Honoring St. Honoré


Photography by Judi Swinks

Growing up in San Anselmo, birthday parties, holidays and bridal and baby showers all required a trip to San Francisco’s legendary Victoria Pastry Co. (1362 Stockton St., 415-781-2015) for a St. Honoré cake. Named for the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, the French classic consists of a puff pastry bottom, layers of sponge cake and a roof of choux pastry filled with Bavarian cream. The cake is then topped with a circle of miniature creampuffs, which are usually covered in caramel, though some bakers use chocolate. The dessert is absolutely decadent, yet light and delicate.
    Searches for the cake in Alameda lead to Boniere Bakery (1417 Park St., 510-522-0110) where executive pastry chef Andrew Jatczak creates an impressive interpretation. In 2005, Jatczak, who has been baking professionally for 21 years, took over the bakery with his parents, Casey and Diane, the former owners of Busch’s bakery in San Leandro. Founded in 1876—a mere 30 years after St. Honoré cake is rumored to have been created in Paris—Boniere celebrates its 130th anniversary this year, holding the distinction of being the oldest continually operating bakery in California.
    Understand that such St. Honoré cakes aren’t just sitting around on the Boniere shelf; these beauties must be specially ordered, at least four days in advance. A small one ($49.95) serves 24, and a large ($65.95) feeds 36. Boniere makes more than a dozen other cakes equally as tempting as the St. Honoré, including the popular Chantilly, a rich chocolate cake with fudge filling and whipped cream topping, and the decadent chocolate mousse (above). Celebrate the bakery’s birthday and your holiday of choice by taking home a Boniere cake today.
                                                                                                                                                    —Laurie Zerga