Seattle Sweet

Serafina’s Chocolate Grappa Mousse Cake with Black Currant Sauce

Seattle desserts rely significantly on in-season, local fruit, berries, fresh herbs, honey, nuts, and dairy products (especially fresh goat cheese). Roasting, grilling, and caramelization are techniques that are currently gaining traction. Homey, comfort-style desserts are prevalent, with numerous traditional standards making appearances across the restaurant landscape: layered cakes, pound cakes, molten chocolate cakes, shortcakes, crumbles, tarts, crisps, pies, donuts, profiteroles (cream puffs), fritters, panna cotta, creme brulee, flan, pot de creme, bread pudding, brownies,  lemon bars, and house-made ice cream and sorbet. The deconstructed and architected dessert trend is still not showing much of an impact in Seattle (as it is in Boston, New York, and San Francisco), although you will see it at Boka, Cafe Juanita, Crush, and Lampreia.

The following list illustrates the creativity of some of the most talented pastry chefs working in Seattle’s restaurants, cafés, and bakeries today. It is for inspiration and comparison only, as dessert menus change frequently. In addition, the desserts listed here may span multiple seasons, thus may not all be available in the current season. (Call ahead if you are counting on experiencing a specific dessert, at a specific restaurant, on a specific occasion.)

THERE’S MORE   You may also be interested in Portland Chocolate Desserts, Maui Desserts, and Boston Sweet.

NOTE   Orange text indicates desserts we have sampled thus far. We have a LONG way to go!

Black Bottle

• Chocolate Cake & Vanilla Gelato
• Peach & Blueberry Kettle Tart with Fresh Cream
• Pear Sorbetto & Candied Lavender
• Banana Flambé
• Baba Rum & Mascarpone Cream
• Lemon Curd Ricotta Cake with Lavender Crust

Boat Street Café

• Dagoba Dark Chocolate Pot De Crème
• Citrus Pound Cake with Rose Poached Rhubarb & Cream
• Amaretto Bread Pudding with a Rum Butter Cream

BOKA

• Molten Chocolate Cake with Warm Cherry Compote, Devonshire Cream & Dark Chocolate Shavings
• Graham Cracker Ice Cream, House-Made Hot Fudge & Burnt Marshmallow Cream
• Graham Cracker Cookie, Marshmallow Ice Cream & Chocolate Ganache
• Mixed Berry Shortcake with White Chocolate Ganache & Blackberry Balsamic Syrup
• Burnt Honey & Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée
• Champagne Poached Strawberries with Lavender Mascarpone Cream & Almond Lace Cookie
• Brie Cheesecake with Fresh Cherries, Lemon Syrup & Almond Crisp
• Goat Yogurt Panna Cotta with Strawbery Napolean & Ice Wine Gelee

Brasa

• Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Creme Anglaise & Fried Plantain
• Chocolate-Almond Cake, Candied Almonds, Chocolate Cream & Horchata
• Spanish Doughnuts with Valrhona Chocolate Sauce
• Profiteroles, Hazelnut Semi-Fredo, Chocolate Sauce & Candied Hazelnuts
• Cheesecake Flan, Burnt Caramel & Candied Valencia Orange
• Catalan Crème Brulée with Citrus Shortbread
• Summer Berry Shortcake with Lime Crème Anglaise
• Roasted Peach, Honey-Rosemary Ice Cream & Cherry-Prosecco Sauce

Café Campagne

• White Chocolate, Coffee-Scented Pots De Crème with Espresso Beans & White Chocolate Shavings
• Plum Clafoutis with Honey-Almond Ice Cream
• Lemon-Ginger Crème Brûlée
• Tartelette Orange Tarte with Fresh Berries & Ginger Ice Cream
• Tarte Tatin Apple Tarte with Sweetened Crème Fraîche & an Apple Chip

Café Flora

• Flourless Chocolate Cake, Espresso Buttercream, Cappuccino Praline, & Cassis Port Reduction
• White Cake Brushed With Limoncello, Vanilla Bean Frosting, & Raspberry Anglaise
• Chocolate Shortbread, Theo Semi-Sweet Chocolate “Crème” Filling & Raspberry Sauce
• Blueberry Apricot Crumble Served Warm with Marzipan Streusel
• Passion Fruit Crème Brûlée
• Hayton Farms Berry Bowl Served with Heavy Cream

Café Juanita

• Pralus Chocolate Truffle Cake with Malt Gelato and Honey Caramel
• Torrone Panna Cotta with Cardoon Blossom Honey
• Bluebery & Lemon Curd Crostata with White Chocolate & Pink Peppercorns
• Gianduja Parfait with Ennis Hazelnut Crespelle, Pumpkin Butter and Pumpkin Pearls
• Ricotta Goat Cheese Budino with Huckleberry Milliefoglie
• Heirloom Tomato Sorbetto with Basil Seeds, Orange Foam and Fig Vinegar
• Estrella Family Creamery Cheese with Chestnut Honey and Apple
• Huckleberry Creme Brulée
• Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Grains of Paradise Spiced Peaches

Chez Shea

• Flourless Chocolate Cake & Pistachio Creme Anglaise
• Praline Cannoli Semi Freddo with Fudge Bouchon, Toasted Hazelnuts & Caramel Sauce
• Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie with Bananas Foster Compote & Whipped Cream
• Fuji Apple Compote, Crispy Meringue, Toasted Pecans & Caramel Buttercream
• Maple Crème Brulée with Pecan Butter Cookie

Cicchetti

• Ricotta Fritters with Huckleberry Sauce
• Baklava Garnished with Candied Mixed Nuts

Crush

• Valrhona Dark Chocolate “Black Forest Cake”: Chocolate Cake, Cherry Compote, Cocoa Nib Tuille
• Jennifer’s Hand Made Chocolates: Smoked Bacon, Earl Grey Tea, Lemon Verbena,
• Cocoa Nib Crunch, Chevre & Kirsch
• Raspberry & Blackberry Parfait: Summer Herb Jam, Grand Marnier Pastry Cream
• Blueberries & Honey Corn Savarin: Walnuts, White Corn Ice Cream & Whipped Farmers Cheese
• Brown Butter Wenatchee Golden Peach Pie: Gingersnap Crust, Peach Ice Cream, Anise Hyssop

Dahlia Lounge

• Chocolate Mousse & Tempura Cherries
• Chocolate Pot De Crème with Cherry-Lime Pop Tart
• Chocolate & Red Wine Tart with Cherry Chip Ice Cream
• Triple Coconut Cream Pie
• Doughnuts with Seasonal Jam
• Tom’s World Famous Crème Caramel
• A Perfect Roasted Peach, Texas Toast & Honey Butter
• Raspberries with Brachetto D’aqui & House Made Yogurt
• Green Apple & Yuzu Sorbet with Lemon-Lime Meringue
• Mint Granita with Brittany Lane Peaches & Jasmine

Dinette

• Bittersweet Chocolate Terrine with Fresh Whipped Cream & Almond Brittle
• Peach & Blackberry Crisp with Cornmeal Streusel & Vanilla Gelato
• Rhubab Upside Down Cake with Cardamom Ice Cream
• Bread Pudding With Tuaca-Soaked Golden Raisins, Whipped Cream & Caramel
• Earl Grey Ice Cream Sandwich

Emmer & Rye

• Black Forest Ice Cream Cake
• Summer Berry Pudding with White Chocolate Cream Anglaise
• Frozen Lillet Mousse with Hazelnut Crumbles
• Lemon Verbena Ice Cream with Hazelnut Shortbread

Flying Fish

• Milk Chocolate Caramel Mousse, Caramel Peanuts, Chocolate Sauce & Nougat Parfait
• Warm Grappa Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream & Milk & Bittersweet Chocolate Sauces
• Chocolate, Vanilla & Berry Ice Creams, Chocolate Sauce, Bananas & Marshmallows
• Pumpkin Brown Butter Cake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pepita Sable Cookie & White Chocolate Syrup
• Warm Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce
• Meyer Lemon Meringue Bar with Pine Nut Shortbread & Basil Syrup
• Srping Rhubarb Pie with Strawberry Ginger Ice Cream & Candied Rhubarb Strips
• Honey Lemon Cheesecake with Meyer Lemon Curd, Graham Cracker Tuile & Honey Almond Meringue

Kingfish Café

• Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
• Lemon Cake
• Coconut Cake
• Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
• Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
• Apple Pie with Walnut Topping
• Banana Cream Pie

Lampreia

• Tyrolian Style Chocolate Dumplings with Chocolate Sauce
• Orange Confit with Chocolate Caramel Sauce
• Poppy Seed Parfait with Cherries
• Strawberries with Pistachio Shortbread & Yogurt

Lark

• Valrhona Chocolate Pot De Crème with Almond Croquant
• Theo Dark Chocolate Pave with Salted Toffee Ice Cream & Cashews
• Chocolate Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Sauce
• Hazelnut Brown Buttr Cake with Creme Fraiche & Red Wine Cherries
• Summer Pudding With Brioche, Berries & Whipped Cream
• Heirloom Melons With Basil & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• House Made Malt Ice Cream
• Wild Huckleberry & Lemon Curd Tart with Lemon Verbena Custard Sauce
• Black Fig Tarte Tatin with Grappa Caramel & Chèvre Sorbet
• Apricot Tarte Tatin with Brandy Caramel & Vanilla Ice Cream
• Tapioca Crepes with Currants, Peach Caramel & Peach Sorbet
• Rosemary Goat’s Milk Panna Cotta with Strawberies & Aged Balsamic
• Coconut Sorbet with Fresh Coconut

Licorous

• Boca Negra with Ramazzotti Anglaise & Cocoa Nib Brittle
• Brown Butter-Hazelnut Financiers with Espresso Caramel
• Vanilla Bean Tapioca with Rhubarb Compote & Mascarpone

Poppy

• Chocolate Terrine with Ginger, Salted Sesame & Cumin Cashew
• Chamomile Creme Brulee
• Goat Cheese Pudding with Raspberries & Mint
• Rhubarb Shortcake with Orange Cream Cheese Mousse
• Roasted Bing Cherries with Almond Streusel & Honey-Lavender Ice Cream

Queen City Grill

• Chocolate Nemesis: Chocolate Torte with Raspbery Sauce & Whipped Cream
• Mocha Creme Caramel with Begian Chocolate & Espresso
• Warm Sourdough Bread Pudding with Butter Rum Sauce
• Key Lime Pie
• Mixed Nut Caramel with Vanilla Ice Cream

Rover’s

• Dark Chocolate Bombe with Caramel Sauce and Crème Anglaise
• Roasted Washington Nectarine Tartlet with Apricot Coulis

Serafina

• Chocolate Grappa Mousse Cake with Black Currant Sauce
• Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Butter Cream, Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Sauce & Blackberry Gelato
• Pinenut Rosemary Tart with Rhubarb Rosemary Sorbet & Rosemary Caramel
• Strawberry Semifreddo, Moscato Zabaglione, Balsamic Sorbet & Pistachio Praline
• Fried Blueberry Pie with Buttermilk Ice Cream
• Profiteroles with Caramel Ice Cream & Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
• Lemon & Blackberry Semolina Cakes with Blackberry Compote & Lemon Verbena Anglaise
• Strawberry Swirled Mascarpone Cheesecake with Almond Biscotti Crust & Strawberries
• Banana Tartlet with Almond Frangipana, Dark Run Brown Sugar Sauce & Vanila Gelato

Smash

• Bittersweet Almond Chocolate Torte with Sea Salt Caramel & Coffee Gelato
• Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Pumpkin Creme Anglaise & Fresh Cream
• Tart Pear & Blueberry Cobbler with Creme Fraiche Gelato
• Sundae with Lemon Custard, Pistachio, Dried Cherries, Decadent Fudge & Butter Cookie
• Crème Brulée with Vanilla Bourbon & Butter Cookie
• Fresh Organic Berries, Cointreau & Creme Fraîche Gelato
• Fresh Saturn Peach Fritter, Cinnamon & Honey Lavender Ice Cream
• Warm French Donuts with Nectarine Jam

Spinasse

• Gianduju Semifreddo with Dark Chocolate & Feuilletine
• Pinenut Bavarian with Meyer Lemon Curd, Blood Orange & Toasted Pinenut Shortbread
• Almond Cake with Pomegranate & Olive Oil Cream
• Panna Cotta with Cardoon Flower Honey

Steelhead Diner

• Theo’s Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon Cream
• Quadruple Layer Chocolate Cake with Coconut, Almonds & Coconut Ice Cream
• Double Chocolate Sundae with Fudge Brownie & Rocky Road Ice Cream
• Eggnog Crème Brulée
• Deep Dish Apple Pie with Olympic Mountain Cinnamon Ice Cream
• Spiced Stout Pound Cake with Poached Pears & Snoqualmie Farms Fireweed Honey
• Ligurian Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd & Mascarpone
• Derian’s Christmas Candies: Divinity, Praline, Peppermint Bark & Chocolate Fudge

Tango

• El Diablo: Bittersweet Chocolate with Cayenne, Spicy Almonds, Cocoa Nibs, Burnt Meringue & Tequila Caramel Sauce
• White Chocolate Flan with chocolate Almond Cookie & Cocoa Nibs
• Milk Drenched, Orange Infused Cake with Grande Marnier Ganache & Almond Cookie

Tilth

• Theo’s Chocolate Ganache Cake with Chocolate Shortbread, Coco Cream & Sea Salt
• Almond-Brown Butter Cake with Italian Plum Compote, Chantilly & Port Reduction
• Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle & Spiced Creme Anglaise
• Butterscotch Pudding with Fresh Fig, Hazelnut & Scotch Whiskey
• House Made Cream Creese Sorbet with Carrot Jus, Candied Walnut & Sultana
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Shortcake with Strawberry Chip & Rhubarb Coulis
• Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Peaches & Tuile

Zoe

• Devils Food & Mocha Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake with Espresso Fudge Sauce
• Dark Chocolate Mousse Bar with Raspberry, Milk Chocolate Caramel & Blackberry Coulis
• Mint Custard with Glazed Blackberries & Almond Macaroons
• Mascarpone Crepe Soufflé with Washington Raspberries & Bay-Vanilla Syrup
• Frozen Hazelnut Praline Parfait with Blueberry Turnover & Blueberry-Lavender Broth
• Bing Cherry Vanilla Sundae with Cherry Caramel & Candied Coconut
• Sweet Cherry Tart with Pistachio-almond Frangipane & Brown Sugar Ice Cream

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