Chocolate Cake

For Valentine’s Day, celebrate romance with a good-sized slice of chocolate cake.

* Border Grill: The Oaxacan chocolate mocha cake here is one of the city’s great chocolate thrills. It’s a flourless mocha fudge cake topped with a layer of creme frai^che, drizzled with chocolate sauce and garnished with pecan halves. (Chocolate cake, $4.75 a slice; $32, whole cake.) Border Grill, 1445 Fourth St., Santa Monica; (310) 451-1655.

* L.A. Desserts: This bakery, located inside the Ivy, makes two chocolate cakes: a chocolate-chocolate cake with roasted walnuts and French roast coffee in Swiss chocolate icing, and a white chocolate lemon cake with roasted walnuts, a lemon filling, a band of white chocolate around the sides and whipped cream on top. The cakes can be ordered in sizes from 4 inches (chocolate-chocolate only; serves two) and 8 inches (serves eight) to a full sheet (serves 80). (Eight-inch chocolate cake: $25, chocolate-chocolate; $30, white lemon chocolate.) L.A. Desserts, 113 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 273-5537.

* Old Town Bakery: The problem at this Pasadena bakery is deciding which chocolate cake you want--the chocolate cheesecake with raspberries and Gran Marnier, the chocolate and raspberry mousse cake or the big, fluffy chocolate-chocolate cake. (Chocolate cake: $5.25 a slice; $34 to $36, whole cake.) Old Town Bakery, 166 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; (626) 793-2993.

* Hollywood Hills Coffeeshop: Feeling droopy in the afternoon? Head over to this hip coffee shop in the Best Western on Franklin for a cup of joe and a big ol’ wedge of chocolate layer cake just like Mom’s. (Chocolate cake, $3.95.) Hollywood Hills Coffeeshop/Cafe, 6145 Franklin Ave., Hollywood; (323) 467 7678.

* Jake & Annie’s: Naturally, an all-Americana restaurant will have a thrilling, moist devil’s food cake--in this case, with mocha frosting. Sometimes, on special, there’s an ultra-moist chocolate pudding cake. (Chocolate cake, $5; a la mode, add $1.) Jake & Annie’s, 2700 Main St., Santa Monica; (310) 452-1734.

* Julienne: A new cake made especially for Valentine’s Day is a dark chocolate truffle cake with chocolate ganache. Standbys include a dense, flourless chocolate torte, with ganache, and a chocolate mousse cake served with creme anglaise. (Chocolate cake: $4.95 a slice; $30, whole cake.) Julienne, 2649 Mission St., San Marino; (626) 441-2299.