623397 Thu May 28 18:41:47 -0700 2009 24 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 4723655 In particular, I am searching for a bakery that makes an excellent chocolate cake for my mother's 60th birthday. I don't even know where to begin since I've rarely had the need to go to a bakery in this area. Any suggestions/recommendations would be helpful. I'm in Arlington, so anything in DC or NOVA is great. Thu May 28 18:41:47 -0700 2009 323840 georgetownronin 1 4723959 Pastries by Randolph and Amphora both make great cakes. Thu May 28 21:03:29 -0700 2009 4723655 135344 DCDeb 1 4723994 After many tries, I have yet to find a good cake in NoVa. I have not tried some venues where you can spend an outrageous amount of money, but all the affordable places, including the two mentioned above, have let me down. Most places are just too sweet for me. Thu May 28 21:26:54 -0700 2009 4723655 10156 Steve 2 4738345 Have you tried Victoria's cakery in Fairfax City? It's the only place I'll buy a cake (since I bake frequently and am very picky). I've tried Amphora's, Pastries by Randolph, Heidelburg, Swiss Bakery, Cenan's and the other ones mentioned here and haven't loved any of them. I love the cakes from Victoria's--they're not too sweet, dry, but are slightly dense cakes which I prefer. The problem is most cakes have to be preordered, although they do have a very limited by the slice selection. I can pass on the cookies there. http://www.victoriascakeryinc.com/ Wed Jun 03 06:38:55 -0700 2009 4723994 39874 chowser 3 4743412 No, I haven't tried it yet, though another Chowhound used to recommend it often. I got so discouraged that I gave up ordering cakes for birthdays, etc. Maybe now I'll try it. Thu Jun 04 16:40:12 -0700 2009 4738345 10156 Steve 4 4743541 I'd make you one if I could. :-) But, barring that, I like Victoria's cakery. It is more than Amphoras and not as pretty but I like that the cakes aren't overly sweet or dry. They're made to order which probably makes a big difference. I rarely order cakes but it's the only place I'll use. Thu Jun 04 17:34:39 -0700 2009 4743412 39874 chowser 4 4746529 With this thread, I decided to go again today. It's not a bakery where you can just stop by and hope they have something. I've never seen a beautiful display of decorated cakes, like Amphora's or Cenan's. They're out straight with orders, completely booked right now so all there is is sliced cake, limited selection. I was hoping to get a whole cake but was out of luck. I bought three pieces (family)--white w/ raspberry, chocolate variation, lemon. The cakes are always excellent but the frosting is your typical American buttercream. Perfect with a bite of cake but I always find buttercream too sweet. I don't eat most of the frosting. Fri Jun 05 14:50:19 -0700 2009 4743412 39874 chowser 5 4746567 Do they use icing or buttercream? I personally hate buttercream the addition of fat, normally shortening and butter, make it not so much sweet but fatty and oily tasting, whereas normal icing is sweeter and less buttery. Especially the buttercream on store bought cakes... but I like your typical american icing devoid of both kinds of fat, but you probably don't like that because it is sweeter. Fri Jun 05 15:04:28 -0700 2009 4746529 92426 ktmoomau 6 4746760 It tastes like American buttercream--butter, confectioners sugar, cream/milk, vanilla. I'm pretty sure it's not italian or swiss buttercream because it's heavier. I'm not sure what you mean by icing, you mean like a glaze of confectioners sugar and liquid, or a fat-free meringue frosting like a marshmallow frosting? I'm trying to think if any place I know has cakes like that but I don't look for it so could have missed it. VC's has a dense frosting, matches the cake, so I'm pretty sure it's not made w/ any type of beaten egg whites. Either way, if you don't like fatty tasting frosting, you might not like this one because it's very rich buttery. Fri Jun 05 16:11:13 -0700 2009 4746567 39874 chowser 7 4751476 For real buttercream I thought it was normally shortening, butter, confactioners sugar, milk and vanilla. Two types of fat. What you describe above is different (it's what I like more like what you buy in a can like betty crocker more like the type I like). I think it tastes very different with the extra fat. Sun Jun 07 19:11:59 -0700 2009 4746760 92426 ktmoomau 8 4752085 American buttercream is generally butter, conf. sugar, vanilla and milk/cream (just a little) but some people use shortening because it's heartier and holds up in hot weather. I find it coats my mouth in an unpleasant slickness, and maybe that's what you're tasting, too. I don't know for sure but would guess that VC uses only butter. And, then there are the meringue buttercreams, like Italian and Swiss, that use beaten egg whites, sugar syrup, etc. Mon Jun 08 05:08:06 -0700 2009 4751476 39874 chowser 1 4724377 I like the cakes at Alexandria Pastry Shop, in Bradlee Center, on King, just east of 395. There are several chocolate cakes and really lovely fruit options. http://www.alexandriapastry.com/cakes.html Fri May 29 05:22:25 -0700 2009 4723655 280735 tcamp 2 4724530 I like Alexandria Pastry Shop, and I like Buzz Bakery on Slater's Lane as well (although I haven't ordered a whole cake from them, just had cupcakes and other small treats). Fri May 29 06:26:11 -0700 2009 4724377 50613 weezycom 1 4724769 I like Amphora Bakery in Vienna. Beautiful and very tasty. Fri May 29 07:46:59 -0700 2009 4723655 94267 HilkaryIC 2 4732468 I second the motion on Amphora. Delicious! Mon Jun 01 09:46:01 -0700 2009 4724769 270174 Sean D 1 4724789 just yesterday ordered a cake from firehook bakery in farragut square — the dark chocolate mousse cake. it was REALLY good, especially the ganache strip between layers. Fri May 29 07:54:29 -0700 2009 4723655 181498 littlew1ng 1 4724806 Here's a link to a similar thread that includes a particularly cautionary post about Amphora: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/599460 Here's an even longer thread on the same topic: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/598953 And one final thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/487861 Fri May 29 07:59:07 -0700 2009 4723655 61567 Indy 67 1 4725062 There's a bakery next to Hong Kong Palace, called Tiffany's Bakery. I've liked all the things that I've tried there, including a slice of tres leches cake. I've never had the chocolate cake, so I can't attest to it, but it might be worth looking into. I second the Pastries by Randolph suggestion, and also add Heidelburg Bakery into that. Fri May 29 09:12:17 -0700 2009 4723655 12786 FoodieGrrl 1 4725116 Heidelberg did the cake for my wedding, it was great. They also did a chocolate Groom's cake which was also pretty awesome, and it went in no time. Plus if you go on the weekends they grill German Sausages out front :) Fri May 29 09:29:17 -0700 2009 4723655 247373 GinChevyChase 1 4725516 Heidelburg Bakery on Rt 29/Lee Hwy. did a cake for a party I put on last year, and I was very pleased with the result. Fri May 29 11:28:05 -0700 2009 4723655 12752 MsDiPesto 1 4731184 My post didn't seem to post so my apologies if this duplicates. If you want a great chocolate cake go to Pastries by Randolph and get the chocolate cake with the chocolate shavings all on the sides and kind of like chocolate shaving waves on top. It is one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had, and I am a connoisseur of the chocolate cake. We got it for a BBQ party last year and it was soo good. Even Hubby who isn't a big chocolate cake person really liked it. It was a huge hit there wasn't a single piece to take home, I was so disappointed. We also had a fruit tart from there and a homemade pecan pie that I made so I was hoping for some leftovers, but there were none. Sun May 31 19:05:49 -0700 2009 4723655 92426 ktmoomau 1 4732514 Marvelous Market makes some really decadent-looking cakes. I haven't tried them but their chocolate ones look amazing. I highly suggest don't go to CakeLove. Mon Jun 01 10:01:16 -0700 2009 4723655 18011 Jacey 1 4732537 The chocolate cake Victoria's serves at the Fairfax Chocolate festival is fantastic. I'm not sure, however, which one it is on their site. http://www.victoriascakeryinc.com/ Mon Jun 01 10:08:50 -0700 2009 4723655 47903 mattm 1 4737685 I've ordered a cake from Furin's in Georgetown and it was very good. Tue Jun 02 20:20:04 -0700 2009 4723655 23633 Jule 1 4744596 I've had cake several times from French Bread Bakery in Herndon. Dee-licious! We couldn't stop eating their white cake with fresh strawberries in between the layers. Fri Jun 05 06:32:12 -0700 2009 4723655 684589 SueB001