiani Gelato shops, where you can pick these items up from – Angel, Elephant Park, Notting Hill, Canary Wharf and Chelsea. You have to pre-order these items online and schedule collection from these shops.

Badiani Gelato also offer a London delivery service (within 5 miles of their shops) and a UK-wide delivery service, with a minimum order of £35 and free delivery over £70, otherwise it’s £5 delivery.

The company have a variety of delicious treats on their website, including larger gelato cakes for dinner parties, gelato cookies and crepes. They even offer some Vegan sorbets, for those seeking specialist diets or who may have allergies. After tasting some of their offerings, I am keen to sample some more…

Rating: 5 out of 5
RRP: Pinguino Hearts (box of 6) £27, Heart Gelato Cakes £35 each
Buy here: https://www.badiani1932.com