Ms. Polly’s Specialty Cakes
Many folks used to tell us that these really moist and delicious chocolate cakes could be purchased at the gas station (Shell?) at Magallanes. A slightly unorthodox retail location, but never mind, the cakes were good and the prices very reasonable. So over the years, we enjoyed several chocolate cakes from “the gas station” but frankly, I never went there myself nor even knew what it was called. Turns out, those cakes are baked by what is branded as Ms. Polly’s Specialty Cakes. They are currently participating in the Baker’s Dozen promotion at Rockwell Mall, weekends this October 2007. We purchased this 8×8 inch classic chocolate cake last Sunday for PHP335 (a tad higher than gas station prices) and it easily served 12 for just PHP28 per slice, less than half the cost of fancier chocolate cupcakes.
This is not a fancy chocolate cake. I suspect it uses cocoa, and not any outrageously priced dark chocolates. But it is dark, sweet and moist. The icing is a throwback to the 1960’s or 70’s and it is terrific value for money. I don’t know what their “trick” is for moistness - mayonnaise? vinegar? fat and more fat? - but it works nicely. The cake can be a bit much if eaten in large portions, and I suspect that is due to the high amounts of fat (vegetable oil, shortening and/or butter) in the recipe. I have always had problems with my own chocolate cakes, so I am happy to buy them instead. Along with this cake, we used to buy the Yulo chocolate cakes from Forbes which were delicious as well. At any rate, Ms. Polly’s has a fairly extensive list of baked goods on offer including pies, fruitcakes, cupcakes, crema di fruta, sans rival, etc. and they can be reached at 401-4588 (fax 821-6898) for inquiries. Mrs. MM and The Kid have tried the Apple Crisp and thought that was yummy as well. Have Ms. Polly’s fax you a copy of their product list. Gosh, isn’t it amazing how the use of sugar has evolved???
So this is what it is called, Ms Polly’s Chocolate cake! Like you, all we know is that you get it from the Shell gas station in Magallanes. We look forward to having this super moist chocolate cake which a relative from Merville usually brings to special family affairs at our grandma’s house in Quezon City. Our gatherings are not complete without this cake which is most always the first one to be wiped out of the dessert table!
October 23rd, 2007Super good and really value for money =)
October 23rd, 2007I have a cousin who lives in San Francisco who makes her husband buy Ms. Polly’s chocolate cakes whenever he’s here on business and freeze them for the transatlantic flight home. She hoards them in her freezer like gold at Fort Knox. lol. And it defrosts pretty well! She graciously served it when I visited her almost 2 years ago, but I only had a small piece because I didnt want to exhaust her supply. I was going home to Manila anyway, and the Magallanes Shell Station is a mere 20-min drive away from home :)
October 23rd, 2007For that price it makes the chocolate cake much better! It is a steal. Whatever they use to make their chocolate cake moist works. Some bakers brush or shower sugar syrup before frosting. There is a cocoa powder out in the market now that is dark – no chocolate flavor only for color like Oreo cookies. I use to underbake my cake 10 minutes than the suggested baking time – it works the downside is it has to finish the following day otherwise syrupy moist will start to leech out all over the cake. No more underbaking practice to me.
October 23rd, 2007Wait, I meant transpacific. Mixing up my oceans now…
October 23rd, 2007Don’t worry nothing degrading there, why the gas station is by far the preferred food shopping venue of poor Americans.
October 23rd, 2007Ms. Polly’s is a hit in lots of places. We have also tried the one at the Caltex station in Buendia and from Chocolat. We still prefer Ms. Polly’s. Have you tried the chocolate cake in Costco? Its icing is a lot sweeter than Ms. Polly’s but the cake is soooooo good. We wanted to bring that home from our last visit to the US but it would’ve been to huge to hand carry. Oh, and do try eating Ms. Polly’s with Coffee Crumble flavored ice cream…it’s HEAVENLY!
October 23rd, 2007I recently discovered that you don’t have to go all the way to the Shell station in Magallanes to get Ms. Polly’s choco cake. They deliver to an outlet in Greenhills near the gate leading to Sanctuario de San Jose church. I think the convenience store is called Greenspark (right across Red Ribbon) along Connecticut.
October 23rd, 2007We chanced upon Chocolat at SM Mall of Asia and could not resist trying out their cakes. They turned out quite good but Ms Polly’s are more reasonably priced. Since Ms Polly’s doesn’t have an outlet in QC, we satisfy our chocolate cravings by going to Chocolat either in SM West and Xavierville. I don’t suggest however the Xavierville branch even though it’s very near our place since it doesn’t have enough stocks and selections to choose from.
October 23rd, 2007That’s what I brought in the last EB. SO when is the next?
October 23rd, 2007This cake from Magallanes Shell had been comfort food over the years :)
October 23rd, 2007MarketFan is correct. Greensparks convenience store on Connecticut St, across Red Ribbon. It’s open till late, about 11 or 12 at night. But I think one 8″x8″ is P375 there.
October 23rd, 2007finally you have tasted her cake. it’s really so good. here in alabang, one can buy a whole cake at a stall in makati supermarket and per piece (in a foil cup) in caltex alabang. :)
October 23rd, 2007Mmmm…Mrs. Polly’s Chocolate Cake. A good friend introduced me to this cake 3 years ago and hubby knows that I would be much happier to see him home from Manila if he has a box of this in tow. MM, if you ever get to visit Bacolod, try to visit Calea. It is a cakeshop adjacent to L’Fisher hotel and it is a haven for people who need to have their sugar rush like me. You would often see tourists and visitors going out of the shop with boxes of Calea cakes for pasalubong. Yummy and reasonably priced too.
October 23rd, 2007Ms Polly’s chocolate cake has been a staple too in our family gatherings. A cousin from the South always brings a few boxes to QC and the first thing she’s asked as soon as she walks in the door is whether she’s brought Ms Polly’s. One time, we all jokingly refused to speak to her when she turned up without the cake. Apparently, they run out of it fast at Shell Magallanes.
October 23rd, 2007Are Ms Polly’s chocolate cakes available in smaller sizes?
October 23rd, 2007I’m not sure if all the Shell stations in Makati were selling the cake, but when I worked along Ayala Avenue, we’d get our Polly’s chocolate cake from the Shell Station (Shell Maya as it was known) on Buendia near the corner of Ayala. And then under the recom from Nena, I ordered Polly’s cake with a caramel/mocha icing which was sweeter, but also just as moist. Good value, and our office birthday parties were never the same if we didn’t have the cake around. Dibs for the corners were always by special request.
October 23rd, 2007michiku, they come in a 7 inch round size at roughly PHP220 I think. They also make cupcakes… cherub96, I have heard of calea several times from folks in your neighborhood, I am ashamed to say I have never been to Bacolod. Mandy, I have been having these cakes for years, I just didn’t know what to call them… teny, no eyeballs scheduled, I am crazed with charity t-shirt preparations.
October 23rd, 2007Aside from the famous chocolate cake at Shell Magallanes, you should also try their kesong puti. Next to the choc cake, it’s the gas station’s next best selling item. I remember Sandy Daza raving about it as well in his newspaper column yrs ago.
October 23rd, 2007Yup I have had wonderful finds in gas stations. Here in Davao there’s a canteen where they serve a to die for paksiw na buntot ng Tuna. It used to be in a Petron gas station, now jollibee took their place and she now moved a much less known gas station I can’t quite recall what it’s called.
October 23rd, 2007thanks, mr. marketman! im thinking of giving food presents for christmas. im actually scanning your site for recipes, stores, and ideas! =)
October 23rd, 2007Aside from their chocolate cake we also love their sansrival, the butter is not cloying. didn’t know they have other products as well and that we can contact them directly. We just pick up one of these cakes in the shell station. thanks for the contact info MM!
October 23rd, 2007the cake looks awesome…been gassing up at shell magallanes and yet never knew something this good even exists in their store!!!!
October 23rd, 2007We are lucky to live near her bakeshop so everytime we have somewhere to go, we bring her chocolate cake–always a hit! It tastes even better when cold (we put ours in the freezer). They have the option of a caramel filling for their chocolate cake. Another delicious dessert they have there too is a freezer cake called Peach-Walnut Torte!
October 23rd, 2007Yes, Mila’s right, there was a time Polly’s Choc. Cake was available at Shell Maya. Now that that’s been torn down, I heard (unconfirmed) that it is now available at the Shell on Pasong Tamo cor. Herrera. The Magallanes Shell is better, though, because they also sell several other yummy items.
October 23rd, 2007this chocolate cake was introduced to me by a friend who knows i love baking and chocolate cake.. she bought me a whole cake as birthday present.. love this cake though my hubby finds it too sweet for his taste, i don’t mind! i sooo love it!!
October 23rd, 2007Don’t knock gas station shopping - lol! That’s how I furnished my very first apartment when I started college. Texaco gas was always higher priced than other stations but they also gave out coupons for glasses, plates, flatware all of which were redeemable at no extra cost. For a poor student, this was nirvana! Believe it or not, I still have some of the glasses to this day - well ok, they’re in boxes somewhere in the house anyway.
Chocolate cakes - have y’all ever heard of lava cakes. It’s a little bundt-shaped chocolate cake that has hot fudge filling. It’s usually served warm with whipped cream or ice cream. It is soooo beyond YUMMY. Some restaurants serve them and for the US folks, you can also buy the mix at
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/detail.jsp?select=C76&byCategory=C105&id=3635
I’ve bought a ton of stuff from these guys and even dropped in at their store in Vermont. They’re wonderful wonderful people.
October 24th, 2007Roughly 10 years ago while living with my parents in Merville, I was wickedly hooked on this heavenly rich moist chocolate cake. I always bought one on every family gathering and even those who didn’t like sweets & cakes, loved it. Reading this blog brought back good memories. I promised myself to buy this cake on my next trip to the Philippines. I am just glad that this cake finally got a well-deserved review in your blog.
October 24th, 2007sometimes good things need not expensive, i can always trade cadbury to lala or chocnut. aww, i want some of this. :) helffff!
October 24th, 2007Hi MM! this is a family staple…and no homecoming of mine is ever complete without this! have you ever tried the chocolate cake of shoppersville? (in front of Ateneo)… it’s to-die-for too!
October 24th, 2007Hi MM, request naman…could you post a blog about where to get the best homemade oatmeal fudge bars? Thanks!
October 24th, 2007shell maya gas station in magallanes brings really good food memories, aside from THAT super moist chocolate cake (made by polly garilao from merville), i used to go there just to have THE BEST tacos i’ve ever eaten in my life - these were made by nonesuch (a defunct restaurant which used to be located in malate). i’d stand in front of the taco stand and eat as much as ten pieces - one after the other! if you ever go to bacolod market man, aside from going to calea, ask someone to bring you to 21 for really good ilonggo dishes; pendy’s for pasalubong (THE BEST dulce gatas - next to the one which used to be made by our governess lydia - using carabao’s milk ); pala-pala for fresh fish just out of a fishing boat and into the frying pan with hot steaming rice; baylon for THE BEST piyaya, panara and empanada; bob’s big boy for ilonggo snacks; roli’s for their chicken sandwich - and the list goes on and on…
October 24th, 2007Thanks negrosdude. Trust me, I will email you before ANY trip to Bacolod. palengkera, sorry, I don’t know any makers of oatmeal fudge bars…they would seem to be pretty easy to make in your own kitchen, no? Boo, no, I haven’t tried the shoppersville chocolate cake.
October 24th, 2007Oh the chocolate looks so yummy!. I read it one time from anton.bolgs.com that Ms. Polly’s cake tastes really good, hhmm, i wonder when can I get some of that!
October 24th, 2007oh, one more thing - drop by Kmart and ask for manaloto’s RECADO CHORIZO. at home, put a little water in your frying pan, prick the chorizo (some people squeeze the laman out of its casing and fry the crumbled chorizo) with a fork and fry it - once the water evaporates - in its own fat; soft scramble some eggs with onions and tomatoes, and have the fried chorizo along with the eggs and some hot steaming rice - ay patay! food to have before one goes and meet his Maker!
October 24th, 2007MM, do you still remember Cookie Monster Cakes? When the Campos family (of CamposRueda) closed their Cakeshop, the recipes specially their famous chocolate cake was taken over by their baker, Ms. Polly. This info came from the Campos’ themselves. I have a copy of their chocolate cake recipe if anyone is interested.
October 24th, 2007Asunta… Is the Pope Catholic?? Cookie Monster cakes, along with Dairy Queen ice cream on Buendia, were the sugar of my sugar-n-spice childhood. I’m sure im not the only one who will want that recipe… Please post if you can! :)
October 24th, 2007Asunta, PLEASE PLEASE email me the recipe at piper_11673@yahoo.com. Appreciate it! =)
October 24th, 2007Asunta,since you offered, why not? How do we get the recipe? Thanks in advance!
October 24th, 2007Asunta, I agree with Myra P. you will make a lot of us happy especially with the fast approaching holidays if you can share the chocolate recipe that you keep in your vault. Asunta and Myra P. both of you are real troupers! We are MM family members. Thanks in advance Asunta and Myra P.
October 24th, 2007Myra, Maria Clara and Market Fan, I would love to post the recipe on this site but MM needs to approve first. However if you drop me a message on asunrda@yahoo.com i would be glad to forward to you the recipe.Piper I have forwarded you one today.
October 24th, 2007Hi Asunta, MC, MFan and Myra, I got the recipe from asunta… will test it in the kitchen over the next week or so and post it for everyone. Thanks asunta! And the boling water trick is clever… I have only seen it before in my quick pan de sal recipe… hmmm, I wonder what it does…
October 24th, 2007Ms. Polly is Polly Velez Garilao. She comes from a prominent and well to do family from Cebu. She is the spouse of former DAR Secretary (1992-1998) Ernesto Garilao. She started this business from her home. I don’t think she ever work for the Cookie Monster as a baker.
October 24th, 2007On the subject of Cookie Monster.
I think it’s better/more correctly known as Kookie Monster. I’ve seen it Shangri-La Rustan and Greenhills Unimart stalls.
Kookie Monster is a side business run by members of the Leelin family, which is - of course - tied to the Goldilocks chain. Goldilocks is still, I think, headquartered at the Leelin building in Pasong Tamo, Makati.
October 24th, 2007Yes I stand corrected, it is Kookie Monster. Sorry but I only got the information about Ms. Polly from the Campos’. My apologies to artisan chocolatier and to Ms. Garilao.
And MM, boiling water for me always creates moist cakes. Hope it works. I havent tried this cake in years and have since shifted to a different recipe. This recipe was handed down to me by my mother who is a friend of the family.
October 24th, 2007Yum. This post brings back good memories! The Magallanes cake, as we called it, was/is available at the Anvil Restaurant and the Bridge Cafe of Equitable PCI Bank, where I used to work. This was my favorite dessert or merienda. On one of my trips back home, my friend who lives in or near Merville brought a whole chocolate cake to our dinner get-together because he knew that I loved it.
October 24th, 2007That looks so delicious! I have to try it. Thanks MM!
October 24th, 2007Cocoa releases chocolate flavor best when it’s fully dissolved in a hot liquid - so that’s what the boiling water does:)! The liquid/heat also gives the leavening a head start so you have to get this cake in the oven quick or it just won’t be as light and fluffy.
I’m a baker too but when I want a no-frills, comfortingly chocolate cake I just head for the gas station! That way i don’t have any clean-up to do :)
October 25th, 2007Michelle, I visited your website - your cake creations are amazing. You are an artist and a baker! I am impressed with your creativity. Sorry, MM, cannot help it (MM my apology) - I have to give Michelle my glorious admiration of her creative talent.
October 25th, 2007Maria Clara, did you try the dark cocoa powder? I was so excited to try this “black cocoa” (dutched, made in Indonesia I think they said). It came in sealed 1Kg foil packs(P 300 or so?) and the shop didn’t have any opened samples for me to smell, so I bought it unseen and un-sniffed. It is indeed black, black as charcoal (in fact so black, that when I stirred it into hot milk, the drink was gray!) but smelled and tasted so unpleasant I couldn’t use it :( It has a weird chalky texture too. Just awful.
October 25th, 2007Uh oh, I didn’t realize filling in that field would turn it into a clickable link, I’m sorry marketman, it was unintentional.
But thank you Maria Clara :)
October 25th, 2007Michelle, I am baking with it but does not have any chocolate flavor to it. Yes, you are right it tastes awful it is purely for color - to give it that dark chocolate look. I guess dark chocolate is the in thing now. For every cup of regular cocoa powder I use 2 tablespoons of the dark cocoa powder as suggested by the sales rep at the chocolate store. I can’t help but praise and admire you. To me, you are in the same playing field as Rose Bernbaum, Sylvia Weinstock, Toba Garrett and Margaret Braun. You are so talented!
October 25th, 2007Mchelle, no problem on the link. That is intentional, so commenters can leave a link to their own site…yours is gorgeous.
October 25th, 2007Teny, was that you who brought this gorgeous chocolate cake? MM, remember after the EB, I bugged you on who brought the chocolate cake and nobody claimed responsibility? Wow, it took almost one year for us to know!!! And to think we pass by Magallanes Gas Station from time to time to gas up. But, thanks for saving me a lot of calories! hahahaaa
My friend told me the kesong puti comes from Los Banos (DTRI?). Try this…finely dice capsicum, saute in olive oil, add the kesong puti, turn off fire as soon as it melts a little then transfer to a plate. Super yummy!
October 26th, 2007Thanks Maria Clara…. maybe I can use up that black cocoa a little at a time by using it the way you do…I feel bad throwing food away. And thank you also for the kind compliments! I’m super flattered you think I’m in “their” league :)
Marketman,am so relieved,I thought I’d breached your board etiquette!
October 27th, 2007had calea’s choc cake way back in christmas of 2003. It was moist and not too sweet - not unlike polly’s. Too bad they don’t make them the same way today. We went to bacolod last month and what we had is totally different. Btw the kesong puti from dtri in los banos is made from cow’s milk. They also make mozarella sometimes. Way more affordable than what we get at supermarkets
October 29th, 2007Asunta or anyone:
November 30th, 2007Do you have the recipe for the Kookie Monster caramel filling as well? My hubby’s birthday next week and he wants me to make this Kookie Monster chocolate cake for him! Thanks!
Hi guys! I’m new to this forum so be nice to me :0) I came across Market Manila whilst looking for pan de sal recipe using my bread maker. And I’m so glad I did, talk about love for food, this site is wicked! Being a Makati girl that I am (anyone from Pasong Tamo please raise your hand!) I remember Kookie Monster of course I do and that chocolate cake, WOW! I can just taste it now. And yes, I do know about that petrol station in Magallanes and those tasty tacos, YUM!
Asunta, can I have the recipe of the chocolate cake? I’ll send you details so you can reply to that. Thanks in advance.
December 6th, 2007Hello! Asunta, Please,e-mail me the chocolate cake recipe (gwbn1005@yahoo.com) I’d like to bake it for my husband this coming holiday season. He loves chocolate cake and this could be a good gift for him.
December 6th, 2007hello! i’m just new to this site. i am a beginner baker and i’m crazy about chocolate cakes. to Asunta, can I have the recipe of the chocolate cake? Please email it at kitchen_kraft76@yahoo.com.
Thanks in advance.
May 10th, 2008hi, asunta.. i am not sure if you are still reading this but if you can.. please send me the recipe for the cake.. thanks in advance gracious.gift@gmail.com
June 21st, 2008Hi MM / Asunta / anyone,
Can you send the recipe of the Kookie Monster cake to me? peri21winkle@yahoo.com
July 23rd, 2008thank you!
hi assunta! please share with me the recipe of the kookie monster cake. my mom used to buy that cake when i was young. thanks tinipili@yahoo.com
July 23rd, 2008Hi Assunta! If you are still reading this thread and it’s not too much trouble, would you email me the Kookie Monster cake recipe please? annamariabenitez@gmail.com
August 7th, 2008[…] Ms. Polly’s Chocolate Cake (no pic) - At 400 pesos, this cake is sulit! Superb chocolate icing covers the rich, moist chocolate cake. Check out Mr. MarketMan’s feature (and pics) […]
August 12th, 2008Hi Ms. Asunta. I am very much interested to try the Kookie Monster chocolate cake recipe. Can you please email it to me at mia_estampador@hotmail.com
Thank you so much!
September 4th, 2008Hi Assunta,
September 5th, 2008If you are still reading this, please email me the recipes of Ms. Polly Chocolate cake and the Kookie Monster cake with the filling. My kids just love chocolate cakes and i would like to bake it for them.
Thank you very much.
is dis chocolate cake has more of a dark chocolate??
September 13th, 2008Hi Asunta,
I hope you can share the recipe for this chocolate cake. I also need a recipe for the chocolate icing and caramel. Thank you in advance. :) bechay@ymail.com
September 18th, 2008