You can't say you ate pastries in Paris without having gone to Ladurée! This is arguably the most ironic patisserie in all of the French capital. And with good reason too! More than their famous pastel macarons, the pastries here are out of this world! It's no wonder the bakery itself has branched out into different parts of the world! But the original in Paris will always be the best. As well as their St. Honoré cake. Before, they used to have that one iconic pretty pink raspberry variation, but now, they've ventured into different flavors. Each more delicious than the next!
Source: Ladurée
The Mandarin Oriental along 251 Rue Saint Honoré is famous for a lot of things. One huge crowd-pleaser among them is their famous Cake Shop, where pastry chef Adrien Bozzolo has introduced a new variation of the famous dessert. Still made up of the essential cream puffs, custard, puff pastry, and cream, he added a whole lot of caramel into the mix. So much so that the tasty sauce is arguably the star of the show. Elegantly drizzled unto the decadent cake, it makes quite the impression upon serving. Almost as if it'd be a waste to eat it.
Source: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Over at Gosselin, though it's more famous for its chocolate selections, their classic take on the St. Honoré cake truly—excuse the pun here!—takes the cake. Two towers of caramelized creampuffs with delicate cream swirled about makes for quite a delicious sight. So much so that you'd want to bite it at one go and see what remains in your mouth. Though their rendition is a lot simpler than others, it does present just how quintessential the dessert is in French cuisine. Theirs is probably the best variation to start on if you're on a St. Honoré cake tour of Paris!
Source: Gosselin
What is it with Paris and puns? Anyways! Helmut Newcake, despite its adorable name, will have you adoring their pastries even more. Not the least bit the St. Honoré cake! But what's special here is that they offer theirs in a rather small and bite-sized rendition. At least, when compared to the other bakeries on this list. The St. Honoré cake in this patisserie is the bare minimum: puff pastry, cream puff, cream, and custard. That's it! Maybe dip of chocolate or two here and there, but essentially, they serve what is perhaps the smallest variation of the cake in all of Paris. Though what they lack in size they make up for in sumptuous taste!
Source: Helmut Newcake Facebook Page
Now, if you want something a little richer, try Hugo & Victor up on Boulevard Raspail. Located in Saint-Germain-des-Près, their puff pastries remain light, their flavors are stronger than ever. You can see it from the get-go, with the amount of cream just drizzled unto the dessert. Their "The Victor Pistache," in particular, gives this unique convergence of tastes. The textures of their puff pastries remain soft and tender. So much so, you might not even notice if it's the pastry your biting into or the cream. And speaking of the cream, their pistachio flavored concoction adds a certain kick to the sensation. one you won't ever forget!
Source: Hugo & Victor Facebook Page
Arguably one of the most famous variations of St. Honoré cake, the La Pâtisserie des Rêves along Rue Poncelet gives the richest version yet. A huge rectangle topped with a delicate cream and outlined by symmetric rows of creampuffs makes for quite the hearty dessert. So much so, you might not be able to finish it in one sitting. While other places offer theirs simpler and smaller, this famous patisserie does quite the opposite. It's a rather ostentatious interpretation of the classic, one that will prove popular to sweet-toothed travelers going to Paris.
Source: La Pâtisserie des Rêves Facebook Page
Do you want more? Gérard Mulot will give you more! His Maison Mulot patisserie over at Rue de la Glacière also has quite the opulent variation of the St. Honoré cake. And at first glance, you might not even notice it too. Their St. Honoré cake is made up of a circular puff pastry outlined by multiple cream puffs. At the center, the cream is swirled and swirled and swirled, making the entire dessert look like a cream pie rather than the classic pastry. They then top it off slices of fruits, some chocolates, and even more cream puffs. Sounds like quite the mouthful, doesn't it?
Source: Maison Mulot
For many foodies out there, the St. Honoré cake is all about the cream. It is, after all, what ties many of the other components together. Without the cream and its swiveling wonders upon the puff pastry, the dessert will look and probably taste quite plain. The cream literally fills in the flavor for the dish, which is probably why Restaurant Le Meurice provides a lot of it in their version. The delicate and light vanilla creme overtakes the puff pastry base so much that the cream puffs no longer stay on top of the dessert, they just line the sides of it.
Source: Dorchester Collection
The St. Honoré cake is one of the crowning jewels of French haute cuisine. The daring and delicious dessert has become quite the crowd-pleaser in Paris, and these places serve the very best of them here!
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