Best chocolate cake

[Veghead]

I have an upcoming friend's birthday to prepare for and he loves (putting it mildly) chocolate cake. Can anyone recommend the best in town? Bakeries, restaurants, etc. welcome.

[Vancouver]

I would imagine your friend (and you) would be quite happy with any of the creations from Ganache. His Caramel-Chocolat would make an excellent b-day cake!

Good luck!

Edited February 15, 2007 by Vancouver (log)

[*Deborah*]

I second the Ganache recommendation.

[kontemporary]

i've had an awesome passion fruit chocolate mousse cake from senses..

[sugar plum]

I'm a HUGE fan of Sweet Obsession's chocolate ganache cake:

http://www.sweetobsessioncakes.com/home.html

[makanmakan]

I picked up a phenomenal chocolate cake from Ganache yesterday, with layers of black pepper strawberry gelee, passionfriuit gelee, and hazelnut daquoise in it.

Gorgeous to look at and delicious.

[chocomoo]

That passionfruit chocolate mousse cake from Sen5es is REALLY good. The passionfruit mousse layer is not too sweet and even a bit tangy, just the way I like it.

If your friend likes pure chocolate, Ganache also has a "Chocolat3", which comprises of "chocolate cheesecake, chocolate biscotti crust, chocolate cake, dark chocolate caramel mousse".

Hopefully, the cake that makanmakan mentioned is still available - the website says that it's a Valentine's Day special. If it isn't, I'm getting it for my sister's birthday this weekend! Hmmm, that Chocolat3 also sounds really good....

Edited February 15, 2007 by chocomoo (log)

[tinyhandful]

i'd have to say that bistro pastis' valrhona chocolate cake is the best half-baked/lava/chocolate cake i have had in recent memory...

[Arsenic]

The Chocolate Lava Cake at Saltlik is actually very yummy. And it comes with a generous portion of vanilla gelato as well

[quattroporte]

I love the old-fashion chocolate layer cake - almost impossible to find in this city. And yes, I'm too lazy to make one from scratch.

Does anyone know of a bakery or restaurant in Vancouver that might still make something like this?

[*Deborah*]

i'd have to say that bistro pastis' valrhona chocolate cake is the best half-baked/lava/chocolate cake i have had in recent memory...

←

OMG

I haven't had a chance to post about my dinner but I had the warm chocolate cake with pistachio quenelle at Parkside last week, and it was insanely good.

The cake was buttery and delicious, as good as any I've had (and that includes Thomas Haas' version at Diva), but the pistachio quenelle was creamy and covered in super-fresh Persian pistachios, I learned, the best pistachios I've ever had. I may be spoiled for good now.

Out of this world.

***

Quattroporte, I can't remember the last time I had one of those cakes that was as good as it looked, except for my own home-made. Lots of excellent fancy ones, but not the simple ones. Let us know if you find one!

[Beebs]

Dad used to buy for my bday when younger this German chocolate cake from a bakery called "A Piece of Cake" near UBC. But they've since closed down (about 12 yrs ago). Then I found that Miriam's on Denman carried the same cake -- mmmmm! But Miriam's is now gone and Starbucks is in its place.

Anyone know of a place that carries notable German choc cake? The ones from A Piece of Cake and Miriam's were to die for -- not too sweet, rich dense cake (but not the fluffy sponge kind), layered with walnuts.

[flowbee]

i need to find a black forest cake! any recs?

[BCinBC]

My recommendation is, don't eat Black Forest Cake.

Without having actually tasted a specific product, I would guess that a German konditerei should crank out a good BFC. There is the aptly named Bakery & Konditerei on Main and about 50th, maybe. Anyone been?

[Sam Salmon]

Without having actually tasted a specific product, I would guess that a German konditerei should crank out a good BFC.  There is the aptly named Bakery & Konditerei on Main and about 50th, maybe.  Anyone been?

←

You mean Fraser & 50th-all you can buy @ Main & 50th is Galub Jamun, Jelabee, Burfi and the like.

Not 100% sure but the place you're thinking of up on Fraser may have morphed into Breka

[BCinBC]

Without having actually tasted a specific product, I would guess that a German konditerei should crank out a good BFC.  There is the aptly named Bakery & Konditerei on Main and about 50th, maybe.  Anyone been?

←

You mean Fraser & 50th-all you can buy @ Main & 50th is Galub Jamun, Jelabee, Burfi and the like.

Not 100% sure but the place you're thinking of up on Fraser may have morphed into Breka

←

Right Sam, I did mean Fraser and 50th. I haven't paid attention lately, but the Konditerei may have turned into Breka, or it may still live - along with the "Euro Deli" and/or other similar places.

One other place that I haven't plugged in a while is Koni on Granville and 70th - Zarko the owner and previously of Meinhardt's is not German nor does he bake his own stuff in house (I don't think), however he will surely be able to tell you where to get a good BFC. Ph 604-269-9100.

And finally, a possible useful link to VanMag.

[style councillor]

A good German, Thomas Haas has does an excellent Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte). I order one every July for my boyfriends birthday - but he can only make while there are good cherries...worth the wait!

[KarenDW]

Valley Bakery on E. Hastings in Burnaby. Yummy cakes w/ nice light crumb to the texture. Old-school decorating, last time I looked. But delicious.

[KarenDW]

Also, specifically for a birthday, Mosaic at Hyatt Regency has a 5lb. chocolate cake for birthday parties. Nice, dense, even texture, and not overly sweet. It's my mom's fave place to take me for a birthday lunch.

Edited April 5, 2007 by KarenDW (log)

[canucklehead]

I looooove the Black Forest cake... and the fact that Thomas Haas makes one is getting me all giddy.

Also - Bon Ton on W Broadway will make a Black Forest cake on special order.

And that birthday cake at Mosaic is good - and really cheap. You can feed like a 100 people for $5.

[sanrensho]

Also - Bon Ton on W Broadway will make a Black Forest cake on special order.

Only on special order?!? I think I grew up on the Bon Ton Black Forest Cakes...

The Thomas Haas BFC sounds very promising. Is it a straightforward BFC?

[brokentelephone]

There is a great new-ish bakery in Kerrisdale (near Red Onion) called Sweet-E's or something along those lines... excellent products... have a chocolate layer cake there and it vaguely reminded me of a Betty Crocker cake, albeit far more gourmet.

[frogprincess]

i know that brownies and cake are two very different things but i was lucky enough to receive a box full of brownies with ganache frosting from my lover for valentine's day that were so delish! he had them made by a personal chef in vancouver.

pic i found on her site

link to her site: http://www.savourychef.com

i also LOVE the devil's food cake w/ marshmallow frosting @ true confections.

http://www.trueconfections.ca/WHITPL1.HTM

[brokentelephone]

The Ganache at La Terrazza is delicious! I often eat there for the Bolognese (best in the city, without question.. their best dish by far), followed by a ganache! Too bad during my recent trip to Vancouver I didn't have the opportunity to partake!

[jchaput]

It's not chocolat cake, but a customer brought me some peppermint patty chocolate cookies from the Dahlia Bakery in Seattle today. I had casually mentioned that next time they came to town, if they felt like bringing some...low and behold they did!

Each one is made from two thin chocolate cookies with peppermint icing in the middle. One cookie is half dipped in chocolate. They are so awesome.

...cookie I love you.