It is not an exaggeration: the best chocolate cake in the world is prepared just 20 minutes from the center of Barcelona. Specifically, in Castelldefels, where Pachi Larrea, with two bakeries, bakes the cake that has won the first prize in the Paco Torreblanca International Award for Haute Patisserie, a contest that seeks to recognize excellence in pastry making worldwide .
The award was presented this weekend at the VI Alicante Gastronomic Fair Alma Mediterránea, where 220 candidates from countries such as Italy, Chile, Colombia and Mexico participated, examined by a jury formed by personalities such as Jordi Roca, Oriol Balaguer, Albert Adriá, Jacob Torreblanca and Carlos Mampel, as well as renowned international chefs Iginio Massari (Italy) and Frédéric Bau (France).
The other finalists in the competition were Alba Gracia Elipe (Spain), Andrea Zemi (Italy), Estefanía Aguilar (Costa Rica), Javier Naranjo (Colombia), Javiera Villegas (Chile); Juan Sarango (Ecuador) and Nathalia Escobar Rosales (Mexico).
The two best chocolate cakes, in Barcelona
It was this jury that singled out the cake of Pachi Larrea, Ecuadorian pastry chef based in Castelldefels with two bakeries (c/del Dr. Trueta, 2 and Passatge Mercè Rodoreda, 2) and with more than 20 years of experience in places like the Ecuadorian embassy in China and in haute patisserie houses such as Oriol Balaguer.
It is not the first major award he has won: this same year he was recognized with the award for Best Traditional Cake Sant Joan 2024. In the case of this chocolate cake, the jury rated the recipe as one of the most innovative, impeccable workmanship and intense flavor, valuing the taste, texture, presentation and technique .
Larrea is not the only winner from Barcelona. The pastry chef Sergi Vela, with his own pastry shop in Barcelona that defines itself as “the pastry shop of the chefs” (c/Còrsega, 637) came in second place, and Fran Segura (Alicante), a specialist in éclairs and natural pastries, came in third place. The three winners won prizes of 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 euros, respectively.
The contest was organized in collaboration with the International School of Pastry Arts as a tribute to the master Paco Torreblanca, an iconic figure in national and international pastry. This event not only seeks to find the best chocolate cake in the world but also to provide a platform for pastry chefs to demonstrate their skill and creativity.