Anne Hathaway’s Greatest Ideas for Ordering and Consuming Dessert

I’d belief Anne Hathaway with my life. If she advised me florals had been in, I’d begin carrying patterns for the primary time in a decade. If she stated I’d look higher with a bob, I’d actually think about reducing off most of my hair. So when the Academy Award-winning actress declares that she’s an professional at ordering dessert (which she’s carried out on each The Late Present with Stephen Colbert and The Kelly Clarkson Present), I’m taking notes.

Whereas listening to a latest episode of Knead to Know — the baking podcast from chef Gemma Stafford and co-hosts Ami Shukla and Tianna Cohen — I realized that Hathaway not too long ago shared one other tidbit of her candy knowledge in an interview with Kelly Clarkson. Naturally I zoomed over to YouTube to seek out out what she stated (don’t fear, I’ll spill the beans), and realized it’s excessive time somebody summarized the entire Satan Wears Prada star’s dessert ideas for the world as a public service. So, right here they’re — from sport planning your order to the easiest way to eat a cupcake, and extra.

Order a couple of merchandise off the dessert menu

When Kelly Clarkson requested Hathaway final month how she avoids order envy — that dreaded second at a restaurant if you notice you would like you’d ordered what another person did — the actress’ response was easy. “Order each…. Dessert shouldn’t be the time to say no.” So when you’re torn between the chocolate cake and plum tart (a situation I used to be in final night time), simply get each.

Hathaway additionally factors out that desserts are the sorts of dishes everybody will need a chunk of. You’re most likely aware of that end-of-dinner second the place individuals waffle backwards and forwards on whether or not or not they need dessert, with most of them saying they’re uninterested till one courageous particular person bites the bullet and locations an order. Then as soon as all of the gelati, pies, and candy treats arrive, all people needs to take a forkful. So don’t be afraid, and ask for each dessert that sounds good to you — somebody will inevitably enable you eat them.

If the restaurant doesn’t have good bread, then don’t get the cake

This steering gleaned from the identical Kelly Clarkson interview is likely to be just a little extra controversial. Hathaway posits that if an institution’s complimentary bread service isn’t scrumptious, then how may its different baked items be wonderful? Nonetheless, because the Knead to Know hosts level out, the particular person baking bread at a restaurant is commonly not the identical chef who does the desserts. 

However, many eating places — together with high-end ones — supply their bread from bakeries and third-party suppliers. And if the particular person buying the bread doesn’t care about its high quality, it’s doubtless that they wouldn’t be invested in having an ideal cake on the menu both. It’s protected to imagine that is what the actress is getting at, and apart from, I personally wouldn’t need to eat at a spot with dangerous bread.

Flip your cupcake inside out

That is Anne Hathaway’s authentic and most viral dessert tip. (And it was additionally given on The Kelly Clarkson Present! Just some years earlier, in 2022.) She teaches the talkshow host and Grammy Award winner that the simplest option to eat a cupcake is by tearing it in half horizontally, after which turning the highest half the wrong way up, so the frosting is sandwiched between two layers of cake.

Based on Hathaway, this has two primary benefits: You don’t get frosting in your nostril and it makes cupcakes extra informal. I’ve adopted this hack into my very own life as a result of it offers you the best ratio of substances. I don’t love overly candy issues, so biting right into a mound of frosting first isn’t my favourite. Tasting cake, then icing, then cake, helps mute the sugar just a little bit and delivers a extra balanced chunk.

Put in 10,000 hours

The identical approach you prepare for a marathon, that you must prepare for dessert. Ordering, making, tasting, each half takes apply, and as Anne Hathaway advised Stephen Colbert in 2022, she’s “blown previous” 10,000 hours within the artwork of dessert. And it reveals — in an anecdote she not too long ago associated to Kelly Clarkson, Hathaway stated she recognized what sort of sauce (pear!) was drizzled over a cake at a cocktail party, simply by taking a look at it. That’s the form of refined palate I aspire to have, and consequently I’ll be consuming as a lot cake as doable within the upcoming months.

Embrace the ability of a palate cleanser

Her last piece of recommendation admittedly comes from Hathaway’s Princess Diaries’ character Mia Thermopolis, however I’ll accredit it to the actress since her supply makes the scene so memorable. Within the first film of the sequence, whereas eating at her first state dinner, Princess Mia is served a palate cleanser of mint sorbet in between programs. (She famously takes too massive of a chunk and immediately will get a mind freeze.)

I’m not sure that Mia appreciated the worth of a palate cleanser on the time — she was distracted, in spite of everything — however this can be a invaluable lesson in how you can put together your self for dessert. When you nonetheless have the style of a garlicky primary course in your mouth, it could be tough to take pleasure in that slice of cheesecake. Mint sorbet isn’t the one viable palate cleanser; citrusy sorbets work effectively too, or you’ll be able to have one thing extra easy like a cup of tea or a chunk of plain fruit. 

With the ability of Anne Hathaway’s steering, you’ll be cleaning your palate and ordering dessert for the desk very quickly.