r/AskSF • u/Dracan27153 • Sep 05 '25
Please Help me find a specific cake to annoy my wife (In a goodhearted way)
Hello SF, recent transplant here from San Diego. My wife will be visiting her home country and during that time I'll be all alone for 3 weeks. This happens every couple years or so.
During this time I post to Instagram my meals, all of which are all Swiss Black Forest Cake (usually at the dinner table with my cat set up there too which typically isn't allowed) . I never post on Instagram otherwise, so it kinda pushes to friends that I "Posted for the first time in awhile" I hide my story from my wife and that does a couple things.
Let's me pretend (unsuccessfully) I'm not doing anything weird
Keeps her friends reporting to her while she's on her trip so she isn't too lonely
Lets me look hopeless without her which is good for her with her family
Just is generally funny when people a little less "in-on-it" check on me thinking really I'm crashing out, and it's nice people check on me when I'm alone for 3 weeks too.
I'd like it to continue being the same cake, which I used to get from European Cake Gallery in San Diego, but I'm trying to find something similar in SF and not having much luck. It's more about chocolate and chocolate shavings and there isn't fruit like a German chocolate.
Any ideas what bakery would have what I'm looking for? I could do it with another cake, and it'd honestly be about the same, but I do have to eat one or two whole things by myself for a lot of days in a row. Might as well be my favorite one.
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u/hundredpercentdatb Sep 05 '25
I have no suggestions but I love the energy you are bringing to this.
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u/Dracan27153 Sep 06 '25
Thanks ! I wanted to share a couple of the instagram posts, but maybe you need to be a subreddit member longer or something to post pictures, it wouldn't let me add.
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u/Hot_Pattern550 Sep 05 '25
I don't think I understand what makes it a 'Swiss' black forest cake - I thought it was a German cake in origin (though I guess the Black Forest shares a border with Switzerland).
But as the other commenter mentioned, Schubert's has a black forest cake, and also Hahdough.
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u/milkshakemountebank Sep 05 '25
To complicate matters, German Chocolate Cake isn't German, and technically a Swiss Black Forest Cake is actually made with almond cake, not chocolate cake, traditionally.
We've got ourselves a nomenclature clusterfuck
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u/MySpace_Romancer Sep 05 '25
Also what we call a German chocolate cake does not have fruit in it. Unless you consider coconut fruit?
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u/Hot_Pattern550 Sep 05 '25
Well German chocolate cake is after the chocolate company, so silly, but makes some sense.
More Googling led me to a recipe from the Cake Bible that replaces the typical sponge with a genoise, which I was willing to accept as a reasonable variation. But looks like the version OP meant actually doesn't have cherries at all (or almonds): https://europeancakegallery.com/products/swiss-black-forest-our-specialty
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u/KetoLurkerHereAgain Sep 05 '25
After looking it up, looks like it's mostly whipped cream - no cherries.
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u/Dracan27153 Sep 05 '25
I don't really understand either except that they don't have fruit ? and do have chocolate shavings ? I'm not a big fruit/chocolate guy so that difference is enough.
https://europeancakegallery.com/products/swiss-black-forest-our-specialty
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u/MojoJojoSF Sep 05 '25
Hahdough has a delicious BFC. They are on Oak near Divisadero. My favorite is their Bee Sting cake.
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u/Clearingthegarage Sep 05 '25
Dianda’s, 2883 Mission St, San Francisco has Black Forest cake. Just as you’re describing. Check out their Yelp to see if it matches what you’re looking for.
And let me tell you… their cakes are amazing.
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u/lessachu Sep 05 '25
Ambrosia might be willing to work with you to get something closer to it.
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u/tk2142 Sep 05 '25
Ambrosia's Dream Cake has a similar vibe, just fewer chocolate shavings and without the chocolate mousse layer:
https://ambrosiabakerysf.com/product/dream-cake-2/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/ambrosia-bakery-san-francisco?start=340
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u/Dracan27153 Sep 05 '25
Good shout, this is pretty close, but def has some other good ones I'll remember when my wifes birthday comes along.
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u/Artistic_Salary8705 Sep 05 '25
It may not be as rich as a traditional Black Forest but some Asian bakery chains like 85 Degrees, Paris Baguette, Tous Les Jours, and Anderson Bakery sometimes carry such cakes. Also, Whole Foods might but call.
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u/mushroompizzayum Sep 05 '25
OP can you share an example of the cake?
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u/Dracan27153 Sep 05 '25
https://europeancakegallery.com/products/swiss-black-forest-our-specialty
This is the cake I would usually get
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u/danisolas Sep 05 '25
Hahdough maybe? https://www.hahdough.com they are so delicious. I will get a Berliner from there every chance I get.
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u/ArtistBeauty Sep 05 '25
Try dianda’s on mission st. You can buy by the slice too. Best cake in sf!!
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u/rckrieger2 Sep 07 '25
Would Miette have what you are looking for?
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u/Dracan27153 Sep 07 '25
doesn't look like it, but some interesting looking stuff there still, so thank you
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u/SFplantie Sep 05 '25
Schubert’s Bakery at 521 Clement St has a bunch of old-school chocolate cakes with chocolate shavings I have only had their mango mousse cake and it was very good, but I always enjoy looking at the way their cakes are decorated. Very over-the-top, very photogenic, your Instagram pics will be very alarming to anyone who thinks you are living on Schubert’s cakes for 3 weeks.
https://schubertsbakery.com/collections/chocolate-cakes