London’s best: Chocolate cakes

Chocolate, as some wit noted, is nature’s way of making up for Mondays. Chocolate cake, then, must be Momma N’s way of compensating for Mondays, slugs, downpours and the continuing career of Russell Brand. So, in a piece of pure public service journalism, we found London’s five best ...

This was the best chocolate cake I have ever tried: rich, gooey, perfect. I’d have married it if I could. It is expensive but a little goes a long way — definite feeding- the-5,000 territory. (£7.50 a slice or a whole cake for £75, St John Smithfield, EC1, 020 7251 0848, stjohngroup.uk.com)

Wheat-free, this is the cake the gluten intolerant have been waiting for. The sponge is dense and moist and the truffle ganache is thick and not too sweet. Worth getting fat for. (£24 for a cake, £2.95 a slice, stores across London, 020 7633 3333, konditorandcook.com)

This was so immaculately decorated that it almost felt like a sin to tuck in and destroy it. Definitely a cake for a connoisseur, it was rich and bitter, the tartness of the raspberry cutting through the chocolate. (£30, 020 7978 5555, cake-boy.com)

Rich but surprisingly light and mousse-like. Tastes expensive and bad for you — as all the best cakes do. (£30, Harrods food hall, Brompton Road, SW1, 020 7730 1234, harrods.com)

Yes, he’s meant for the kids but Colin has a big adult following too. A chocoholic’s fantasy of a cake — but everyone will fight over who gets to eat his white chocolate face. (£7, stores across London, marksandspencer.com)