10 Emirates Palace
Shortcake: You’re not going to get any old cake at the seven-starred Emirates Palace, you can be sure of that. What you do get is a hefty chunk of soft, light sponge sprinkled with fresh strawberries and pistachios and covered in gold leaf (can eating gold be good for you?), all wrapped up in a generous sheet of sweet white chocolate. Despite the promise that it would be the finest cake we’d ever tried, to be honest, the flavour could never live up to its grand design, which is why it missed out on a higher chart spot. Still, it’s a delicious, opulent looking cake that can be enjoyed in an equally opulent setting.
Dhs40. Le Café, Emirates Palace, Ras Al Akhdar (02 690 9000).
9 Kitsch Cupcakes
Giant cupcake: Traditionally, a cupcake is a scaled down version of a normal cake, designed for girls to eat while they talk about make-up and moan about being fat. Coming in at roughly the size and shape of a half-deflated volleyball, this sugary behemoth turns the concept on its head. Truth be told, it’s not a cupcake at all. What it is, ladies and gentlemen, is a cake. Still, conflicts with our inherent pedantry aside, it’s a rather accomplished piece of confectionery. Given its girth, there’s a range of textures on offer down below, with a chewy crust giving way to moist, jammy sponge towards the centre. The smooth, brightly coloured icing on top isn’t as overbearing as its colour might suggest, and the rainbow of sprinkly balls adds an interesting crunch. Lots of fun.
Dhs125. Kitsch Cupcakes. The Souk at Central Market (055 265 0226).
8 Rodeo Grill
Philadelphia cheesecake: Rodeo Grill stormed to victory in the Best Americas category at the recent Time Out Abu Dhabi Restaurant Awards. Although it was the amazing quality of steaks that really swayed the judges, the excellent desserts were also part of the prize-winning equation. Of these, the Philadelphia cheesecake is our standout dish. In fact we’d go so far as to say it’s the best of its kind in the city. What you get is a slab of creamy topping, that treads the right line between firmness and gooeyness, covered with a compote of fresh fruit, all resting on top of a solid, coffee-infused based. And it’s all presented with such flair that it isn’t just dessert, it’s almost a work of art.
Dhs44. Rodeo Grill, Beach Rotana Hotel, Tourist Club Area (02 697 9000).
7 Mirabel
Dark chocolate slice: Mirabel’s dark chocolate cake is a master class in indulgence with finesse. No need to make a pig of yourself over this elegant rectangle of chocolate heaven, with its buttery icing layers and delicately rolled chocolate decorations. Served on a miniature gold base, and deceptively diminutive, everything about the presentation screams refinement. But it’s heavy and rich enough to allow for two people to tuck into the thick layers with gusto and leave both of you satisfied without a guilty conscience. Unless you find yourself drawn back to that shiny cake counter and start eying up that pretty strawberry cheesecake…
Dhs20. Mirabel, Fotouh Al Khair Centre (02 631 5111).
6 The One Café
Banana and pecan cake: The cake counter at The One Café houses so many tantalising-looking slices it’s hard to resist the temptation to plant your face against the glass and stand there drooling like a hungry spaniel. Don’t try this, you’ll be asked to leave, and instead plump for the banana and pecan cake. What we especially like about it is that it avoids pandering to the sweet-toothed contingent, and the chef has held back on the sugar, allowing the warming flavours of nuts and banana to rise through. After a hard afternoon of furniture shopping at The One, we’d heartily recommend traipsing to the upstairs café to dig your fork into this tasty little number.
Dhs18. The One Café, next to BMW showroom, Zayed the First Street, Khalidiyah (02 681 6500).
5 Choco’a
Chocolate cake: Death by chocolate cake was a distinct possibility after a delivery from Choco’a. We just couldn’t stop. A slab, followed by a slice, followed by just a sliver, then another and another. Even feeling sick couldn’t stop us eating more, it was so delicious. Thick sugary icing gave way to fantastically dense, moist chocolate sponge, divided with a central layer of creamy goo. It was the kind of chocolate cake you dream about. Choco’a design speciality cakes in all sorts of crazy shapes and sizes, and ours looked like a big green frog with a cheeky face and big wide icing eyes that seemed to watch us as we devoured it.
Dhs22. Choco’a, Marina Plaza Tower, Al Muroor Street (02 628 2411).
4 Mugg & Bean
Lemon meringue pie: Gazing at this towering, glutinous beast of a dessert, you know something naughty is about to happen. Between the heavy topping of chewy meringue, gooey lemon core and the thin base of shortcrust pastry, it’s a sinful experience. We reckon even the most dedicated of gym bunnies would eventually succumb to its charms. An unashamed calorific frenzy is inevitable, thanks mainly to the perfectly textured, zingy filling. You’ll cry tears of joy, and possibly also resentment.
Dhs20. Mugg & Bean, Abu Dhabi Mall, Tourist Club Area (02 645 4232).
3 Brauhaus
Baked apple cake: Germany has brought us a lot of things that modern life wouldn’t be complete without – Beethoven, efficiency, lederhosen, and now Brauhaus’s baked apple cake. Soft, moist and just as cake should be; this fruity concoction conjures up images of sitting by a roaring fire on a cold winter’s day. Except you’re more likely to be eating it on the restaurant’s terrace overlooking the Beach Rotana’s stretch of bay while enjoying a cooling sea breeze. Homely and tempting, with that just-like-mum-used-to-make flavour, it is a sweet treat that’s hard to find fault with it. However, if it’s a light bite you’re after, don’t let the fruit in the name fool you – this is a hearty, stodgy affair that’s best served heated with a healthy dollop of vanilla cream and guilt.
Dhs40. Brauhaus, Beach Rotana, Tourist Club Area (02 697 9000).
2 Shakespeare & Co
Pistachio vanilla sponge: Shakespeare & Co is one of the city’s more unusual eateries, where you’ll find yourself enjoying lunch among an explosion of flowers, pastel shades and kitsch designs. The Alice in Wonderland experience isn’t the only reason to stop by, however, as it also serves up a wide variety of very tasty meals and delicious desserts. As soon as you walk in through the door you’re confronted by the cake counter, which offers up your classic chocolate cakes and strawberry sponges, as well as some more imaginative combinations such as ginger and mango. The pistachio vanilla sponge, however, is the cream of the crop. Served up in a mint green pot, this delicate vanilla and nut concoction swims in its own moat of raspberry jam. Dig deeper and you’ll come to a layer of fresh cream. The combination of flavours is, rather bizarrely, akin to a jam roly poly pudding, but without the artery-clogging heaviness of that classic British dessert. Our only complaint was that there wasn’t more of it.
Dhs20. Shakespeare & Co, Souk at the Central Market (02 639 9626).
1 Zyara
Date cake: There are some things in this world that are so obscenely beautiful that attempting to analyse their secrets and deconstruct their wonder would, quite simply, be futile. Drop into Zyara, order their signature desert, tuck in and you’ll know exactly what we mean. We’re not quite sure what makes such a simple-looking piece of food taste so good, but, in all honesty, we’re happy living in sticky-fingered ignorance. Is it the dense, rich, impossibly moist sponge? The well-balanced sugary kick delivered by the caramel sauce? Maybe the delicious touch of decadence added by an optional dollop of vanilla ice cream? We’ll admit it – we’re not sure. All we know is that we want another piece. Immediately.
Dhs14. Zyara, East Corniche Street, next to the Hilton Corniche Residence (02 627 5007).
