Dianda's or Delessio's Tres Leches cake?
Which one of these spots makes a better or more authentic tres leches cake? Or is there another recommendation for someplace else? I checked the boards and although people used to rave about Platano's, its no longer an option. This will be need to be a whole cake by the way, for the boyfriend's birthday.
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In Berkeley, try Cactus Taqueria on Solano Avenue. Just get the tres leche cake. It's soaked in rum and milk and delicious. My friend from Mexico says it's the best she's ever had! All I know is we have to share a slice, it's too much to eat on your own, and then we sit around with huge smiles on our faces =) My 21 year old son made me drive a piece down to college in Los Angeles, he was jonesing for it so badly!
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daveena
Mar 30, 2008 11:38 AM
Somehow this thread stuck in my mind, despite its cursory mention of the Tres Leches cake at Oakland's Pasta Shop. I was there yesterday afternoon, scrambling to fulfill a last-minute request from a friend to bring dessert to a potluck, and I spotted the cake, vaguely remembered that it was supposed to be good, and snapped it up.
I've only had Tres Leches a few times before, and always found them too sweet and too dense (I've only had the more rustic, homemade looking ones from modest eateries in the past - this was my first yuppified version - but sometimes yuppification can be good). This one was a single tall layer, soaked through but not at all soggy, with a texture more like mousse than like pudding, and not remotely as sweet as other versions I've had. The frosting was a very thin layer of buttercream that didn't distract from the glory of the cake itself. I had two slices, despite having already stuffed myself at dinner.
It was expensive - $32 for the larger (9", I think) size - I thought it was well worth it.
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Pasta Shop
5655 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618 -
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You need to go to a Mexica bakery. There are several places here in Napa Valley who make pastel de tres leches very, very well. I have the recipe but it takes hours and hours to make and it's not worth it. It's not my favorite cake.
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My favorite tres leches cake, hands down, is the pandan tres leches cake at Sweetheart Bakery in the Mission, 24th btwn Alabama and Harrison. It's a Vietnamese-owned bakery in a Mexican neighborhood, so this wondrous, addictive cake is the product of this interaction. Pandan, a leaf native to Southeast Asia, gives the sponge cake a delicate flavor, balanced by the richness of the milks and the whipped cream topping. It's what I always want for my birthday.
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Eat_Nopal
May 24, 2007 11:29 AM
Addressing the question of authenticity...
Mexico (and the rest of Latin America) doesn't really have a Cake tradition outside of the broad Western tradition. In Mexico most nice bakeries make Tres Leches cakes unique to try to stand out... and they use all relevant Western techniques & native accents available to do this.
From what I have seen there is really no defintion of an authentic Tres Leches cake... other than the general guidlines of soaked sponge cake in some kind of sweetened milk concoction. Of course there are variations that go too far and it loses any connection with its origins... but other than that there are as many authentic Tres Leches variations as there are creative bakers.
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re: gaianeh
Melanie Wong
May 24, 2007 03:36 PM
I thought the Nicaraguans claimed invention of the tres leches cake.
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re: Eat_Nopal
Robert Lauriston
May 24, 2007 07:30 PM
Tres Leches was likely invented by Nestlé circa the 1940s to promote consumption of evaporated and condensed milk, but it was a variation on cakes that had been popular in Mexico since the 1800s.
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re: Eat_Nopal
My mum and I went to Delessio's the other day looking for the almond croissants and morning buns but they were out of those (which made sense since we went at around lunch time.) We tried the tres leche cake that everyone recommended. For $4.25, you get a hefty serving enough for the two of us to share. The cake was described as a "yellow cake with a sweet-creamy mixture flavored with vanilla bean and Myer's Rum," with "toasted meringue" as "the finishing touch."
The man who served us was generous and gave us lots of strawberries with the cake. The strawberries were soft and slightly sweet, so I think they have been soaked in syrup. The meringue on the top of the cake was golden brown and had a fine dusting of powdered sugar. It was like an Italian meringue (egg whites with hot sugar syrup beaten in) and was soft and marshmallow-like. There was also a slight crunch to the meringue (as if there were tiny sugar crystals in it) which I liked a lot. The cake was very moist and was not weepy at all. I wished there was a stronger vanilla and rum flavor though; we couldn't really taste them in the cake.
This was our first time trying tres leches cake and we enjoyed it much. It was sweet and satisfying, but not cloyingly so. The meringue just adds to the lightness of the cake, and would be great for those who are not big fans of whipped cream or buttercream (like us and gaianeh.) This cake isn't an everyday treat, but I think it would make an ideal birthday or celebration cake.
(We also got other items from Delessio's, but I will post them under another topic.)
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re: dreamsicle
Thank you for the photos and glad you liked the cake. Is this from the Delessio's on Market? The one on Broderick had their individual service for Tres Leches in a pan where you just scooped up your slice, but it's a full tray cake. Your photo looks like they're real, individual, small cakes, or slices. It certainly makes for a nicer presentation. Plus you get strawberries!
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re: gaianeh
We got our cake at the Market Street location. There was a large tray with individual slices and when you order it, the staff will take one slice and put it in a box, then top some strawberries on it (in our case, much more than I had expected!) Both the man who served us and the cashier were incredibly friendly, and we were pleased with our experience there. And yes, the tres leches cake did look good even though it was scooped into a box for us.
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Ok, here's the update! I ended up purchasing the Tres Leches cake from Delessio's mainly for convenience, since I'm in the inner Richmond and I had a few other items to pick up from Falletti's, in the same complex. The cake had just had it's meringue piped on and I only had to wait a few minutes until it browned in the oven for me to pick it up.
Wow. This was truly a decadent cake. Incredibly moist, deeply satisfying and yet not cloyingly sweet. Some of the milks had oozed out along the bottom while it had been sitting in my fridge until it was taken out for cutting. I loved the meringue which was light, soft and creamy, and lightly sweetened. I'm not a big whipped cream or buttercream fan, so this was a plus for me, and I thought it worked quite well to help balance out the dense richness of the cake.
The little bit of meringue on top at the very center was swirled around to create a small "well," and nestled within that was a healthy dallop of dulce de leche like a little golden treasure. You would get a little bit with every slice, and it was quite simply a little punch of over-the-top goodness. The remaining dulce de leche on the cake started to ooze slowly down the cut half, and it was tempting to just swipe it up with your finger to savor. It's a very "sensual" cake if that makes any sense at all.
All in all, I was incredibly impressed and would highly recommend this cake. This was NOTHING like the Tres Leches I had from Dianda's which was dry toast compared to this. But I am excited to try the cake from Lelenita's, as I'm sure Delessio's is probably not quite the authentic version. Thanks for everyone's recommendations!
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re: gaianeh
cafecreme May 16, 2007 06:03 PM
Glad you liked it, and thanks for the update. I was in there today myself and asked the nice pastry chef (at the Broderick Place location) if it was indeed meringue instead of whipped cream and he said yes. Actually, it tastes a lot like the 7-minute frosting my mom used to make (she called it "Divinity icing"). So, I had to buy some, and it is delicious as always. That's great about the dulce de leche--that isn't in the pan version they serve in the cafe. I'll have to try it--thanks!
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Delessio's is scrumptous and beautiful. I'm in there all the time and I always ogle it--they do different patterns with the meringue, sometimes top it with strawberries. I haven't had Dianda's version, and though I love their almonde torte, I can't imagine their tres leches could beat Delessio's.
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re: Melanie Wong
lexdevil
May 12, 2007 09:26 PM
That's how I've had it at La Duni in Dallas (though there's is cuatro leches). It's the best I've ever had.
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re: lexdevil
Melanie Wong
May 15, 2007 08:51 AM
That description is certainly mouthwatering! Interesting to see how this style of cake can be gussied up.
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Melanie Wong
May 12, 2007 07:59 PM
Anyone had Lelenita's tres leches lately? For something a little different, Neldam's in Oakland makes a fantastic chocolate version of tres leches. Neldam's also makes a strawberry one, but I haven't had that one.
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re: gaianeh
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re: Melanie Wong
rworange
May 14, 2007 09:35 AM
I haven't had the tres leches cakes at Lelenita's, but ordered cakes from them for a number of events. I've always been very happy. It has been a few years though. Tres Leches is their thing. I think there was something about them baking a cake for the pope when he visited SF. I think you can buy a slice if you wanted to do a test run ... hmmm ... strawberry tres leches at Neldhams. That's new and sounds good.
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re: Melanie Wong
rworange
May 15, 2007 06:14 PM
No chocolate tres leches cake at Neldhams. Just the regular which is sold as a slice or cake or strawberry which is only sold as a whole cake.
The slice of plain tres leches I had today was more like a whipped cream cake with a thick custard filling. Sort of like their strawberry shortcake only with custard in it.
I asked what flavors they had and was told regular & strawberry. Almost got into a cake throwing fight about the chocolate.
My bakery lady: "No chocolate"
Me: "But, but my friend bought a chocolate tres leches cake here"
... we went through a couple of rounds of this.
In desperation ... and of course, not being honest "Really, I tried it"
Other bakery lady with what I thought was a 'shut this woman up statement" ... "we do have chocolate"
... my bakery lady wasn't backing down ... "No, no we don't"
Other bakery lady: "There's chocolate milk isn't there? Don't we make chocolate tres leches cake?"
My bakery lady who did remain unruffled through all of this and certain of her facts ... "No, no chocolate tres leches cake"
Other bakery lady: "What is that chocolate cake in front of the tres leche cake then?"
My bakery lady: "Chocolate latte cake"
Me and other bakery clerk together "Ohhhhhhhh"
Neldam's now makes scones. They are more of a light currant bun with touch of baking soda. Not bad for 75 cents ... lots of currants.
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re: rworange
Melanie Wong
May 15, 2007 06:42 PM
Yes, it's called chocolate latte cake. Thanks for being persistent and sharing that story. Unfortunately, I'm not able to get into the website now, http://www.neldamsbakery.com/products... , but I'd almost swear that the latte is described on the site as a chocolate tres leches cake. I've posted on it before, but the search engine and google can't find it.
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re: Melanie Wong
toodie jane
May 21, 2007 10:10 AM
I got a single serving this past Sunday and the cake itself was nice--light and sponge-y. The sweetened milk was rather watery; the frosting was a slightly weeping citrus meringue, which I've never seen before on a tres leches cake. Anyone know if this is authentic? Maybe regional? Maybe left over from a special order?
No nuts or fruit embellished the topping.
Not one I'd go back for if I lived locally.
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re: toodie jane
Was your single serving from Delessio's? Interestingly, my mother mentioned getting a slice from the self service flat tray about a month ago, and she absolutely hated it. Couldn't even finish the slice. She didn't elaborate, but perhaps the fact that it's baked and served in a flat tray instead of the traditional tall and round makes a difference? I haven't tried the single serving from the tray, but the full, regular cake is absolutely incredible.
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re: gaianeh
You don't really get a slice, but you scoop it out of a big tray on their dessert buffet board. So, presentation isn't really the strong suit--you have to squeeze it into these paper takeout boxes, so if you want to buy one for a dinner party, get the whole cake, because trying to make a neat serving with the spatula is impossible. I have to say i had some the other day (sunday) and it was wetter than the one before and not as good. Perhaps the strawberries on top added the moisture, or it could just be that a different pastry chef made it.
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re: gaianeh
toodie jane
May 24, 2007 08:00 AM
I was responding to Melanie's query about Lelenita. It does seem set up to supply large cakes. There were many in the display cases.
I asked the gentleman behind the counter about a single serving, and he reached behind him to a countertop where there were three pieces already boxed up in clamshells, and handed me one. I think it was $2.50?
I was not sure what to make of the weepy meringue. Is the meringue meant to be finished off in a hot oven at home? Since I was on the road, I just swept it off and ate the cake. Serviceable cake but watery sweet milk sauce.
Another tres leches tangent--just had a piece made locally yesterday that was made with orange-zest cream cheese frosting. Not a pleasant combination.
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re: toodie jane
Hmm, was the meringue not lightly baked? Kind of strange if they just piped on and didn't complete it there.
I picked up the cake from Delessio's right after it came out of the oven, specifically to finish off the soft meringue. It had a nice light, golden brown top which they dusted with powdered sugar. Not weepy at all and held together great.
I still want to try Lelenita's cake but perhaps will go with the full cake instead of a single serving.
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re: gaianeh
Robert Lauriston
May 24, 2007 03:49 PM
There's a Latin American style of meringue where the whipped egg whites are beaten with hot syrup. It's soft, something like thick zabaglione.
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Atomica
May 12, 2007 06:45 PM
I've only had Delessio and would pick theirs even though I haven't had it at Dianda. I just think Delessio's work is far more consistent and good than Dianda's.
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re: Atomica
Thanks, I'm kind of leaning in your direction. I've only had this kind of cake once and it was from Dianda's. I wasn't very impressed with it, but then again it was my introduction to tres leches, so I can't be a good critic. Just wondering if there was an overwhelming consensus out there.
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re: Atomica
Atomica
May 29, 2007 05:49 AM
I was in Dianda's on Sunday and realized more reasons why the place rubs me the wrong way. Never mind all the stale cookies. I wouldn't know whether they had tres leches cake because they don't label anything. Easily 20+ different kinds of cake for sale by the slice, but no labels at all. They are often busy, and I don't feel like making everyone in line wait while a taciturn teenager tells me what everything is (if she can even do it, which I highly doubt). A guy was in there to buy a rum cake, and the glum girl behind the counter asked if he wanted light or heavy rum. He replied that in all the time he'd been buying that cake, he had never been asked that question. He asked the difference between the two cakes and basically had to supply the answers for her while she muttered. I could tell she didn't know!
I noticed cakes piled with lots of very unripe whole strawberries on top--lots and lots of green. Yech.
I got an eclair for my husband. The chocolate was the same stuff you get on a Safeway donut. Not that he minded, but people really seem to love Dianda's and I'm not getting it.
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re: Atomica
Robert Lauriston
May 29, 2007 09:15 AM
Dianda does St. Honore cake, rum cake, almond torte, and amaretti really well.
Maybe the key is to stick to Italian items with lots of almond paste and/or booze.
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