San Geraldo made what I will avow is by far the best chocolate cake I have ever had in my entire life. And I do believe there are seven other people who will agree with me (San Geraldo, being a saint, is much too humble to say so).
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| TARTA DE CHOCOLATE A LA SAN GERALDO. |
We went to lunch at Tere's for a slightly belated birthday celebration for Miguel. There were 10 of us in total and everyone brought something. The food was, as usual, wonderful. And the company of Tere and Miguel and their friends has no equal. They are warm, kind, funny, interesting, charming... I could go on and on. I am grateful every day for the moment last year when we met and immediately fell in love with Teré. But, enough of that. I do have my priorities. Chocolate cake.
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| NO CHANCE TO GET A PHOTO OF AN UNTOUCHED SLICE. (I WAS TOO BUSY EATING.) |
San Geraldo offered to make a chocolate cake for the party. Since he can't find many of the same ingredients here in Spain for the meals and desserts he used to make in the States, he improvised. He started by baking two cake layers that he planned to stack with some kind of fruit filling between. But, mid-stream, he changed his mind. Three layers and two different fillings* would be so much more interesting, he thought. He sliced one of the cakes in half (well, sort of) horizontally. Miguel prefers sweet (as opposed to tart) fruits. So, San Geraldo made an apricot jam-based filling between the top two layers. He decided to use a light, cream cheese filling, also of his own creation, for the other. It was all smothered in chocolate frosting and decorated with whole almonds and dried apricots hand-dipped (by San Geraldo) in chocolate. Really, orgásmico.
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| SO GRATEFUL FOR THE GOOD FOOD, THE BRILLIANT COMPANY... AND THE EXCEEDLINGLY SLOW WALK HOME ACROSS ISABEL BRIDGE . |
*Postscript: San Geraldo pointed out that it was actually FOUR layers, not three, with apricot filling twice and cream cheese filling in the center!
Wow, that looks amazing! Although I prefer to leave our cooking to Todd, I do love to bake. I could use some lessons from San Geraldo! My stuff tastes good, but does not look as pretty....
ReplyDeleteCarole:
DeleteHe's definitely a perfectionist (and talented) when it comes to presentation. (I think I have a tarta hangover.)
I'm not a sweets person but that cake looked wonderful.... it might even make a sweet person out of me ;-)
ReplyDeleteOdd Essay:
DeleteThe cake itself wasn't overly sweet. The icing was an overdose!
Salivation.....chocolate cake always does it and with apricots....I can smell the beautiful concoction.... Miguel is one lucky birthday boy!
ReplyDeleteRon
Ron:
DeleteI just looked again at the photo and starting salivating. Addiction?
Would you please please just stop showing those pics and describing it. It's drinking me forking crazy. Stop, more, stop, more. Muy muy bien, Mitchell. Totally orgasmico indeed.
ReplyDeletePaul:
DeleteI hardly slept last night and I got out of bed this morning with a major chocolate hangover. But if San Geraldo were to serve up another slice, I'd dig right in. Sorry for the chocolate envy. If you make it to Sevilla, I'm sure San Geraldo would bake another one.
That beautiful cake is worthy of the finest high-end restaurant. He must have spent an entire day making it. No wonder you call him a saint!
ReplyDeleteMs. Sparrow:
DeleteHe baked the cakes Saturday evening. Made the fillings and the frosting and finished it all it off Sunday morning. Hours and hours of work. He and the kitchen were covered in chocolate when it was all over. He's amazing.
Presentation....10/10!
ReplyDeleteIngredients.....10/10!
Taste...........10/10! (taking your word for it)
Orgasmico.......10/10!
San Geraldo.....10/10!
Jim:
DeleteYou can definitely take my word for it. I woke up this morning saying I will never eat chocolate again. Then I started thinking about that cake and now I wish there were more! San Geraldo is definitely 10/10 (with or without the cake).
Man oh man, that looks so good! How wonderful that you have such great friends there, too -- makes everything more fun :)
ReplyDeleteJudeet:
DeleteTeré and Miguel are a joy and they surround themselves with such wonderful people that they graciously share with us. We can't believe our good fortune... And then there's San Geraldo and his cooking!
OMG, I have just had an orgasmico looking at that cake:-). Now I know why some people say chocolate is better than sex!
ReplyDeleteDi
xxxx
YONKS:
DeleteSO much better! (Well, in combination might not be bad either.)
That cake looks irresistible. Are those apricots with it?
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteYes, apricots dipped in chocolate and apricot jam filling. Sigh...
I have to agree with Jim, it's an overall winner! [While swallowing the excess saliva]
ReplyDeletePeter:
DeleteThis I think was one's sugar ration for the year!
Just one thing puzzles me. Why are you showing a "slice" when, surely, a cake is a cake is a single serving? One candle, one serving for one person; it's an EU rule.
ReplyDeleteOwl Wood:
DeleteDid I mention it weighed about 10 pounds?!? I worked my muscles just carrying it to the taxi. No "tea cake," this.
Delicious! I usually read your blog before breakfast and sometimes that makes me very hungry. The picture is magnificent, but I bet it tasted even better.
ReplyDeleteKristi:
DeleteEven after OD'ing on chocolate two days in a row, if that cake were in front of me right now I'd have another slice. Unbelievable!
Wow, that is a fabulous looking cake....I could eat a slice right now. Chocolate with apricots sounds like a match made in heaven. Must try that next time I need to make a cake !!
ReplyDeleteJean:
DeleteIt really was better than I can put into words.
There is always cake in our lives Marie Antoinette would be so proud!
ReplyDeleteIt is a family tradition that I introduced to my oh-so-willing partner. Therefore we cake every afternoon (or evening) but I must say that I have never yet made a chocolate cake. This may well have inspired me as it looks so good!
Does 'frosting' mean butter icing?
Kirk
Kirk:
DeleteSan Geraldo's favorite cake is chocolate, so he's made many over the years. And they've been incredible. But this, well... it takes the cake as "they" say.
I am about to attempt to learn Spanish (again)
ReplyDeleteAviso vacas! Is my first lesson. Thanks to you I can now saw orgasm. I hope the later is more useful.
Spo:
Delete"Aviso vacas!" Now, that's an interesting expression and I hope will come in handy some day (on the farm?).
I, too, hope orgásmico is more useful. (It works great for chocolate cake.)
but is chocolate cake better than an orgasm?
DeleteSpo:
DeleteChocolate cake can cause one.
That cake is amazingly orgasmico!!! San Geraldo needs to open a cake shop in London...I will be in there every day. :-)
ReplyDeleteJeff:
DeleteWe'd eat all the profits (well, we'd eat all the cakes BEFORE the profits even accrued)!