[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

There are strawberry shortcakes by the Japanese—remember the ones from Panya, ChikaLicious, and Cafe Zaiya?—and then there are strawberry shortcakes by the French. At Ceci-Cela it officially goes by the name Fraisier Cake, though if you ask anyone in the shop, they'll explain it as "strawberry shortcake." The cakes come in individual rounds with a vanilla génoise base, delicate and classic. Halved strawberries form a perfect ring around the exterior, bound by the house mousseline cream, vanilla-scented and made all the more silky with egg yolks. It's essentially at the intersection of pastry cream and buttercream, and simultaneously rich in flavor and light in texture when done correctly. Top with a fanned strawberry, a bit of chocolate, and you're good to go.

Ceci-Cela

55 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012 (map)
212-274-9179
cecicelanyc.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.