Having your cake and eating it too!

It is clear to most people who know me that I am definitely a fan of the sweet stuff in life.. sugar is a vice that I struggle with everyday. Generally it doesn't take as formal a presentation as cake, which most of us associate with a special occasion. But luckily for me, my sister had a special birthday and I had just the occasion I needed to dive head first into cakedom.

Lucky for me, she chose a theme for her party celebration that provided numerous cake options, the 80s! Google 80s cakes and you're going to get everything from elaborate rubik's cube cakes to madonna cakes to the time honored PacMan cakes. And who doesn't enjoy the irony of eating PacMan? I certainly do. So, it was time to get the Funfetti (Betty Crocker brand confetti cake mix) cake mix and yellow food dye ready to make a homemade PacMan cake complete with chocolate eye. This was a huge hit with the kids (photo to follow soon).

And this was just course #1 of cakes. The real reason I even bring this up is as a tribute, a thanks, a standing ovation to the pastry chef at La Praline in Bethesda, MD. In a last ditch effort I called them from many states away to order a cake sight unseen, never tasted. Now, my sister and I happen to be real slaves to the chocolate hazelnut spreads, including Nutella. So, when their pastry menu listed a Chocolate Hazelnut Dacqouise, I knew I had to get it. I had NO idea what it was, not even after ordering a half sheet of it for 40 people. But this is when the risk was WELL worth it. No elaborate decorating needed, though I did have a tasteful chocolate plaque made that ready HAPPY BIRTHDAY. The cake itself was presented beautfully in the form of what most people think of for Tiramisu layers. The bottom was a hazelnut sponge cake, topped with a chocolate hazelnut spread thickly, then toasted hazelnuts topped with a thick custard creme, topped with another layer of cake and then a hard chocolate top, swirled as if in a zen garden. At the corners of the cake were pyramids of candied hazelnuts... like the crown on this jewel..

The presentation was lovely. But it didn't even hold a candle to the rich, delicious flavor and textures that this cake delivered. Rich but not sickly sweet, a light crunch from the nuts but the smooth creaminess from the custard and chocolate cream combined. I didn't mind that there was very little cake to hold the structure together. In fact, I didn't even think about it until now.

The only problem with this whole cake was that it was SO delicious that the manager and other staffers at the club we were visiting helped themselves to portions after hearing how amazing it was... but there was more then enough cake to share. And thank goodness, because it that cake had come home, I wouldn't be here to write this. I'd have died and gone to cake heaven!

So, this will end with a definite standing ovation for LA PRALINE bakery in Bethesda, MD (www.praline-bakery.com). Yum, yum yum and thank you, thank you, thank you!