The Best Chocolate Cake in the World

Of course I had to try this place as soon as I heard about it. It opened up next to Ceci-Cela, another favorite bakery, a couple weeks ago. Apparently it's a Portugal-based chain that expanded to various Brazilian cities. (When I think of Brazil, I usually picture bathing beauties or soccer players, not people who indulge in semi-sweet and bittersweet flourless cakes coated with rich, dark ganache.)

The two versions of the cake (the recipe is the same, except for the Valrhona cocoa content) are served with glasses of milk, or whipped cream, or your choice of Il Laboratorio del Gelato (fresh mint or raspberry are nice). There's a thick layer of chocolate mousse, while a soft meringue base adds a spongy mouthfeel.

So, is this cake the best chocolate cake in the world? I'm not sure; I'm rather partial to the so-chocolatey-it's-almost-black Brooklyn Blackout at Two Little Red Hens, or the Nocturne at Michel Cluizel (I guess that's cheating, as it has raspberry jam in it, and what's even better than chocolate? Chocolate with raspberry jam). But it's definitely a contender if you are open to a nontraditional cake with meringue instead of actual "cake"; both versions are creamy, intensely chocolatey, and not overly sweet.

The Best Chocolate Cake in the World: 55A Spring St. (212) 343-2253.