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Larchmont Bakery Meltaway Cake

Subject: Meltaway large pastry flat cake
From: Mike
Date: 7/28/2020, 8:30 AM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com

On 7/27/2020 3:55 PM, Mike wrote:

I am wondering if you can help me locate a recipe from my childhood. 
My parents and grandparents would purchase this pastry from 
The Larchmont bakery on Chatsworth Avenue in Larchmont, New York. 
I remember them until we moved to Florida in 1978.
The was a large round flat pastry around 10-14” inches was almond 
flavored. It was very rich and I remember I could see flat cut almonds. 
The texture was not dry. Moist on the top and the crust was not stiff 
but not as moist as the top. I am told by my relatives that other 
bakeries in Westchester county also offer this.
Would you be able locate this recipe? I want to share with my children 
and grandchildren.
Sincerely,
Mike from Helotes Texas

Hi Mike,

Well, I find your request to be problematic. You seem unsure of the actual name by which the bakery sold the cake, and your description is mostly things that are unhelpful in searching for a particular recipe.

There are a couple of bakeries on Chatsworth Avenue in Larchmont, NY even today, but I cannot find any mention at all of "The Larchmont Bakery" in Larchmont, NY.

"Meltaway" is apparently just a  descriptive term that means that it "seems to melt in your mouth." In confectionery lingo, it relates to the fat content of some kinds of candy.

See: Sinful Sweet A "meltaway" refers to the various types of cakes, cookies, and confections that to seem to melt in the mouth. Meltaways, in a confectionary term, are a eutectic candy. A eutectic refers to a combination of fats that melt at a lower temperature than a singular fat by itself.

There are recipes online for various things called "meltaway" - cakes, cookies, and pastries  - but none seems to fit your description. There is a lot of variety in "meltaway cake" recipes.

As to other bakeries in Westchester County, if you can obtain some of the names and locations of bakeries that sold this pastry, then maybe I could find more about it.

The nearest I have heard of such a pastry was a few years ago when I received a request for a "meltaway cake" from "The Cake Nook" bakery in Mount Vernon, New York, which is indeed in Westchester County. I had no success finding that recipe. There is a description of that pastry here: 3-14-2014

It was described a coming in both chocolate and cinnamon flavors. Did your pastry come in flavors other than the almond that you describe?

There is a recipe here for a "chocolate meltaway cake" that is described as being "like the one from the NY bakeries." -

Chocolate Meltaway Cake

I will post this for reader input. Maybe one of my readers can provide more information about the pastry.

Phaed

https://gourmetkoshercooking.com/2012/05/chocolate-meltaway-cake/


Chocolate Meltaway Cake (Like New York bakeries.)

Crust:
1-1/2 cups cookie crumbs
1/4 - 1/2 cup melted margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix crust ingredients together and press into bottoms and up sides of a 
greased 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes 
until lightly browned.

For meltaway center:
1-1/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup non-dairy creamer

Crumble topping:
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 - 2/3 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For meltaway center: In a small saucepan warm non-dairy creamer over low 
flame until hot but not boiling. Add chocolate, turn off heat and stir until 
melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour 2/3 of 
chocolate into crust.

For crumble topping: In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, and oil until crumbly 
but leaving some large chunks. Sprinkle 1/3 over chocolate layer. Fold the 
second 1/3 into the reserved chocolate. Spoon over crumble layer. Sprinkle 
remaining 1/3 on top. Bake for 12 minutes. Chill until ready to serve. You may 
need a little more crumble, if so use 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 3/4 - 1 cup oil 
for additional crumble.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes.
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Subject: Meltaway cake
From: Lou 
Date: 10/25/2022, 6:05 PM
To: "phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com"  

I noticed a reader wanted to know about a meltaway cake at the Cake Nook Bakery 
in Mt Vernon New York. I have had it many many times, and although the bakery is 
now closed you can find it at The Delite Bakery on Yonkers Ave, In Yonkers New York. 
It is just as good. You have to either order it or ask for it they keep them hidden 
under the counter. This bakery is about 1 mile from The now closed Cake Nook. 
I thought maybe you could pass it on to your reader named Richie who inquired 
about it in 2014.