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!

This is exactly as described by the name. A vanilla cake batter, nothing else. I love it, super pleasant and sweet. However I do find that this smells more like brown sugar when it dries. Nonetheless, this is a beast mode fragrance, lasts 12+ hours easily and projects a ton

It smells weird, but in a good way. The opening isn't that sweet in my opinion and smells slightly bitter, but the drydown is much more creamy. It's a very polarizing scent, I love it, but not a safe blind buy and it probably doesn't smell how you imagine it smells like.

Smells like opening a bag of Vanilla box cake. I like it but I don’t think that you should blind buy it. It’s very simple and those who like a whole story in their fragrances probably won’t like this. There is nothing complex about it. Just straight vanilla box cake.

It smells exactly like cookies and vanilla to me. Very pleasant and comforting! However, I was expecting it'd perform better, considering it's a niche fragrance. I normally layer it with Shamanilla from Zara, oh what a great combo 💛

It smells like a buttery croissant with almond filling that lays next to a warm glass of caramel milk :) it's very delicious but should be consumed in moderation :P My husband loves it on me, says I smell like Sunday morning.

Is a beautiful gourmand lactonic, I adore it, but it just disappears so fast... I don't get how people say that Montale is long lasting, long projection, both testers of Vanilla cake and Chocolate greedy go so fast for me...

It smells like a vanilla powder and almond to me. I like it. But when I layer this Chocolate Greedy, they become heavenly! Creamy, powdery... just perfect!

If I had to explain this scent as a food, it would be vanilla ice cream with salted caramel popcorn on the top. It's wonderful. 😭

If you want to smell like literal cake batter, you’ll love this. (I DO want to smell like cake batter and I do love it!)

My all time favorite vanilla! smells exactly like the name, lasts for hours, and I always get compliments from girls!

Although I expected a better performance since it's a niche fragrance, it ALWAYS gets me compliments 😍

im a changed man, this perfume is bussin

The very first seconds of the opening are to die for: warm, biscuitty, vanillic, ultra gourmand. But that was the very first seconds, no joke. After that, an ultra synthetic and screechy vibe comes in. I'm not even talking about a note; the whole perfume becomes that. It does soften after an hour or two, but this over-the-top synthetic feeling never leaves the perfume. The scent really gets softer and more enjoyable past this 2-hour mark, but note that the projection gets weaker too (not that bad actually cause you'd give yourself a terrible headache with that classic Montale projection). I should add that Vanilla Cake feels very cold too whilst this screechy & synthetic feel goes strong, so you'll be really disappointed if you expect a warm vanilla cake feel. I do agree it gives cake mix feels, rather than the feels of a cake fresh out-of-the-oven. This weird scent might actually be the meringue note, because it also feels slightly powdery. And yet... I think Vanilla Cake is my guily pleasure. I know there are way better gourmand perfumes out there that emulate the scent of an actual vanilla cake. But I can't help and smell the wrist I sprayed Montale's Vanilla Cake on. It literally is a little guilty pleasure, and still smells fun and indulging to me despite all its flaws. I'd gladly wrap myself up in that scent on cold winter days at home, while baking or watching a movie with my family. Whether it's full bottle-worthy or not is ofc completely up to you. As for me, I might give in and get a complimentary 20ml bottle next time I purchase from Montale 🙈

Ok, at first sniff, amazing! Yummy straight vanilla cake scent. I was wanting a straight vanilla, yummy scent and thought I'd found my answer. I don't care about it smelling synthetic because I'm not interested in rubbing actual vanilla cake on me. Most all gourmand scents are artificial. What bothered me was that on the dry down things took a strange turn and I started smelling something off that didn't belong. I thought maybe it was an artificial chocolate note because chocolate is hard to do but it's not listed in the notes here. Something took an earthy turn and I am not here for it. Really disappointed because I thought after looking at the notes and it being called Vanilla Cake this would be pretty straight forward and a safe blind buy. I have no idea what that note is but it totally does not belong here and it robs the scent from being what it should be which is yummy, sweet vanilla cake. It's not sour milk, I don't know what it is but I'm bummed about it. I'll still wear it and maybe layer it with my Cinnamon Roll body butter from Fenty, but my search for my perfect vanilla continues. Accident a la Vanilla is much better and so is Vaniglia. Should have gotten those instead. The one saving grace is a paid $55 for 3.4 oz. Also, I am not into the metal bottles. Looks like a travel mousse can.

Yes it's smell plastic/artifical vanilla first, so the first times i didn't got the feeling of "this is a beggining of beautiful frienship" But by time, while it rests on the skin, the artificial side starts to decreasing and be lighter. It's strong fragrance with a nice sillage ( like most of montale) And yes it's a really sweet gourmand vanilla, but for me it does not step over the border to be cloying (not like chabaud lait de vanille ) And this is strong but not heavy. It's a cloud like foamy, moire, very lactonic and to my nose slightly peachy ( i think it's beacuse of the peach lactone) vanille. The almond gives some porous aspect to the compostion so this is why it's not whipped cream insted of meringue. For me it's smells like fluffy-flossy vanille cake with meringue decoration, a lot of whipped cream and sweet peach topping. I rarely use it in itself, so instead of i usualyy use it for layering & sweethening because it's simple & linear it's perfect for this purpose.

Maybe it's my skin because mine loves to pull out any masculine notes, but I love this dry-down. The first 20 minutes is a very harsh, cardboard box or metallic note that I had to remain at least 6 inches out from my arm where I sprayed it. I almost gave up on it, but then... The dry down is the raw ingredients of baking for sure. I imagine my grandmother and I laying out the boxed Duncan Hines, raw eggs, metallic bowls for mixing, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and sugar - it brings me back to childhood. This definitely isn't a grown-up vanilla, and the maximum that it goes is whipping up all of the ingredients in the bowl as you lick the remnants off the spoon. After 2 hours of wear, I think I'm really getting a torched flan top (probably the meringue), which is so unique. It sits closer to the skin than all of my other Montales, but it's sticking around. Just makes you smell like you entered a bakery and came out with the scent remnants.

Sweet cream powdery almonds a creeping toasted sugar (the caramel?) milky heaven. A little runs an absolute long way and I mean that, barely a spritz and the silage is here and this fragrance is saying hello all. I fear those who hit the cap multiple times with this one. Seeing the comparison to boxed yellow cake, I can get it but if you've smelt these ingredients by themselves and use them in baking you can really pick them out and let the layers of the cake really savor themselves. A beautiful experience I had when sampling this in a 5ml decant that lead to my full purchase was finding on my skin the powdery sweet powdered (say that 5 times fast) almond along with the not to sweet when you focus on it milk ended up giving me a skin note when worn while being more active. I myself am not a gourmand girlie pop when it comes to my scents but this one has absolutely made a home in my collection and will stay there.

I’ve never smelt anything like it before. The notes are a bit deceiving, but it’s still is good imo. After trying it twice in store i decided to get a full bottle and i’m not disappointed by it, still testing longevity but it has wild projection despite it being a heavy scent, it lingers in the air for a very long time and creates a scent trail. Overall i like it but not love it, i see myself layering it rather than wearing by itself because it honestly does just smell like vanilla flavored milk. If you don’t like hyper-realistic scents this isn’t for you, but it’s worth giving a try. EDIT: weak performance, i’m talking projection for a few minutes then a skin scent for 2 hours then disappearing, i gave it a few chances with different number of sprays each time but nothing changes, its a shame cause the smell was growing on me.

I really like this fragrance for its notes and how clearly you can actually smell them. However, it sometimes feels like something is missing, and I think it becomes even nicer when paired with another fragrance. I like adding the fresh touch of Musk Therapy or Cedar Chic. The point is that, although I enjoy this fragrance, I own other vanilla lotions and body mists that perform just as well at a fraction of the price. So yes, it’s a good fragrance, but it’s only worth it if you can get it at a great price—and if you truly love vanilla, especially that pure vanilla cupcake vibe, like I do! 7.5/10 ✨

I got this as a giveaway sample at a purchase (can't go out of my way to buy or test a Montale or Mancera personally, those have a bad history with me) and I'm surprised it did not leave a kerosene or naphthalene scent on my skin after a few hours. Smells more like a fancy vanilla sundae with tons of whipped cream and toppings than cake on my skin. 8+ hours and still going strong, overkill on 2 sprays but not too terrible it leaves me nauseated compared to the other Mancera and Montale frags I've encountered.

Photorealistic vanilla candle.... it's odd. I happen to like it, but I can see why it's polarizing to wear as a fragrance. Got this on discount on Marshalls.com. Still expensive for a blind buy, but I love all vanillas, no matter how odd. Unfortunately this longevity is lacking. But I'm glad I have it and will enjoy it for what it is. I also ordered Choco Violette (from marshalls) by the sister company which I feel was a more successful blind buy due to it's complexity and longevity.

As a vanilla lover, I like this scent. As described in the name, the perfume does remind me of a vanilla cake or a sugar cookie. I’m getting notes of vanilla, caramel, nuts, and some milk. It’s very sweet. Got a compliment while wearing it which is a good sign. However (and unfortunately) there is a strong synthetic blast that smells quite unpleasant and overwhelms the rest of the notes. It diminishes as it dries but it still remains. Other then that, I enjoy this perfume.

At first spray, I initially get a coffee smell. A few minutes in, it starts to get really sweet. Almost like a candy, lip gloss. There is something kind of fresh/earthy that comes through....totally the almond. This is mature but not masculine. The vanilla and almond are the standouts. Slightly creamy, a little nutty, and grown. I think the meringue brings some light fluffiness to it. I just get a tiiiiny bit of cake from this. Sweet, airy, almond vanilla.

For me, this is true vanilla ice cream. The first time I used it, my partner came into the kitchen and asked if I was baking cookies. I asked why he thought that, and he said there was a strong smell of baking cookies in the house. This is such a pleasant smell! I'm not sure it would be suitable for the office, but it's probably perfect in small doses if you work with kids, go to a kids' birthday party, or just want to enjoy it for yourself.

Yummmm! Delicious. Montale Vanilla Cake is so appropriately named. This smells like a warm slice of perfectly prepared vanilla cake that has just come out of the oven. As others have said, yes, it smells like boxed cake mix. But it smells like while the batter was being whipped up, the baker added their secret ingredient... a touch of almond extract. It's just so good! If you want to smell warm and yummy, this is for you!

Definitely smells like raw cake batter. It’s the wooden spoon you lick and just hope there’s no salmonella. It’s brown sugar, flour, and BUTTER like wow. Almost yogurty. Weirdsies! That said, if I want to be a cake, I think I’d turn to Vanilla Absolu first. It’s a cake fully baked. Alternately, Eclaire does all the right things for this vibe. Eclaire is fully waxen, but baby, light me up like a Yankee Candle.

Milky and creamy vanilla sponge cake, with a bit of strawberry-caramel drizzle on top. Very strong, very loud, definitely enters a room before you do. You have to love gourmands to enjoy this scent, even layered with another. It's best to let this macerate before wearing, opens up with a synthetic blast at the first spray. Lasts all day and then some.

I love a good gourmand but this almost crossed the line of being TOO sweet......almost! I still really enjoyed it and layering it with Chocolate Greedy is TDF.. Edited to say this is the first scent from Montale that doesn't last on me all day. It is gone within an hour which sucks. I got a sample of it first and won't get a full size.

Not a fan of the opening, as it’s too milky for my taste - especially in warm weather. Fortunately it develops nicely and it becomes more sweet and cakey with time, to me it smells of cupcakes. It’s keeping close to the skin, so the projection really isn’t there - keep in mind if you consider investing as it’s quite pricy!

Me encanta este perfume, le siento mucho la nota de almendra y leche, perfecto para climas calientes, si puede ser un poco sintético pero no al punto que molesta, yo soy amante de los perfumes lactónicos y este simplemente es hermoso me dan ganas de comerlo ❤️