Delanghe Patisserie

I finally caved in and bought something at Delanghe Patisserie. I've walked in numerous times without buying anything. I think the big turnoff is that it's not exactly well decorated, you can see the greasy ovens in the back, and the glass cases are always half empty. It's not the best way to showcase baked goods, and no one I take is ever immediately enamored enough to want to drop good money on something that might end up being mediocre. Still, I needed a snack and hadn't been anywhere new in over a week so I decided to give Delanghe a try. I bought a custard cream puff with caramel glaze and a princess cake petit four. They were each about the size of a ping pong ball, so don't think I was a total hog or anything...even though I often am.

First, the cream puff. It's so rare to find cream puffs that are actually filled with custard. They're usually filled with whipped cream or vanilla pudding. Bleh! This one had perfect creamy, fluffy, rich custard--not too sweet, not too thick.

I wasn't holding out much hope for the princess cake because the petit fours were so ugly: mangled, thinly sliced, and laying around haphazardly as if whoever tossed them into the display case just didn't care. Princesses, cake or not, deserve better. So I wasn't hopeful, but I had to try because princess cakes are in short supply in SF.

The first bite was so good I almost cried. It was so delicious, and I hadn't had food in so long (er, since noon). I was glad I was alone in my office, because it would have been really embarassing to burst into tears in front of someone else--over a cake. Anyway, the cake: the marzipan was tender and rolled thinly, the whipped cream had a slight hint of sugar and alcohol, the custard was similar to that in the cream puff, the jam layer was just thick enough, and the cake was moist. Yum. I think this version is a little better (and more pricey) than Schubert's. It's been a long time since I've had Copenhagen, but this might be just as good. All three bakeries mentioned do a way better princess cake than Victoria Pastry in Chinatown/North Beach. Delicious. I regret getting a petit four instead of a whole slice. Or a whole cake.