I Went Behind-The-Scenes on How Denver’s Messiest Dessert Is Made

It’s not very often you get to make a mess on purpose—and then, as a cherry on top, actually celebrate the chaos. But at this Denver restaurant experience, it’s expected that you play with your food and break something while you’re at it. Ever heard of "La Bomba?"

This delicious signature sweet is famed by those who enjoy desserts with a hint of disarray at the restaurant Toro by Chef Richard Sandoval. It’s made up of a giant chocolate sphere filled with ice cream, fresh berries, sauces, and crunchy toppings. But it’s not just any dessert item—it’s an entirely orchestrated culinary experience. This chocolate concoction is designed to be dramatically and purposefully smashed onto the table in front of you, creating a shared, messy, and memorable experience.  

Background Info on the Famous Toro Treat, “La Bomba”

Toro’s founder and patriarch is the acclaimed chef Richard Sandoval. He is unofficially dubbed the “father of modern Mexican cuisine,” and has cooked up a collection of signature restaurants worldwide, including Toro. Toro as a destination isn’t just for delighting in delectable Latin flavors—in this restaurant, Sandoval aims at immersing his diners in the vibrant atmosphere of Latin culture in addition to enjoying a delicious meal. 

One of the most sprightly signature experiences you can have at Toro is ordering “La Bomba” for dessert. These creations are hand-made daily with care—and in Denver, Toro even incorporates elements of seasonal fun into their Bombas, such as using a special Valentine’s Day pink chocolate shell or donating to a local charitable cause during Pride Month. It’s a favorite way for folks to celebrate an anniversary, birthday, or just surprise their unsuspecting fellow diners with a startlingly spirited show. 

How the La Bombas Chocolate Shells Are Made

The chocolate shells for the La Bombas are made in-house, daily. On average, Toro Denver sells around 150 La Bombas per month. That’s a lot of chocolate! I was lucky enough to have the chance to go behind the scenes on my own "La Bomba Smash Course” adventure.  

Upon arrival, I got to go into the kitchen and get an insider look at how the La Bomba shell is made. This included a peek at the chocolate tempering process. The pastry chef on-site uses inflated balloons to create the spherical shape the chocolate will mold to, thereby making the chocolate shell of a vessel. I asked how often the balloons pop, and I was told it happens occasionally, but not often enough to be a problem. It’s more of a startling experience for those in the kitchen at the time of the small but unexpected explosion. 

After learning about the tempering process and how the base shell is made, I had an opportunity to concoct a customized “La Bomba” dessert with my own hands at Toro’s regular “La Bomba Smash Course.” And of course, I asked for plenty of insider tips on how to properly spin and shatter the thing (because watching this confection explode in a celebration of colors like a sweet piñata is the best part!).  

The Inside of a Smashingly Smashable La Bomba

First, I added whipped cream to the inside of my shell as the base for my dessert. It’s for the other toppings to adhere to the whipped cream, much like a sweet glue substance. I used a lot of whipped cream because I wanted plenty of stickiness for my toppings. 

Next, it was time to add my ice cream. I used vanilla ice cream and a tangy mango sorbet we had on hand. I wanted to be mindful of having enough room for the rest of the toppings (and minimize splatter, when my La Bomba inevitably would shatter) so I went light on the ice cream. 

Third, it was time to add the “toppings.” We had brownie bites, meringues, and crumbled cookie bits for texture, as well as various colorful fresh berries for sweetness. I added plenty of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. I’ve also heard about how the restaurant can use other special toppings, such as flower petals, depending on the season. When we were done adding our fillings, it was time for the main event—a crash course on (properly) smashing the thing. 

How to Actually (Successfully) Destroy Your La Bomba

There’s a specific technique I recommend, based on the lessons and insights from our course instructor. He picked up the chocolate with confidence—and instead of just dropping it as hard as he could onto the plate, he sort of spun it in a circle, so it could land at an angle, while still moving. I was nervous I was going to get whipped cream and chocolate bits all over myself (I recommend not wearing a nice outfit if you’re worried your technique might not be quite “refined” yet). Since our class leader worked at the restaurant and did this deed regularly, he made it look so easy. 

There was no way around it. This was the main event, after all. Everything was building up to this moment.  

So, I took a deep breath, picked up my chocolate creation, stepped back, and flung it up in the air while setting it to spin like some sort of sugary dessert tornado. The chocolate shell came plummeting back down with gravity and hit the plate squarely at an angle on the side of the sphere. I had successfully smashed it into what looked and felt like a million sweet little pieces. 

As messy and imperfect as it was, it was exquisite. And I think it is so cool that if I had tossed it even half an inch differently or used a different spin, it would have landed totally differently. Everyone might start off with the same shell and ingredients, but all of our La Bombas turned out to be so beautifully unique. 

Luckily, the fun of creating our artistic masterpieces wasn’t 100% over, yet. After admiring my destructive work, I got to drizzle some raspberry sauce over the top of the sweet chaos. Then, it was time for the best part—to dig in.