Planning your holiday celebrations? Make each party sweeter with a cake from our favorite bakeries and pastry shops. Here is our list of Best Cakes in Davao.
Fortunately, there are now a good variety of bakeries and cake shops in Davao. When choosing or recommending a cake (or cakes) there are many things to consider: budget, occasion or theme, and preferred flavors.
10 Best Cakes in Davao List
For this list, we have selected 10 cakes that would be great to bring to a holiday party to be shared with family and friends. In no particular order.
- Ribbonette Cake
- Moist Chocolate Cake
- Mocha Cake
- Cookies and Cream Cake
- Creme Brulee Cake
- Fruit Fluff Cake
- Purple Haze
- Matcha Mille Crepe
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Nelusko Cake
This list is based purely on our taste and preferences, limited to cakes we have tried and will continue to order. We have, of course, taken into consideration flavors that might appeal to many people. And the list has cakes at various price points. There are cakes we love but are not easily accessible. We did not include those.
We are also excluding two types of cakes: Sans Rival and Cheesecake. Several shops around Davao serve excellent Sans Rivals and Cheesecakes and we will share our recommendations for those soon.
Ribbonette Cake by Bistro Rosario
Starting with a classic. You can never go wrong with a Bistro Rosario Ribbonette Cake.
Fluffy, airy, sweet chiffon cake with generous servings of buttercream frosting on top and in between cake layers. The entire cake is also covered and adorned with classic buttercream frosting in your chosen color and design.
This is a cake that many Davaoenos have grown up with. It is usually served on birthdays, but we think this is perfect during the holidays. The Ribbonnette cake is simple done excellently. And it is sure to delight kids and adults alike.
If you’re going for a classic birthday cake, try Bistro Rosario’s Ribbonette Cake. It’s the og Davao Rainbow Cake before Rainbow cake was trendy. Layers of light chiffon cake with boiled icing in between and on top. Nostalgic.
We must also mention another Bistro Rosario classic, Mango Charlotte.
If you are born and raised in Davao, you have probably seen and tasted this at least once. This is a superb mango cake. Soft, pillowy cake with mango frosting in between the two layers and on top. Fresh wedges of mangoes and whipped cream adorn the top of this cake.
Bistro Rosario’s cakes are deceivingly simple. Some people might prefer these for sentimental reasons. But we dare say when it comes to consistency in taste and quality, these are the best cakes for every occasion. And they come in different sizes so you can get one based on your budget and the size of your event.
Moist Chocolate Cake by Joniel’s
And for chocolate lovers, the most popular and often recommended chocolate cake in Davao is Joniel’s.
Moist chocolate cake with a sweet fudgy frosting. Joniel’s Moist Chocolate Cake has been the go-to cake shop for many Davaoenos. Their Moist Chocolate Cakes now come in various sizes at affordable prices. Joniel’s Chocolate Cake is affordable and accessible. Great basic chocolate cake for any occasion.
Another Chocolate Cake that deserve a mention is the Cookie Monster by Margie’s Bakeshop.
Mocha Cake by Cecil’s
Another classic is Mocha Cake by Cecil’s.
Another simple cake that is worth every peso. Cecil’s Mocha Cake is a fluffy mocha chiffon cake with sweet, creamy mocha buttercream. Simply decorated the same way for decades now. Nostalgia aside, this is objectively one of the best cakes in the city. They make it simple yet perfectly sweet every time.
Cookies and Cream by Sugar Munch
Cookies and Cream Cake by Sugar Munch is my top reco for people who love cookies and cream.
If you love everything Oreo and Cookies and Cream, this one’s for you. Whether you want to indulge in a solo cake for yourself or share a full-sized one with family and friends, this cake will make your celebration better.
Their Mocha Torte is also good.
Sugar Munch cakes have been consistently good since they opened in the late 2000s. Each one is perfectly sweet with a good balance of flavors and textures. It is another of our recommended places if you need a cake ASAP.
Creme Brulee Cake by Lachi’s Sans Rival Atbp
This next one has been a favorite since it was introduced many years ago.
Creme Brulee Cake by Lachi’s is definitely a crowd pleaser. It is soft and pillowy cake with a light cream in the middle. And sweet torched sugar on top. Would get this if you love cream and caramel flavors. Be warned: you have to store and handle this with care to make sure it does not wilt nor melt before you start slicing.
Another favorite by Lachi’s is Symphony Torte.
If you want something new or different, we highly recommend this. It has layers of chocolate ganache and mocha buttercream. Definitely, something to delight mocha lovers.
Other Lachi’s cakes we recommend are of course their Sans Rival and their Cheesecakes. We plan to have another post for these as we have a lot of good Sans Rival and Cheesecakes around Davao. So watch out for that.
Fruit Fluff Cake by Alor’s
For those who prefer the combination of vanilla and fruits, Alor’s Fruit Fluff Cake is our top recommendation.
It is light, perfectly sweet, with a light frosting and with a generous amount of fresh fruits on top. This is great for any party.
Occasionally, Alor’s also has a Strawberry Shortcake which we love. Their Frozen Brazo de Mercedes is also a delight.
Purple Haze by Lara Mia
And for the ube lovers, we highly recommend Purple Haze.
Purple Haze is a can of Ube cake with Ube Halaya and cream. It is topped with white chocolate ganache and ube cake crumble. One spoonful is a blend of different ube flavors and textures. And it’s quite addicting. Even if you are not a big fan of ube.
If you want something rich and sinful, give their Miss Trunchbull Cake a try.
It is named after the drool-inducing chocolate cake featured in the popular film and book Matilda. Lara Mia’s Miss Trunchbull cake is dense, moist, and super fudgy.
Matcha Mille Crepe
Love matcha? We do and we think this Matcha Mille Crepe by &matcha is a must-try.
Layers of thin sweet crepes with sublime matcha cream in between. Sprinkled with matcha powder on top. Delightful. And the green color is so festive. Perfect for the season. But honestly, we can have this any day.
Flourless Chocolate Cake by Dulce Desserts
Another excellent fudgy chocolate cake is Dulce Desserts‘ Flourless Chocolate Cake.
Luscious. Decadent. Rich. Indulgent. We recommend this for people who love dark chocolate.
Yes, this is the nth Chocolate Cake on this list but trust us, each one is as good as the next. Next time maybe we’ll make an entire list of the Best Chocolate Cakes in Davao, yes?
Nelusko Cake
The final cake on our list is the underrated Nelusko Cake by Margie’s.
Yes, we know they are originally from Butuan but we are claiming it anyway. The Nelusko Cake is another great mocha cake. What sets it apart is the crushed praline topping. The contrast in flavors and textures is amazing.
Their Cookie Monster is a great chocolate cake, as well.
Taste the Best Cakes in Davao
Interested to try one of the cakes on our list? We encourage you to try a mini cake or a slice first before buying a whole cake. But trust us, each one in our Best Cakes in Davao list is good.
Other cakes we recommend are the Prune and Walnut Cake by Artisana, Red Velvet Cake by Dulce Vida, and the Strawberry Tres Leches by Cake by Julz. We will be trying more cakes soon.
More Davao Food Establishments: Davao Dining Directory
Here is a map to our featured Best Cakes in Davao, so you know which ones are accessible and convenient for you.
Best Davao Cakes Map: LINK
Do you have your own picks? Let us know. Drop a comment below and share with us what we should try next.
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Credits
Photo of Joniel’s Moist Chocolate Cake from the Joniel’s Cakes and Pastries Main Branch FB Page: LINK
Thanks to r/davao subreddit for the post idea.