A LIMITED-EDITION FAVORITE RETURNS
Baked in Our Small Tokyo Kitchen
a flourless single-origin cake developed by Chef Mai flown from Tokyo
Hidden
Tokyo Gâteau
A rich, four-ingredient flourless chocolate cake from Tokyo
Carefully Sourced:
seasonally churned Hokkaido butter, and bright-yolked eggs from chickens fed a nutrient-dense, paprika-rich diet
Carefully sourced:
from seasonally churned butter to eggs from chickens fed with a nutrient-dense blend containing paprika
Crafted in the Dandelion Chocolate Japan Kitchen, Then Air-Shipped to San Francisco
The Story of Our Signature Gâteau
From Pastry Chef Mai Tsuji, In Our Tokyo Kitchen
Pastry Chef Mai is part of the original team that opened our first Japanese location in Kuramae, Tokyo in 2016. She made her original Gâteau as a one-off holiday item, and it was so popular that it became one of our most-requested items in Japan. The recipe evolved over the years as Mai continually tested different cocoa origins and baking techniques. Her minimal-ingredient approach showcases the remarkable way a cocoa origin’s flavor profile transforms as it is baked into cake.
While we'd love to recreate Mai’s Gâteau in the U.S., our ingredients aren't the same. So just once a year, we have Chef Mai and her team make a special run of cakes to fly from Tokyo to San Francisco.
Four Ingredients, No Flour, Refined Technique
We’ve tried approximating Mai’s unique Gâteau in San Francisco, but even following her recipe exactly, it never comes out quite the same. Japanese egg yolks are richer; our grass-fed butter tastes slightly differently; and it takes a skilled hand to create the cake’s whipped-fudge consistency at just the right temperature. So we air-ship a small number of petite cakes directly from Mai’s kitchen once a year, in time for Mother’s Day.
Taste two distinctive origins side by side.
The Story of Our
Signature Gâteau
From Pastry Chef Mai Tsuji
In Our Tokyo Kitchen
Pastry Chef Mai is part of the original team that opened our first Japanese location in Kuramae Tokyo in 2016. She originally made this as a one-off holiday item but it was so popular that it is one of the most-requested items in Japan. This recipe evolved over the years as Mai did more testing with different origins and baking techniques. Her minimal approach to the ingredients really showcases how the flavor profile of the origin transforms as the cake is baked.
While we'd love to recreate it in the U.S. the ingredients just aren't the same. So just once a year, we have Chef Mai and her team make a special run of cakes to fly from Tokyo to San Francisco.
Taste two distinctive origins side by side.
70%
ANAMALAI, INDIA
At Regal Plantations, just outside Anamalai in Tamil Nadu, India, brothers-in-law Karthikeyan Palanisamy and Harish Kumar cultivate cacao trees intercropped with coconut palms, nutmeg trees, and other smaller species, improving both the soil’s health and the quality of the crops.
Our chocolate made from Anamalai beans typically features bright, fruity acidity — lemon, yogurt, raisins — and transforms when baked into Mai’s Gâteau, yielding mellow, cheesecake-like richness.
70%
BẾN TRE, VIETNAM
These beans are produced by two small fermenters, Mr. Son and Ms. Ban, with whom Vietnam-based bean-to-bar maker Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat has worked for many years. Each fermenter buys cacao pods from their neighbors, purchasing from around 60 small farmers in total.
They meticulously ferment the beans in linear boxes and dry them on elevated mesh decks. The Marou team inspects and purchases the best beans, then blends them for consistency of flavor; the resulting cocoa tends to offer a warm note of spice.
Different textures at different temperatures
A small slice goes a long way, and offers a unique tasting experience at every temperature: When chilled, the cake has a texture similar to soft cheese; at room temperature, chocolate flavor intensifies; and when warmed gently in the oven, the cake transforms into something akin to a soufflé — incredibly light and airy.
We’ve never had anything quite like it.
Different textures at different temperatures
A small slice goes a long way, and offers a unique tasting experience at every temperature: When chilled, the cake has a texture similar to soft cheese; at room temperature, chocolate flavor intensifies; and when warmed gently in the oven, the cake transforms into something akin to a soufflé — incredibly light and airy.
We’ve never had anything quite like it.