Paris, France – Sucre Coeur

This is a chess match, but on a cake! The chessboard top is made out of dark chocolate and white chocolate squares, and the chess pieces on it are also made of chocolate. It looks like team brown has won because the white king has been knocked over. I think it looks really delicious and delectable. I wanted to take the photo at this angle because I wanted to see all the layers. It’s one, two, three, four, five… A five layer cake (but really six, if you include the white and dark chocolate squares on top).

And I think it’s cool because the bakery has been around since 1682. There’s a ton of sweets and history in Paris. And this kind of made me think of both – the long history of the place (since it’s been there since 1682), and the sweet treats of Paris, since it’s a cake!

The Kid is onto something here. Paris does have quite a history, and its food is certainly a good reason to visit. The Kid’s photo is an Échiquier from the window display of Dalloyau, the storied baker of Paris, and is a twist on their iconic multi-layered Opéra Cake, supposedly inspired by the prima ballerina at the Palais Garnier opera house.

We weren’t able to taste this particular cake because the bakery was closed when we walked by. But I can attest to the deliciousness of the macarons of Pierre Hermé, the modern artisanal éclairs at L’Éclair de Génie, the peach cakes of Des Gateaux et du Pain, and the Mont Blancs of Angelina. A reliable source also tells me that the next big thing to try is the Merveilleux at Aux Merveilleux de Fred, which managed to be closed each time we went there. However, the simple pleasure of eating (or rather, devouring) an ice cream crêpe at Crêperie Josselin is messy fun!