20 Bakeries For The Best Chocolate Cake In The US
Calling all chocolate lovers! What could be more satisfying than a slice of chocolate cake? Whether you're celebrating a birthday, marking an anniversary, or simply looking for a way to indulge your sweet tooth, chocolate cakes are one of the most beloved, quintessential desserts to savor. Because they're such a time-honored part of the country's culinary tradition, chocolate cakes are ubiquitous across menus in bakeries all over the United States. But if you thought all chocolate cakes were interchangeable, think again. Countless types of chocolate cakes exist, varying in texture, ingredients, grade of chocolate, and overall flavor.
Some of the most classic varieties of chocolate cake include chocolate buttercream and chocolate fudge cake, which are primarily found at birthday parties. More regional-specific chocolate cakes include German chocolate cake, Brooklyn Blackout cake, and chocolate Doberge cake. A few sophisticated twists on the classic chocolate cake that are increasing in popularity are flourless chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and chocolate truffle cake.
Since there are so many exceptionally delicious chocolate cakes to choose from, we narrowed the selection for you. Here, we compiled a list of some of the best bakeries for chocolate cakes nationwide. This assortment of bakeries was chosen based on personal experience, culinary award recognition, and reputable local news sources.
Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.
Lady M (Multiple locations)
Lady M is best known for its signature mille crêpe cake, made from countless layers of delicate French crêpes layered between luscious fresh cream. As one of the best bakeries in New York, it's no surprise that the quality and variety of the dessert selection at this spot are supreme.
The sophisticated bakery, with locations in cities like New York, Las Vegas, Boston, and Chicago, features several rotating cake flavors that highlight ingredients paired with the seasons. Its collection of year-round cakes includes an exceptional chocolate cake: the Amedei chocolate mille crêpes. Amedei chocolate is sourced from Tuscany and woven into the cream and paper-thin crêpes. The cake is then covered in a thick chocolate ganache and topped with rich chocolate shavings.
Multiple locations
Atelier Monnier in Miami, FL
Miami is home to Atelier Monnier, a French bakery and wine boutique offering an elevated yet lively culinary space with outdoor seating. At Atelier Monnier, you can indulge in pastries, quiche, and signature cakes, including one of the bakery's most popular items: the three-chocolate cake. While the three-chocolate cake is gluten-free, unlike several gluten-free chocolate cakes on this list, it isn't a traditional flourless chocolate cake.
Instead, Atelier Monnier's gluten-free three-chocolate cake features a light and airy dark chocolate sponge cake with layers of three types of chocolate: dark, milk, and ivory (white) chocolate. The cake is sealed in a glossy chocolate coating and playfully topped with macaroon shells.
ateliermonnierdadeland.square.site
Multiple locations in Miami, FL
Papa Haydn in Portland, OR
Portland's restaurants have a reputation for being unique and brimming with personality and unquestionable artistry. Our selection from the city highlights a bakery that has been a mainstay in the community since the late 1970s. Papa Haydn's is a family-run bakery whose recipes span generations and trace back to Berlin. Fifty years later, Papa Haydn now has two locations and a live jazz bar, but it still makes some of the best cakes in all of Oregon with those same family recipes.
While Papa Haydn's offers several quality chocolate cakes, our favorite is the German chocolate cake. Behold a chocolate buttermilk cake filled with layers of coconut and pecans topped with a decadent milk chocolate ganache.
Multiple locations in Portland, Oregon
Eclairons in Arlington, VA
In Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C., you can feast on decadent culinary creations from owner and pastry chef Toni Srour, who immigrated to America from Lebanon. Srour's bakery, Eclarions, offers a sophisticated blend of French and Lebanese cuisine that showcases his familial background and culinary training.
The Prestige chocolate cake at Eclarions embodies the bakery's diverse roots. The base is a chocolate genoise cake — a sponge cake that sets itself apart from other varieties because it's made with butter, which enhances an otherwise airy cake with a decadent flavor. Between the sponge cake are rich layers of brandy and dark chocolate truffle mousse. The cake is topped with dark chocolate ruffles and studded with chocolate shavings.
(571) 527-0661
1737 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209
Pâtisserie Manon in Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas is overflowing with showstopping culinary destinations, but an eye-catching presentation doesn't always translate into flavor. Fortunately, there is Pâtisserie Manon, an expansive yet quality bakery where you can procure specialty cakes that taste just as good as they look. Pâtisserie Manon's menu includes crepes and pastries, but its cakes are the true highlight. As we continue our search for the best chocolate cakes in America, Pâtisserie Manon's most popular offering, the truffle cake, is a solid contender.
Underneath a bed of rich chocolate shavings are layers of decadent airy chocolate mousse sandwiched between dense dark chocolate cake. The truffle cake is crowned with rich dollops of chocolate mousse and thick chocolate curls dusted in powdered sugar. The cake is so fresh and sought-after that it requires a 24-hour notice to order.
(702) 586-2666
8751 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89117
Proof Bakery in Los Angeles, CA
There is no shortage of stellar bakeries in California, both of the elevated variety and the every day, but Proof Bakery is a definitive standout. Proof Bakery, a worker-owned baking cooperative, embodies the ethos often associated with the Californian culinary scene: sustainability and the use of raw ingredients without sacrificing quality or flavor. The bakery also demonstrates how to exist as an ethical and equitable business. And it makes excellent sweets.
One of its customer favorites, featured on the small, seasonally rotating menu, is our chocolate cake pick: the flourless truffle cake. This chocolate cake, made with a gluten-free almond chocolate crust, is intensely rich and velvety. Each bite is impossibly decadent; almost like chocolate truffle filling is spread across an entire slice of cake.
(323) 664-8633
3156 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Carissa's Bakery in Long Island, NY
One of the best places to get coffee in Sag Harbor also happens to have exceptional chocolate cake. Carissa's is a James Beard award-winning bakery on Long Island with three locations across the East End. Carissa's has transitioned from offering custom cakes to focusing on its vibrant all-day bakery, where it serves lush pastries and a seasonally focused kitchen menu. Fortunately for lovers of cake and chocolate, that all-day bakery features three superior cakes, including the exquisite meringue chocolate flourless cake.
Its impossibly dense gluten-free flourless chocolate cake is topped with an elaborate display of freshly whipped meringue studded with gold leaf. What makes this cake so spectacular is the combination of the quality of the dark chocolate and the lushness of the meringue, which perfectly cuts the thickness of the base.
Multiple locations in Long Island, New York
The Cake Bake Shop (Multiple locations in Indiana)
Our journey to discover the best chocolate cakes in America takes us into the Midwest to The Cake Bake Shop in Indiana. The Cake Bake Shop is the labor of love of its baker and owner, Gwendolyn Rogers, who overcame a challenging childhood to realize her lifelong dream of bringing sweet creations to the masses. Fast forward several decades, and Rogers' bakery, The Cake Bake Shop, is an Indiana institution that's graced several local culinary magazine covers and even made it onto Oprah's coveted "Favorite Things" list.
The most notable item on the menu is Gwendolyn's Famous Earl's Court chocolate cake, a transcendent three-layer cake with a Valhrona chocolate base sandwiched between thick chocolate malted cream and Callebaut Belgian chocolate ganache. The cake is frosted with dark fudge and topped generously with fleur de sel from the South of France.
Multiple locations in Indiana
dbakers Sweet Studio in Miami, FL
dbakers Sweet Studio is a magically inventive bakery run by twins Christian and Giancarlo Guevara. All of the specialty cakes available at this luxurious and eye-catching haven of sweets are frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream made from a decades-old Guevara family recipe. However, one cake is more captivating than the next. Envision arches of toasted meringue, pressed edible flowers, and splattered edible gold.
dbakers Sweet Studio's chocolate lovers cake is a towering chocolate delight made with decadent chocolate cake layered with dark chocolate crème anglaise. The cake is finished with the bakery's signature Swiss meringue buttercream and drenched in chocolate glaze with splashes of 24-karat gold leaf. And if that wasn't enough, the cake is topped with chocolate macarons and massive chocolate medallions.
Multiple locations in Miami, Florida
Miette Pâtisserie & Confiserie (Multiple locations in California)
Miette Pâtisserie & Confiserie is a charming bakery and sweets shop with candy-colored locations across Northern California. When you step inside Miette, you will feel immediately transported into a world of sugar-coated decadence. There are excellent homemade confections to choose from, including English toffee, caramels, and floral meringues. You can even snag delectable homemade shortbread in adorable take-home packaging. But we're here to talk about cake.
Behold the Scharffen Berger cake, which, as its name suggests, is prepared with Scharffen Berger chocolate — the first bean-to-bar chocolate maker in the country. This intensely dark chocolate cake is fudgey and decadent. It's covered in a rich chocolate ganache and topped with an idyllic sugar flower petal.
Multiple locations in California
Brown Sugar Bakery in Chicago, IL
Brown Sugar Bakery is a beloved staple in the heart of Chicago. It's one of the only Black woman-owned chocolate makers in the country. The shop was founded by Stephanie Hart, a semifinalist for the 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker. Brown Sugar Bakery is dedicated to bringing Southern specialties — most notably its caramel cake — to the Midwest with artistry and supreme deliciousness.
Thanks to nationwide shipping, Brown Sugar Bakery's house cakes, premium cakes, and homemade chocolates can all be yours regardless of your zip code. We recommend ordering the German dark chocolate cake, which features four layers of midnight dark chocolate cake with creamy coconut, caramel, and pecan filling.
(773) 224-6262
328 E 75th St, Chicago, IL 60619
Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York, NY
New York City is one of the food capitals of the world — and for good reason. You may have heard of the Dominique Ansel Bakery, the legendary pastry shop where the iconic Cronut was created, but did you know that Dominique Ansel's mastery of sweets extends beyond croissants and kouign amann?
The bakery's signature cake, available year-round, is the chocolate Mini-Me. The name refers to the exceptionally delicious mini chocolate meringues that stud the entire exterior of the rich chocolate cake. Underneath those perfectly sweet meringues is a smooth chocolate ganache that coats layers of moist chocolate sponge cake, which really functions as building blocks for the decadent chocolate mousse sandwiched between them.
(212) 219-2773
189 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
The Dark Chocolate Bakery in Dallas, TX
When we discovered The Dark Chocolate Bakery, we knew we needed to pay attention. The Dallas-based, online-only bakery was founded by Jill Frank, who dreamed of bringing her passion for all things chocolate into a sweets shop that could reach folks across the United States. The Dark Chocolate Bakery has fulfilled that dream by offering its chocolates and signature cakes via local delivery and nationwide shipping.
Our favorite cake from this bakery is the chocolate toffee crunch cake, which showcases three layers of densely dark chocolate cake with a luscious cream filling that is bursting with toffee bites. The cake is frosted in a luxurious chocolate buttercream, and the exterior is decorated with buttery toffee.
(469) 662-0997
D Bar Denver in Denver, CO
D Bar Denver is owned by celebrity chef Keegan Gerhard, who brings his mastery of sweets and pastries to Denver's culinary scene. At D Bar Denver, you can enjoy specialty drinks, a curated kitchen menu, and an excellent array of mini pastries, cupcakes, and signature cakes.
Grandma's chocolate cake is a showstopper on the menu and is as classic and quintessential as its name suggests. The cake's base is a rich, flavorful, and airy chocolate sponge. It's filled with generous portions of Madagascar chocolate frosting and topped with chocolate pearls and paper-thin ripples of dark, milk, and white chocolate. This cake is the perfect blend of everyday and exceptional.
Multiple locations in Denver, Colorado
The Buttery ATL in Atlanta, GA
Speaking of quintessential cakes, look no further than the chocolate fudge cake at The Buttery ATL's sweets shop in Atlanta, Georgia. The shop is a relative newcomer to the food scene, opening during the pandemic in 2020. The Buttery ATL reflects the way the world shifted by offering an array of prepared meals and artisanal cheeses to eat at home, in addition to standout cakes, breads, and pastries.
The aforementioned chocolate fudge cake is an immensely satisfying dark chocolate layer cake laced with rich chocolate fudge frosting. That frosting is generously slathered around the cake's perimeter, building to the top of the dessert with elegant fudge ripples. It's also topped with chocolate cake crumbles.
(678) 235-2654
2137 Manchester St NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Mindy's Bakery in Chicago, IL
Mindy's Bakery is another culinary gem born out of the pandemic. Run by pastry chef Mindy Segal, who previously operated the beloved Chicago restaurant HotChocolate, Mindy's Bakery is a bakery collective dedicated to bringing a limited run of freshly made goods with quality ingredients to the broader community. Mindy's Bakery's offerings are influenced by the flavors of the Middle East and Europe and feature exceptional pastries, bread, and cakes that reflect the rich diversity of the United States.
In that spirit, there's no better cake to enjoy at Mindy's than the Perfect All-American chocolate cake: a light and airy dark chocolate cake slathered in rich chocolate buttercream and luscious hot fudge.
(773) 489-1747
1623 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL, 60647
Bakery Nouveau in Seattle, WA
Bakery Nouveau is one of the most celebrated bakeries in Seattle, so it's no surprise that it is home to an extraordinary chocolate cake. The bakery is run by William and Heather Leaman, the former of whom helmed the 2005 Bread Bakers Guild Team and went on to win the Coupe du Monde de Boulangerie (the World Cup of Baking).
Bakery Nouveau is known for its community spirit and its innovative and sumptuous pastries, bread, chocolate, and cakes. Our pick for the most wondrous selection for chocolate lovers at Bakery Nouveau is the classic chocolate cake. Underneath a web of salted caramel drizzle and crispy caramel pearls are layers of chocolate frosting covering a dense dark chocolate cake filled with light and airy chocolate mousse.
Multiple locations in Seattle, Washington
Debbie Does Doberge (Multiple locations in Louisiana)
Louisiana is credited with many marvelous culinary creations, including king cake, Creole seafood, and beignets. But we're here to talk about one of the state's unsung heroes: New Orleans' iconic Doberge cake. Doberge cake is a multi-layer style of cake adapted from a classic Hungarian recipe. The signature of Doberge is the lemon or chocolate pudding filling that separates the layers. You'd be right to guess that our favorite cake from Debbie Does Doberge is chocolate — the triple chocolate Doberge cake, to be specific.
Debbie's Doberge showcases seven thin layers of dark chocolate cake with six layers of thick chocolate pudding between them. The cake is then covered with poured fondant icing for a smooth and visually stunning appearance.
(504) 210-8519
Multiple locations in Louisiana
Carousel Cakes (Multiple locations)
Carousel Cakes, headquartered in Nanuet, New York, is a family-owned bakery that has been serving the Northeast for over 30 years and now offers nationwide shipping. While Oprah's favorite cake from Carousel Cakes is the red velvet cake, we have a soft spot for the NY Blackout cake — more widely known as Brooklyn Blackout cake.
Carousel Cake's NY Blackout cake follows the authentic preparation of blackout cake. The chocolate cake base is infused with a rich dark chocolate pudding that contributes to an exceptionally moist, chocolatey flavor. The cake is thickly frosted with chocolate pudding and finished with a generous coating of fresh chocolate cake crumbs.
Multiple locations
Sugaree's Bakery in New Albany, MS
Sugaree's has been a member of the New Albany community since the late 1990s and is now shipping its cakes nationwide to share sugary sweetness with all of America. While the bakery has expanded, Sugaree's remains committed to the principle of using locally sourced ingredients to make quality cakes grounded in tradition. While many of its competitors offer bells and whistles, Sugaree's specializes in pared-down classic Southern-style layer cakes.
Our favorite is Sugaree's chocolate cake, which features a mouthwateringly moist chocolate cake with two layers of chocolate buttercream icing. The cake is then coated in an additional layer of buttercream.
(866) 784-2733
110 W Bankhead St, New Albany, MS 38652
Methodology
This list of the best bakeries for chocolate cake across the country was compiled based on personal experience and extensive culinary research. The research included awards recognition for bakers and bakeries, features in reputable local news sources, and verified customer reviews. To determine what makes a chocolate cake "the best," we considered quality ingredients, satisfying texture, and overall flavor. For culinary and geographic variety, we include several different types of popular chocolate cakes that span every region of the United States.