A decent piece of chocolate cake

[lmnopm]

Nothing fancy, nothing molten, nothing flourless. Take out. It can be frosted, even have some chocolate bits in the frosting. Sometimes all you want is a simple piece of moist chocolate cake. Where can I find such a seemingly-rare item in the Oakland/Berkeley area?

[sundeck sue]

This may be dated. Haven't been there for at least five years. But I used to like the simple, moist chocolate cake @ Nabolom (Russell, off College). We liked it so much, we ordered it as a sheet cake for our kids' Bar/Bat Mitzvah parties. They made a mistake on the date for the Bar Mitzvah and made it a week early. They realized the error right away and sold it that weekend as slices. I've always chuckled, imagining Berkeley-ites w/ sweet tooths, walking around eating good chocolate cake, decorated with letters from the inscription, "Happy Bar Mitzvah, Adam."

[chocolatetartguy]

I'm a big fan of Arizmendi's version, but yesterday I was surprised to discover that Trader Joe's Patisserie de Chocolat was a good, chocolatey piece of cake. Not sure about their fractured French (Doesn't patisserie mean bakery, not cake), but the cake was moist with a good amount of not too sweet ganache frosting. It's a small cake for only 6.99. My only small complaint is that in their hard-to-open containers, it messes the frosting on the sides.

[ChowFun_derek]

Is it in their frozen food section or out on the floor?

[chocolatetartguy]

Out on the floor with all the other baked goods, none of which ever appealed to me before. I was pleasantly surprised that it was good and am looking forward to going home tonight to have another slice (or two) with a big glass of skim milk.

I guess their French is better than I thought, as patisserie does have the alternate meaning of cake. I had never heard of anything but gateau.

I love chocolate cake and theirs is deserving of some love.

[Robert Lauriston]

Patisserie = pastry/cake bakery or pastry-/cake-making. Patisserie au Chocolat is an odd name for a cake, would make more sense for a brand of chocolate baked goods.

[chocolatetartguy]

That's what I thought too, but looked it up on-line and patisserie has a secondary meaning of cake and chocolat does in fact mean chocolate, although I think the more usual phrase would be gateau au cocolat. This on one of those french-to-english dictionary sites.

Bear in mind it's TJ's. They might butcher the language, but they are savvy enough not to make up words. Ca va.

[Robert Lauriston]

Patisserie = pastry or cake in general, not *a* cake. If I saw the phrase "patisserie au chocolat" on a sign or menu I'd expect a selection.

[ChowFun_derek]

Thanks..I'll look for it!

[TerriL]

It's not really a take-out place, but Riva Cucina serves a terrific chocolate cake and is open for lunch and dinner. It is very moist, with a wonderfully 'plain' chocolate frosting.

-----
Riva Cucina
800 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710

[moto]

Its All Good makes a decent German choc. cake, available by the slice ; Boniere Bakery on Grand Ave in oaktown does chocolate cakes but call first if you want just a slice.

-----
Boniere Bakery
3249 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA

[Spenbald]

Not sure if the Cheeseboard in Berkeley or Arizmendi Emeryville or Lakeshore in Oakland would have it, but I've had the salted caramel frosted chocolate cake at the Sunset location and it was lovely.

[Robert Lauriston]

I've never seen cake at the Cheese Board.

[Windy]

I've had it too and liked the cake a lot but thought the frosting was a miss. BTW Arizmendi on Valencia has delicious inexpensive homemade lemon curd.

-----
Arizmendi
1268 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[hyperbowler]

Cheese Board has a loaf style chocolate cake, but I don't remember it having salted caramel frosting. It's on their site simply as "chocolate cake":
http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/che...

[sandunga_rbb]

+1 for the Cheese Board chocolate loaf. Very moist and studded with chips. Maybe not what the OP wanted, though, since there is no frosting. Likewise, and even more off-topic, the Cheese Board double chocolate cookies are phenomenal.

[chocolatetartguy]

I've had that salted caramel frosted cake and the regular chocolate cake at the Sunset Arizmendi and they are both very good. They don't have them at the cheeseboard, but possibly at the Emeryville or Lakeshore Arizmendi.

-----
Arizmendi
3265 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA

[chompy]

Don't know about Emeryville, but I haven't ever seen chocolate cake at the Lakeshore Arizmendi.

[escargot3]

ditto Robert's suggestion of Crixa.
but i suspect it's something that Katrina Roselle Bakery on College usually has on hand.

[milklady]

Katrina Rozelle is a good idea. Their chocolate cakes are sold by the slice, but one contains caramel and (I believe) almonds, and the other hazelnuts. They are both great.

If you are willing to buy a whole small cake, the one from Sweet Adeline is truly great.

-----
Sweet Adeline
3350 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA

Katrina Rozelle
5931 College Ave, Oakland, CA

[Robert Lauriston]

Crixa, sometimes. Their by-the-slice menu varies daily.