Chocolate cake

Take me home

Clementine’s chocolate cake is three layers flavored with Valrhona chocolate, filled and frosted with dark chocolate butter cream. It’s elegantly decorated with bittersweet chocolate curls, but it has the classic homemade flavor. Order in advance. (Chocolate cake, small $38; large $58.)

Clementine, 1751 Ensley Ave., Century City, (310) 552-1080

Beautiful blend

Patticakes’ version of devil’s food has four kinds of chocolate fun. The foundation is dark chocolate cake, then comes dark truffle cream, white chocolate mousse in the center and bittersweet chocolate ganache over everything. (Old-fashioned devil’s food, slice $3.50; small cake $23; very large cake $100.)

Patticakes, 1900 N. Allen Ave., Altadena, (626) 794-1128

Towering treat

Pascal Epicerie assembles a 5-inch high cake from layers of sponge cake, chocolate mousse and raspberries, covers it in chocolate ganache and tops it with a ring of plump raspberries. (Chocolate raspberry cake $32.)

Pascal Epicerie, 1000 Bristol St. N., Newport Beach, (949) 261-9041

Espresso spike

Cuvee’s exceedingly moist chocolate cake has chocolaty sponge cake spiked with espresso; inside are layers of buttery frosting made with bittersweet Scharffen Berger chocolate. (Chocolate cake, slice $3.95; whole cake $34.95.)

Cuvee, 145 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 271-4333

-- Jessica Strand