Is the best chocolate cake in the world in Portugal?

I don’t remember where or when I heard the rumour about the best chocolate cake in the world in Portugal but I knew that to taste it and do that I needed to pay a visit to Lisbon. Even though I love chocolate I am not overly fond of chocolate cake, but my curiosity got the better of me. I just had to see this legendary cake, but more importantly, I needed to taste it to see what the fuss was about.

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In search of the best chocolate cake in the world in Portugal

While I was on the Taste of Lisboa food tour, I asked Rosa, our guide, if she knew where to find the cake. She knew all about it but wasn’t too sure where to find it. Was this an urban legend or did it exist? I was convinced that it was real. After thinking about it for a few minutes she made a call to someone she thought would know where to find it.

“It’s not close by” was the reply. It’s across town, near the market. I was not going to be deterred. I was on a mission and tomorrow was going to be the day for tracking down the cake.

The Hunt

I had a plan for the day that focused on trying a number of interesting local dishes around town but the first thing on the list was the famous chocolate cake. I jumped on the gorgeous historic tram and made my way almost to the end of the line to the Mercado Campo de Ourique.

I knew that the shop that I was looking for was close by. I asked one of the vendors about it and was pointed to a small shop across the road, on the corner, outside the market. Could this really be the place?

I was a bit hesitant, but as soon as I opened the door I knew that I was in the right place. The wall behind the counter area was tastefully wallpapered with a myriad of articles that had been written about Carlos Braz Lopes, its creator.

best chocolate cake in the world — The fame spread

A difficult decision

There are 2 versions of the cake, one covered with a milk chocolate ganache and one with a much darker, denser ganache made from 70% cocoa bittersweet Valrhona chocolate from France. While I was trying to make a decision a local lady, who spoke almost no English, recommended the darker version so I followed her advice and ordered a slice.

It was love at first bite with the light as air, decadently indulgent cake. I was in raptures. The soft meringue and chocolate mousse were a marriage made in heaven. Seeing just how much I was enjoying the cake and that I wanted to know more about it a phone call was made by the shop assistant to none other than Carlos, who arrived a few minutes later to answer all my questions about his creation.

The best chocolate cake in the world in Portugal

The dream

Carlos is charming and a delight to spend time with. His obvious success has not made him pretentious and in fact, it’s totally the opposite. I was blown away that he took the time to chat with me on the spur of the moment and was delighted to have met him.

It’s a lovely story about really following your dreams. It begins with being a job that is not your passion but pays the bills and having a food dream. How often have I heard that story before? It always makes me smile; because once you are passionate and dream about food it can consume you in the nicest possible way. Many of the people making a difference in the food industry around the world today all started out in a similar position.

The Inspiration

On a trip to Paris, he was inspired by a chocolate cake that he enjoyed. He came back determined not only to replicate it but improve on the recipe. It wasn’t an instant success. It was all about trial and error until it was finally perfected in 1987. From then the recipe has not changed. It is a labour of love with each cake taking around an hour and a half to make, but the end result is totally worth the effort.

The word spread

As people began tasting it they asked what it was called and the reply was simply “the best chocolate cake in the world” so that’s how this magical creation got its name.

This cake has now become sought after the world over and Carlos is slowly moving to become an International brand with franchise outlets in Spain, Australia, Brazil, Macau and Kuwait.

If you enjoy guilty pleasures then make visiting the shop a priority when you get to Lisbon, because you want to go back the next day for another slice of this heavenly cake.

Is the best chocolate cake in the world in Portugal? I don’t know for certain, but it is on the top of my list.

Head straight to : O Melhor do mundo bolo de chocolate, R. Ten. Ferreira Durão, nº 62A, 1350-318 Lisbon

Website: O Melhor do mundo bolo de chocolate