(SPOT.ph) Be it for celebrations or just to help you cope with a stressful day, chocolate cake is always a good idea—chocolate, after all, happens to be one of the best-loved dessert flavors of all time and when it’s in the form of a swoon-worthy cake, then all the better. You probably have your share of favorites in Manila (as do we!), but it’s well worth changing it up sometimes. Good news is that the city is full of gems that are just waiting to be discovered. We round up our favorite under-the-radar versions in this list; you might just find a new love right here!
Also read: Top 10 Chocolate Cakes in Manila (2019 Edition)
Change it up from your usual with these top chocolate cakes in Manila:
Lola’s Auro Tsokolate Cake from Lola Cafe
With its relatively minimalist appearance, it’s tempting to dismiss the Lola’s Auro Tsokolate Cake (P350/mini, P850/regular) as just another take on the classic dessert—but oh boy would you be mistaken to do so. Lola Cafe uses chocolate from local bean-to-bar brand Auro, and it makes for a superb and earthy, cacao-forward chocolate flavor that makes it stand out from other cakes in the crowd. Add in the fact that the cake layers are moist and the ganache smooth and rich, and you’ve got yourself quite the treat. Just give them a call for orders.
See a list of Lola Cafe branches and their contact numbers. You can also check out their Facebook page.
Jack Bauer from Critical Baker
This home baker puts a lot of thought, care, and creativity into everything they make—and while they do classic desserts really well, they also dabble in more experimental flavors and the Jack Bauer cake (P970/small, P2,270/big) is one treat that well exemplifies that. At first glance this is essentially a chocolate cake—but take a bite and you'll be met with a more bold and brawny flavor profile, thanks to their use of dark Irish beer in the mix! Fret not, the beer's not overpowering at all; it actually brings out the robustness of the chocolate real beautifully. Plus points for their use of velvety-smooth ganache as the frosting; it's just the thing to complement the moist cake base without taking over.
For orders, send a message to Critical Baker on Facebook or Instagram.
Le Grand Choclat from Sourdough Cafe Deli
If you crave more textural variety in your chocolate desserts, the Le Grand Choclat (P235/slice, P2,350/whole) from Sourdough Cafe Deli is a great bet. With its biscuit-esque base, thick chocolate-mousse body, and outer coat of dark Belgian chocolate that glistens against the light, it brings together crisp, creamy, and melt-in-the-mouth worlds, making for totally harmonious forkfuls that’ll keep you going back.
For orders, send a message to Sourdough Cafe Deli on Facebook or Instagram. You can also contact 0917-185-9463 through Viber.
Belgian Chocolate Cake from Sunday Bakeshop
Sunday Bakeshop has won over the Instagram crowd with their ooey, gooey New York-style cookies—but they’ve also got a superb cake game well worth checking out. In particular, we’re fans of the Belgian Chocolate Cake (P780/eight inches). What this dessert lacks in frills (it comes in a simple square tray), it totally makes up for in execution as its chocolate-cake base has a moist crumb, while the frosting part of the equation is a dark-chocolate ganache that perfectly echoes the cake’s deep yet well-rounded chocolate flavor.
For orders, send a message to Sunday Bakeshop on Facebook or Instagram.
5-Layered Chocolate Cake from Sucre PH
We’re of the belief that more isn’t always more, but Sucre PH’s 5-Layered Chocolate Cake (starts at P1,350/seven inches without macarons, P1,650/seven inches with macarons) is a great argument for going all-out and still having cohesive and harmonious results. In it are layers of a cocoa-dusted chocolate disk, ganache, mousse, cake, and crunchy feuilletine with praline—plus you have the option to get it with chocolate macarons on top (highly recommended!). It sounds like a lot, but trust us, folks; the play of textures you get when you get a little of each element in a forkful is outstanding stuff. Plus, with a mix of different premium brands of 70% dark chocolate (namely Valrhona, Belcolade, and Auro chocolate), you get complex and full-bodied chocolate flavor that you’ll be remembering for the days to come.
For orders, send a message to Sucre PH on Facebook or Instagram.
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake from The Daily Knead
Olive oil ain’t just for pasta or for dipping focaccia into. It works well in the sweet realm, too; when paired with the right elements, the said ingredient’s natural fruity profile can make for swoon-worthy results. In particular, olive oil has a surprisingly great affinity for chocolate—the Spanish are even known to snack on toasted bread with melted chocolate and olive oil. But if you’re looking to try the combo in a more dessert-worthy light, you’ll want to try The Daily Knead’s Chocolate Olive Oil Cake (starts at P850/midi)—a stunning cake where the dusky depth of chocolate gets a subtle earthy, savory edge from the olive oil in the mix. A sprinkling of sea salt flakes on top helps bridge the two worlds together, so you get a cohesive whole that’ll show you just how amazing the combo of chocolate and olive oil can be.
For orders, visit The Daily Knead’s website. You can also check out their Facebook page.
Truffle Cake from Sokola
There’s something about noshing on decadent ol’ chocolate truffles that totally screams “treat yo’ self”—and if you ever find yourself having polished off an entire box of the confection and still wanting more, you’ll want to bookmark Sokola’s Truffle Cake (P1,200) for your next celebration. You could very well consider this a giant chocolate truffle; it’s got layers of of a velvety and just-dark-enough chocolate mousse to mimic the usual ganache, a crisp-crunchy almond crust for contrast, and a generous dusting of cocoa on top to reinforce the bittersweet element.
For orders, fill out Sokola’s order form. You can also check out their Facebook page.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Praline from Mad Bakes
Virtual restaurant group Mad Eats recently launched their own dessert leg dubbed Mad Bakes—we’ve waxed poetic about their ingenious Ube Taho Cheesecake, but they’ve also got cakes on the more classic end of the spectrum, like the Old-fashioned Chocolate Cake (P650). Conveniently served in a tray, this cake is as plush as it is creamy with layers of a moist chocolate cake, mocha filling, and chocolate ganache. And though the overall flavor profile is one that’s wonderfully dark and dusky, it also gets a nutty and caramel-esque uplift thanks to the housemade peanut praline that comes right underneath the ganache.
For orders, visit the Mad Bakes section on Mad Eats’ website. You can also check out their Facebook page.
Belgian Chocolate Fudge Cake from Leonisa’s Kitchen
Though best known for their cream puffs, Leonisa's Kitchen also has a short but sweet lineup of cakes and the Belgian Chocolate Fudge Cake is one to try. Pairing a moist and dark chocolate cake base with a Belgian-chocolate fudge frosting, it's the kind of cake that wows in spite of its relative simplicity, thanks in no small part to its use of excellent-quality chocolate. You have the option to get it in a tin (P710) or as a regular cake (P860).
For orders, send a message to Leonisa's Kitchen on Facebook or Instagram.
Valrhona Chocolate Cake from Prologue
Quezon City spot Prologue is best known for their savory French-Japanese fare, but they bring that same attention-to-detail by using great-quality ingredients over to their dessert game, too, and the Valrhona Chocolate Cake (P300) is an excellent choice. With a rich and plush Valrhona chocolate-cake base and chocolate ganache that makes for even deeper, darker-tasting forkfuls, it impresses with its topnotch and well-rounded chocolate flavor. Note that as of writing Prologue is temporarily closed, but we say this cake alone makes keeping an eye on their socials for when they reopen worth the trouble.
Check out Prologue PH's Facebook page.
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