Vanilla Cake

Just as Montale was making a name for itself with hugely popular oriental fragrances with a gourmand edge (honey aoud, intense café), it ushered in an era of uber-realistic gourmands with the release of vanilla cake eau de parfum. This time, rather than heading the route of a loud, plain vanilla or rose/oud centered release, Montale played a relatively well-tempered, multifaceted composition that may strike some as out-of character for the brand. Vanilla cake opens with a voluptuous almond note carried by the photorealistic scent of a freshly baked cake's browned edges. The top notes replicate almost perfectly the smell of Maillard browning and caramelization, chemical reactions which are essential in baking. In a matter of a few minutes, the scent progresses to a powdery sweet, slightly fruity and sour mid that projects decently for about two hours. The mid creates the illusion of royal icing with touches of tart lemon and strawberry. Lastly, the fragrance trails lightly for many hours with the scents of milky vanilla ice cream and cocoa. Surprisingly, Montale's signature black musk, rose, and oud notes are completely removed from the equation - a necessary absence to preserve the picture-perfect scent of vanilla cake. Some may fault vanilla cake for not boasting Montale's well-established monstrous performance. Here, the projection is at most average (~2 hrs) but longevity remains generous (~8-9 hrs), with the last few hours spent close to the skin. In my opinion however, the lackluster performance is more than offset by the scent's multifaceted realism and creativity; a perfectly unisex wear for those willing to brave the questionable wearability. Scent: 8.5/10 Longevity: 8.5/10 Projection: 6/10 Originality: 10/10 Overall (not an average): 8.5/10 Batch used for review: F0537-73925

Take a fluffy, creamy vanilla custard cake...capture the aroma into a perfume...what do you get? Montale's 'Vanilla Cake' I bought this blind, but not without worries. The reviews are harsh: yankee candles, cheap cake batter, spoiled milk...to sum it up: an artificial mess. Now is 'Vanilla Cake' synthetic? Well, yes...the name and the notes would imply so. Finally the ultimate question: But is it overwhelming and heavy on the skin? Surprisingly not on mine! It opens with a bright, sweet cake vanilla on my skin...lactonic but not overwhelmingly so...Just enough to make me go 'mmmmm...'. It's like whipped, velvety custard. Yumminess in a bottle. The dry-down is fairly linear. Nonetheless, I get compliments and happy faces from everybody when I wear it :) Honestly this is one the best gourmands I've tried on my skin so far. It's not overbearingly mature or vintage either. Most dessert frags are too heavy, cloying, far too artificial or not gourmand enough. This is a gourmand through and through. YOU are literally the CAKE. Montale's 'Vanilla Cake' is one of the best vanilla dessert fragrances on the market right now in terms of note balance and performance. Whether it's worth the price is up to you! Verdict: Try before you buy. This is a cake in a bottle for real.

Vanilla Cake is such a gorgeous vanilla! Sweet, creamy, a little cakey, a hint of the caramel but it doesn't turn "Bianco Latte". It just smells like a true ice cream like when the ice cream starts to melt in the bowl next to the piece of white cake as you're eating them together. The white cake is make with real pure almond extract and vanilla extract instead of just vanilla extract. The hint of that almond makes this perfume more interesting. Even though this fragrance is sweet, its not heavy on any frosting note so that keeps it from going into cloying territory like so many cakey scents do. To me, this is what sets this apart from other cakey scents because it does not smell cheap or like a fragrance oil or candle. Definitely a great blind buy for me! I know some say it doesn't work for their skin chemistry, but I'm wondering if people are trying it on clean skin or what if they say it smells off? It smells absolutely wonderful to me. If you like sweet creamy vanilla milky scents with just an undertone of fluffy white cake with a hint of almond extract, this one is amazing and it's a lot stronger than many of the sweet lactonic bakery type scents out there and it's not buttery, thank goodness!

OMG I love this perfume!!! I read so many reviews and watched 1000 of youtube videos before purchasing it because Montale's perfume for me can go really well (like dark purple or chocolate greedy) or very wrong like Mukhallat. but this is definitely one of my fav perfume. I smell vanilla cake perhaps mix with some peach, its soft, milky, gourmand with such strong projectivity. its not a perfume that its going to hit you in the face like coco mademoiselle, la vie est belle... no, these are real scents!! if you like vanilla, sweet, cake, milky perfume definitely buy it! the projection is great, I spray it on my clothes and I can smell it 2nd day but it stays on the skin so if you walk around, people will not smell it immediately which is great as I hate wearing strong perfume so it will make people stand 5m from me. btw I use it even before I go to the bed, vanilla relax my nerves so much. I will definitely purchase another bottle.

After letting my bottle macerate for about a year, I’m thrilled with the transformation. Gone are the synthetic vibes that were initially present; instead, I’m left with a rich and creamy vanilla that feels ultra comforting. The fragrance opens with a cozy, warm, buttery vanilla note that immediately envelops me. As it develops, hints of almond and caramel come through, creating a sweet but not overly sugary scent that’s perfect for unwinding. There’s a subtle nuttiness that adds depth, making it more than just your average gourmand fragrance. This has become my go-to scent for bed; I find it very comforting. The softness of the scent makes it perfect for winding down after a long day, and it lingers just enough to create a calming atmosphere as I drift off to sleep. For anyone who loves gourmand scents but wants something with a bit more finesse, letting Vanilla Cake macerate is a game-changer.

A fragrance that embodies the soft magic of sweet childhood memories: the enveloping scent of vanilla and milk that sweetly spread through the house on the birthday, the mother intent on making the cake, a delicious dream to make her children happy. A memory also goes to the joyful holiday sweets stalls; coloured, which released the scent of toasted almonds and warm, reassuring caramel into the air. To the city pastry shops, which thundered with thunderous notes of butter cream and yoghurt cakes. Vanilla Cake by Montale is a delicate gourmand treat, it embodies the search for lost time of Proustian memory that dwells in each of us. Recommended for lovers of gourmand fragrances, temporal olfactory evolution brings out the dry and decisive note of pure vanilla, immersed in tender and childish lactonic notes.

As much as I love this scent, it's definitely not for everyone. It's a super sweet gourmand. The name is pretty accurate cause it does smell like a vanilla cake, on me at least. It reminds me of that really sweet vanilla frosting that was put on the homemade cakes in my household as a kid. This is not the kind of fragrance you should blind buy especially due to it's price. It can be overwhelmingly sweet to some. And as some comments have mentioned there is a bit of a synthetic note to it, I personally don't smell it that much to a point where it bothers me. The sillage is ok, I've gotten compliments from 2 people that were at arms length. The longevity is also ok, It definitely won't last all day tho.

One of best gourmand, a realistic vanilla cake with a certain tart from the meringue, but I know I cannot wear it because I might smell a e-cigarette vanilla juice haha You gotta love montale for their full pledged gourmands an example of haute perfumery, this might be unwearable like those of Figment man, or secretion magnifiques, they are just pushing the boundaries of perfumery, It is very subtle and not in your face sweetness it really smells like a cake. It is just something I already expected from the start, but at least they are not afraid to be criticized to make something like this. Love or hate this isn't created to please the crowd like a niche normally would.

It’s a simple and straightforward scent but I’m still impressed by the execution. It’s called Vanilla Cake and that’s exactly what it smells like. If you’re a fan of Bath and Body Works’ gourmand scents, you’ll likely enjoy this. All the notes are there. The almond and meringue notes manage to really stand out for me amidst the general aggressive sweetness which is a nice surprise. I think it’s the almond note which grounds this as a cake scent rather than just a creamy, lactonic vanilla and caramel scent. This definitely smells like raw batter as opposed to a baked cake. Straight up cake batter, as if to say “Stick your fingers in me! No one is looking!”

The best way to describe this perfume is that it embodies the scent I imagine for the world of Hello Kitty in the most positive sense. This isn’t to suggest it’s childish; on the contrary, the fragrance is rich and sweet, yet avoids the artificial, synthetic quality often found in the other sweet vanilla scents. I would say that it is good for everyday use both as a layering perfume and a standalone, but before purchasing blindly, I’d recommend considering whether you want to embody the essence of My Melody’s charm (again, not(!!!) in a childish way, but rather the unique, beloved vibe that this popular character exudes)

At random times I get a craving for simple, gourmand, straightforward vanilla fragrance. Like a Betty Crocker white cupcake with the foil bag of white frosting. And when I do, I layer Dove Shea Butter and Warm Vanilla soap, Palmers cocoa butter, VS Bare Vanilla body mist, and Montale Vanilla Cake. I don't know if theres yoghurt or butter or meringue notes. I just know that I smell like box cake all day. One thing though, the sillage on this is strong. Id say "invasive" is a good word. If you have to be in a shared space at work, you best be damned sure everyone likes Cupcake smell first.

I just don't get all the hate this gets. Out of all the vanilla perfumes out there, this is one of the few that don't pull sharp or weird on me. Performance wise, it's not the most beast mode montale out there, but it is rather average. THE SMELL THOUGH. It's so creamy, sweet and delicious!! As a huge gourmand lover (especially caramel and lactonic notes) this definitely floats my boat. EDIT: As previously stated, I love the smell of this. But the performance SUCKS! It becomes a skin scent about an hour in... :(

Lmao! No, this does indeed smell very much of vanilla. The cheap, candle kind of vanilla. Definitely not caramel centered. Opening is LEGIT a cakey / cookie vanilla scent, it's superbly realistic, then turns into a synthetic sweet vanilla. I like it, it does smell very good, but it's not unisex and is feminine 100% IMO. Vanille diorama, SDV, Eau Duelle, TV, etc, has a much richer and better vanilla note, but this is still good.

At first this smelled like a vanilla scented doll which was not unpleasant to me for some reason lol. I definitely like sweet and this is without a doubt that, but the opening was a bit challenging. Yet I still find it lovely. I’m sure it would be better on a woman and I’m sure I’d love it on a woman, but this isn’t a no for me because I like it too much. Trying it with other things, but I find it fun.

this is quite interesting i say this is the opposite of Original A*Men which is more Chocolatey,Caramel & Tonka Bomb Harshness but this Vanilla Cake is like a light Smooth Creamy Vanilla Bomb its light but definitely will Attract Attentions lightly. its a very awesome unisex fragrance goes well with guys & gals that is playful yet charming. Vanilla Cake it is a lovely Creamilk Gourmand. 10/10

I had a vape called “cheesecake,” and this fragrance totally reminds me of it. I don’t remember whether I had the vape or this perfume earlier, but I quit vaping a long time ago, and I’m still using this magnificent perfume to this day. If the vape was too sweet for me, the perfume is just perfect — the key is not to overspray. It also mixes pretty good with some fresh fragrances

Very very sweet vanilla gourmand fragrance. At first spray I wasn’t sure I liked it but I absolutely love it now! It’s not a super complex fragrance, it’s exactly what the name says it is - vanilla cake. Doesn’t last very long on skin but I can still smell it on my tshirt after more than 8 hours. Gorgeous fragrance for all vanilla gourmand lovers.

This smells like the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, x100. (minus the caramel) Cake batter and vanilla frosting. Uber-realistic? Sorta, yeah! I’ll admit it’s screechy...but smells so nice and yum. For lovers of burberry goddess, bianco latte, cheriosa, billie eilish no. 1, eos vanilla cashmere, and ANY distinctive, loud, diffusive dessert smell 🧁.

Straight up strawberry shortcake!!! No joke this is pound cake with strawberries on top including whipped cream. Much better than Pink Sugar or any of those fruity sweet fragrances! Longevity is not good maybe 15 minutes, too bad because I do like it. I’m sad! I’ll over spray! Recommended 5/10 only because it doesn’t last

This is gorgeous. Creamy, milky and sweet. On my skin it smells like sweetened condensed milk, or even dulce de leche. I’m a bit shocked to read how others seem to react so negatively to this. Maybe you really need the right skin chemistry for this one. In any case I would not recommend blind buying!