Enjoy Chocolate Cake Day at these Solihull cafes

When did we discover chocolate?

Chocolate’s been around since the 1700’s when someone discovered that grinding cocoa beans produced a powder which could be used to create chocolate. Initially the powder was used to create a drink, by mixing it with water, and over time it gradually developed into an ingredient that could be incorporated into different foods. It wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that the first chocolate cake recipe can be found, and after that we haven’t looked back!

What’s your favourite chocolate cake?

These days you can find all sorts of chocolate cake around, such as chocolate fudge cake, chocolate brownie cake, gluten free and vegan varieties, the Austrian Sachertorte which features a layer of apricot jam, chocolate Swiss roll, white chocolate cake, chocolate fridge cake, black forest gateau… not to mention all the different things you can add to chocolate cake depending on your tastes – orange, strawberries, stout, courgette (yes, really!), nuts, cinnamon… the list goes on!

If you can’t get enough of chocolate, it also has lots of other uses. Dip fruit in it, have it with churros, make a fondue, cover cookies in it, create an ice cream sandwich, use it as a sauce on pancakes or waffles.

Did you know…

• It might not surprise you to know that chocolate cake is the most popular birthday cake, followed by vanilla.
• It’s good to have a glass of milk with your chocolate cake – it forms a protective film on the teeth and also helps to neutralise acid and sugar.
• It makes you feel good. I think we all know that but it’s more than just the taste – cacao (the bean that’s used to make chocolate) contains a substance that boosts natural endorphin production and increases serotonin production in the brain.

Cafes and cake shops in Solihull where you can indulge…

• Gails on Solihull High Street make pastries and cakes (such as their flourless chocolate cake) by hand and according to the season.
• The Little Dessert Shop on Station Road in Solihull can tempt you with their chocolate fudge cake, chocolate milk cake, and chocolate cookie dough.
• CACAO Chocolate & Coffee Co in Touchwood sell a range of cakes, and if you need even more chocolate in your life why not accompany your cake with their speciality hot Belgian chocolate.
• Wedges Bakery on Dovehouse Parade and in Hockley Heath offer a wide range of freshly baked goods from their in-house bakeries including cakes, fancies, savouries, and breads.
• Swan Yard Coffee & Kitchen in Knowle offer coffee, breakfast, brunch, and lunch and have a tempting array of sweet treats on display like chocolate brownies and cinnamon buns
• Brew twenty three in Solihull and Cranmore sell cupcakes, as well as a range of other sweet treats from their bakery. To balance your calorie consumption out why not accompany your cake with a green juice or a fruit smoothie?!
• At The Woods on Solihull High Street offer a range of ever-changing sweet treats, as well as freshly roasted coffee and light lunches

Cakes to collect

If you need a chocolate cake – or any other flavour – for a special occasion and want it to look and taste perfect, then why not order one from a specialist cake shop in Solihull? Prices will typically start from about £25 for an 8-slice cake for something simple but can easily be about £100 depending on your requirements.

• Cake Box cake shop in Solihull, located on Shirley High Street, offer delicious temptations such as their Chocolate Bueno Hazelnut Cake or a Chocolate Strawberry Curls Cake.
• The Cake Artists on Mill Lane in Solihull can recreate Kinder chocolate bars or Cadbury’s Heroes tins into a cake, or can make ‘Chocolate Riot’ cakes which are crammed with everything chocolatey!