Kansas City's Best Chocolate Cake

Kansas City will argue about barbecue until the cows come home, but chocolate cake is a quieter, more personal loyalty test. From a bakery that handles last-minute custom orders with the calm of a spy agency to a counter where the staff sorts you into a Hogwarts house, the city’s bakers take their cocoa seriously.

Even the pie purists at Ashleigh’s, worth crossing World Cup traffic for, put up a respectable slice. We ate a lot of frosting so you don’t have to guess.

Here’s where to find your next fix.

André's Chocolates

Highlights
Rich, delicious desserts
Friendly, helpful staff
Ample back parking
Superb plated lunches
Tempting treats to-go

André's Chocolates sits on a corner that looks easy to miss. It isn't. The front case glows with truffles, tortes, and things I wanted in my car immediately. Staff greeted me before I finished shutting the door. Helpful, patient, and genuinely cheerful. I ordered a slice of their chocolate cake. Rich is an understatement. The frosting had that slight sheen of good butter and dark cocoa. Dense, but not heavy. A forkful holds its shape. Back parking made the whole trip painless. The plated lunch crowd seemed happy. I left with a box of treats. I'll be back. That cake stays in my head.

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Scola's Original Italian Cookies & Pastries

Highlights
Black forest cake wins
Friendly, chatty counter staff
Moist cake, balanced frosting
Great price for quality
Worth a return visit

Scola's looks like a neighborhood secret. It isn't secret enough. The counter staff chatted me up like a regular. Black forest cake sits front and center. I took a slice. The cake was moist, the cherry filling tart, and the whipped cream balanced the chocolate perfectly. No sugar shock. No dry crumb. At that price, it feels like stealing. They also have cookies and pastries, but I stayed focused. The staff's recommendations were spot-on. This is a return trip kind of place. I already know my next order. Two slices, to go. Maybe three.

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Wally's Pastry Shop and DellaRose Gelato

Highlights
Five desserts, great value
Carrot cake pops shine
Eclairs hit perfection
Homemade peanut butter cup rivals

Wally's Pastry Shop and DellaRose Gelato is a twofer. I went for the chocolate cake. I left with five desserts. The value is absurd. Their carrot cake pops shine, but that's not the headline. The eclairs hit perfection. Crisp shell, cool cream, dark chocolate glaze. The homemade peanut butter cup rivals anything wrapped in foil. As for the chocolate cake, it's honest work. Moist crumb, deep flavor, frosting that doesn't quit. The staff let me browse. That was dangerous. My bag was heavy. My wallet was light. My evening was excellent. Go early. Go hungry.

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Nothing Bundt Cakes

Highlights
Creamy, right-sized cake choices
Friendly staff resolved coupon issues
White chocolate raspberry stands out
Strawberry and cream absolutely yum

Nothing Bundt Cakes is a chain. I know. But this location works. The counter staff fixed a coupon issue without blinking. No drama. The cake itself is right-sized. Creamy, dense, and not cloyingly sweet. I tried the white chocolate raspberry. It stands out. Swirls of white chocolate, tart raspberry inside, and that signature Bundt ring texture. The strawberry and cream version was just as good. Absolutely yum is the right phrase. I ate both. In one sitting. No regrets. This place does one thing well. They do it consistently. That counts in Kansas City.

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Add to the Beauty Bakery

Highlights
Custom orders exceed expectations
Cake delivery surprise success
Most delicious cake ever

Add to the Beauty Bakery works by custom order. I gave them a vague idea and a tight deadline. They delivered a cake that made my friend cry. Not sad tears. Happy ones. The chocolate layer was moist, the ganache was glossy, and the whole thing tasted like someone actually cared. The delivery arrived on time, intact, and beautifully boxed. Staff communicated clearly throughout. They didn't overpromise. They just baked. The result is the most delicious cake I've had in months. If you need a special occasion handled, call them. If you just need cake, call them anyway.

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Dolce Bakery

Highlights
Fireside Latte absolutely delicious
Tempting baked goods display
Lemon blueberry bread gift-worthy
Fun Harry Potter sorting
Weekend kickoff favorite

Dolce Bakery is my weekend kickoff spot. The fireside latte is absolutely delicious. Smoky, warm, and perfect with a pastry. The display case tempts you before you order. I tried the lemon blueberry bread. Gift-worthy, yes. But I kept it. The chocolate cake option here is respectable, though the real stars are the baked goods and the staff. They even sorted me into a Harry Potter house while I waited. That's fun. That's service. The coffee earns praise on its own. The baked goods earn return visits. Go on a Saturday. Take a friend. Order two lattes. You'll thank me.

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McLain's Bakery

Highlights
Wedding cakes beautifully decorated
Superb strawberry and almond flavors
Generous staff, free pastries
Phenomenal cinnamon sugar donut
Best for cake, not chocolate

McLain's Bakery does wedding cakes beautifully. Also strawberry and almond flavors. Also a cinnamon sugar donut that is phenomenal. The staff gave me a free pastry. Generous. But this is a chocolate cake review. Here's the truth: McLain's is best when you're not asking for chocolate. The chocolate cake is fine. It's not the reason to visit. The strawberry cake, however, is superb. The almond cake too. If you need a chocolate fix, go elsewhere. If you need a great cake in general, this is your place. The staff's generosity earns loyalty. The donut keeps me coming back. Just don't order the chocolate.

You might also want to check out the best chocolate cake in Saint Paul.

Cake-A-Boo

Highlights
Beautiful custom cake artistry
Delicious surprise cake balls
Handles impossible last-minute orders
Friendly, enthusiastic, helpful service

Cake-A-Boo handles the impossible. I called on a Tuesday for a Saturday order. They said yes. The staff was enthusiastic, helpful, and seriously fast. The custom cake they made was beautiful. Artistry, really. But the surprise was the cake balls. Small, round, and dangerously good. Chocolate cake mixed with frosting, dipped in chocolate. I ate three before I left the parking lot. The custom cake itself was moist and well-balanced. Not too sweet. The design matched my request exactly. Last-minute orders are their specialty. They don't sweat. They just bake. I'm already planning my next excuse to call.

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Ashleigh's Bakeshop

Highlights
Best pie in Kansas City
Worth crossing World Cup traffic
Unbelievable key lime pie
Exceptional service throughout
Every crust absolutely delicious

Ashleigh's Bakeshop is worth crossing World Cup traffic. That's a high bar. I did it for the key lime pie. Unbelievable. But I also tried the chocolate cake. It's good. It's just not the pie. The crust on everything is absolutely delicious. Buttery, salty, crumbly. The staff was exceptional throughout. Patient with my questions. Quick with recommendations. The chocolate cake is solid, but this shop's heart belongs to pies. If you want chocolate, you'll leave happy. If you want pie, you'll leave euphoric. I crossed traffic twice this week. Once for pie. Once for another piece of pie. The cake doesn't call me back. The pie does.

Bloom Baking Company

Highlights
Custom macarons for events
Cotton candy flavor wow
Soft gluten-free blueberry scone
Expert baking, kind service

Bloom Baking Company is a quiet operation. Custom macarons for events. The cotton candy flavor is a wow. I'm not a cotton candy person. I am now. The gluten-free blueberry scone is soft and not dry. Impressive. But the chocolate cake? They don't lead with it. The staff pointed me to the macarons and scones. I asked anyway. They had a small chocolate torte. It was good. Dense, bitter-sweet, and satisfying. Expert baking, kind service. If you need custom treats, this is the place. If you need a chocolate cake, you'll be fine, but not blown away. The macarons are the real reason to stay.

The Littlest Bake Shop

Highlights
Worth catching their hours
Gluten-free biscuits impress everyone
Flavors shine in everything served
Coffee earns repeated praise
Cupcakes and muffins irresistible

The Littlest Bake Shop has odd hours. Catch them when they're open. You'll be rewarded. I nearly missed them. I'm glad I didn't. The gluten-free biscuits impressed a friend who doesn't trust gluten-free. The flavors shine in everything. The coffee earned repeated praise from my table. I ordered a cupcake. Moist, rich, and gone in four bites. The muffins look irresistible. They are. The chocolate cake was a small slice. It delivered. Dark, fudgy, and not overly sweet. The staff was friendly. The space is tiny. That's the charm. Go early. Go often. Set an alarm for their hours. It's worth it.

Elviras Cakes

Highlights
Fresh tamales worth the wait
Authentic Mexican bakery options
Warm, melt-in-mouth texture
Generous, albeit lean, meat portions

Elviras Cakes is an authentic Mexican bakery. Fresh tamales wait at the counter. They're worth the wait. Warm, with a melt-in-mouth texture. The meat portions are generous, albeit lean. But I came for cake. The chocolate cake here is different. Less sugar, more depth. The layers are soft. The frosting is light. It pairs beautifully with coffee. The bakery case holds pan dulce, cookies, and pastries. Everything looks homemade. Because it is. The staff was patient with my Spanish. They smiled anyway. This place isn't about fancy plating. It's about honest baking. I left with a tamale and two slices. My car smelled amazing. My stomach agreed.