Let us eat cake, and not just any cake but some of Beijing’s finest birthday cakes made by our very own talented bakers in the expat community. Whatever the theme of your kids’ party, and whether they want a dinosaur or princess cake, these creative pastry chefs have got you covered.

Alena

Alena is great at decorative fondant cakes that taste just as good as they look. For my son’s birthday, our request for a fondant dragon cake inspired by Raya and the Last Dragon was turned down by some bakers, but Alena accepted the challenge! I don’t know how long it took her but the end result drew open jaws and many oohs and aahs. I was all the more impressed by the moist and yummy seven-layer rainbow inside, which my son had requested as well. While it depends entirely on your choice of filling and how labor-intensive the design you choose, this cake cost upwards of RMB 700, which seems fair for a customized cake of this quality and size (able to feed 20). Alena even hand-delivered the cake to my home, which isn’t something she always does but did in my case, which was a lovely personal touch.

Palyko by Camilla Kongshavn

A baker whose culinary talent is almost as big as her heart, Camilla Kongshavn is no stranger to any foodie in Beijing. Doubling as the busy manager of four Sweet Cravings WeChat groups where you’ll find many of these bakers and chefs, Kongshavn’s own dessert business, Palyko, has been satisfying customers for years. She takes pride in using non-toxic preparation while baking and using organic ingredients when possible. Preferring to focus on the quality of the taste rather than just looks, Kongshavn keeps the appearance of her cakes clean and simple. Prices start from RMB 399.

Malika’s Cakes

Aside from beautiful themed cakes with customizable flavors – from black forest to honey and even ice cream cakes – Malika also makes cute pastries such as cupcakes, lollipops, donuts, and unique cookies for kids and adults alike. In Malika’s own words, “I add a part of myself in each cake to make it special.” Basic cakes start at RMB 300, but more sophisticated decorations can increase the price, and don’t forget to add shipping.

Shizu Bakes

Shizna is a Maldives native on her second year in Beijing and seems set to corner the market on amazingly artistic mousse cakes. She uses different layers of fruit compote and chocolate fillings to create culinary treats that are creamy and delicious. Offering a variety of flavors from lemon to hazelnut, and even carrot mousse, in a great choice of designs from mini cloud cakes to mosaics, Shizna is happy to take personalized requests that make your cake one of a kind. Prices start from RMB 300 for the mini cakes and RMB 450 for the regular size that feeds eight to 10. 

The Chiffon Lady

Angie Chan is perhaps the latest addition to this list and offers something a little simpler – chiffon cakes that are lightly flavored with citrus, earl grey, and two unique Southeast Asian flavors of pandan and black glutinous rice. For kids’ birthdays, she has customized simple designs and also adds sprinkles or M&Ms for color and extra sweetness since the chiffon cakes themselves are not richly flavored. In my experience, both kids and adults have enjoyed them since they don’t have cream nor do they sit too heavily in the stomach afterward! Prices are very reasonable at around RMB 120 and up, per cake.

There are many many Beijing bakers out there, and these are five whom we have either tried personally and/or received rave recommendations for. They are certainly worth ringing up for your child’s next celebration!

KEEP READING: Sweet Cravings Beijing: The Must-Join WeChat Group for Dessert Lovers

Images: Pexels, courtesy of contributors 

Comptoirs de France sells dessert cakes that could easily double as celebration cakes. With a slab of chocolate on top, inscribed with your celebratory message, their cakes include cheesecake, chocolate fudge, opera, blackforest gateaux, plus many more. RMB 268-288 for a two pound cake that serves eight, and RMB 378-398 for a three pound cake that serves 10-12. These cakes are quite grown up flavors, more suited to older kids, teens, and adults. The good news is they now do a range of “character” Birthday cakes, perfect for little ones.

The fabulous looking Shaun the Sheep, rather cute Hello Kitty, and glamorous Barbie cakes incorporate white sponge with meringue orange cream, and fresh cream. Baymax from Big Hero 6, Cars, and the Sponge Bob cakes are dark chocolate sponge with chocolate ganache, covered with royal sugar icing. Prices start from RMB 308. If you’re inviting a lot of people to the party, any of their cakes can be scaled big enough to serve 80 people. Included in the price, is a message of your choice, plus forks, plates, knives, candles, and a crown. If none of these options is quite what you’re looking for, they can also create a tailor-made cake just for you. To discuss specific requirements email fabio@fameiwei.com

I couldn’t leave without trying some of Chef Brian McKenna’s desserts, which are available in all Comptoirs’ stores. The “Tiramisune” (RMB 62) was created for Hatsune, but now you don’t have to dine on sushi first to enjoy this dessert. It serves two, and is presented in a traditional Japanese sake box. The dessert incorporates green tea instead of the traditional coffee. The mascarpone was rich and creamy, the sponge layers light and airy. The flavor was quite intense, so you have to be a matcha lover to fully appreciate this East meets West dessert.

The Chocolate and Orange (RMB 52), is a shiny dark chocolate dome. Filled with rich chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, and caramelized mandarin oranges. It was a chocolate orange delight, a light fluffy mousse with a lovely orange flavor through the center. I stopped short of trying the Matcha Tea and Azuki Bean Pyramid (RMB 42), perhaps next time.

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Sally Wilson

Ice cream cakes are the perfect cake for any celebration, but especially so in summer. Popular as Birthday and wedding cakes in the US and Australia, ice cream cakes are less well known in Europe. Their popularity is growing in China, with many ice cream stores now selling cakes and offering a custom made cake service. An ice cream cake can be just ice cream, layered with sponge, and some are wrapped in a thick coating of chocolate. Whipped cream is good as a topping, unlike buttercream it adheres well to frozen cake. Toppings can be sprinkles, cookies, chocolates, fruit, nuts, anything goes. Just be sure to eat it fast before it melts. Here are a few suggestions on where to pick up a cool ice cream cake.

Coldstone Creamery has signature cakes, birthday cakes, and custom made cakes that are thick, moist, layered with their rich and creamy ice cream, plus all your favorite mix-ins. You can choose from fluffy white frosting or rich fudge ganache to finish the cake. Flavors include strawberry passion, cake batter confetti, cookies and creamery, and double chocolate deception. Standard cake sizes come as small which feeds eight, or the larger size is enough for 14 servings. Custom made cakes can be made to size.

Baskin Robbins ice cream cakes are perfect for a birthday, graduation, baby shower, or any celebration. From small cakes that serve 8-12, to huge sheet cakes with 32-48 servings. Cake flavor includes vanilla or chocolate sponge, layered with ice cream flavors including Oreo, cookie dough, very berry strawberry, and peanut butter. Topped off with whipped cream and decorated with cookies, fruit, or chocolate.

Dairy Queen ice cream cakes come as sheet cakes, a rolled log, or round. Their most popular cakes incorporate fudge and crunch chocolate center, which is then surrounded by their soft serve ice cream, and decorated in your chosen design.

Häagen-Dazs offer ice cream cakes at the higher end of the price and indeed taste spectrum. You can choose a cake that incorporates your favorite ice cream flavor finished with a whipped topping, or your favorite ice cream covered in a rich chocolate coating. Toppings include chocolate curls, swirls and shards, or fresh fruit decoration.

VAI Milano is an artisanal Italian ice cream parlor which offers gelatos, sundaes, milkshakes, pastries, and coffee. Their gelato is made from natural ingredients, without artificial colors or preservatives. Their stores can also make personalized gelato cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Lynac, Food Recipe, Peiyu Wu (Flickr)

The Paddington Kitchen was created by baking enthusiast Lottie Murphy. Hailing from the UK, Murphy has lived in Beijing since 2010, and now spends her time whipping up delicious and creative cakes and biscuits. All of her cakes are freshly made, so orders require at least 48 hour notice. Personalized and custom made cakes can be made to suit any occasion, from Birthday’s to Weddings.

Cakes come in a range of sponge flavors, including extra zesty lemon, rich chocolate, vanilla, carrot, or a rich fruit. Toppings and frostings include lemon cheesecake, orange cream cheese, white or dark chocolate ganache, and different soft icings. Try a passion fruit mascarpone filling, with fromage fraise, a more traditional vanilla or chocolate buttercream, or double cream with seasonal fruit.  

My daughter had made it explicit that the cake she wanted for her third Birthday had to be pink, sparkly, and have lollipops. A search on the internet came up with a few designs that made her squeal with delight. I sent a few pictures across to Paddington Kitchen, along with a request for vanilla sponge, layered with pink buttercream, to be encased with pink icing, and of course a bit of glitter.

The cake was perfect, exactly as I had requested and as my daughter had imagined. The sponge was incredibly light and moist, the buttercream had a lovely subtle strawberry flavor, with just the right amount sandwiching the layers together. The icing was soft, not too sweet, and more importantly a nice bright pink. A sprinkle of glitter, a scattering of sweets, tied with a ribbon, and with the wonderful addition of lollipops. The cake was still very moist and fresh several days later, due to the good quality of the ingredients used.

Prices for celebration cakes range from RMB 280 for a two-layer cake of 17cm diameter (feeds 8-12), RMB 500 for a three-layer 20cm diameter cake (feeds 14-16), and RMB 650 for a three-layer 23 cm diameter cake (feeds 18-20). Extra-large cakes can be made, and mini cakes are RMB 300 for 12.

As well as celebration cakes, they make a range of different cakes and biscuits. Scones are one of my favorites, but it is hard to find an authentic tasting English scone in Beijing. The Paddington Kitchen gets theirs just right, light and fluffy, with a perfect crumbly texture. Served with strawberry jam and cream, they make for a perfect afternoon treat. Scones cost RMB 150 for 12, and come in different flavors including plain, traditional fruit, and cheese. If it’s a full-on tea party you’re hosting, why not serve up a banana loaf, apple and cinnamon loaf, lemon drizzle cake, and a delectable raspberry, coconut, and lime cake. Prices range from RMB 120-200.

Pretty pots of biscuits make an ideal gift, or a treat to enjoy at home. For RMB 60 per pot, you can choose from gingerbread, lavender and lemon shortbread, passion fruit or lemon melting moments, chocolate chip flapjack, dark chocolate chip cookies, five seed granola bar, or their chili cheese savory biscuits. Bespoke iced biscuits can also be made to order, and I am really hoping Murphy will be making her wonderful mince pies again this Christmas.

The Paddington Kitchen
Contact Lottie (1371 8575 931, paddingtonkitchen@gmail.com) www.thepaddingtonkitchen.com
All cakes and biscuits must be collected from Dongzhimen

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: courtesy of The Paddington Kitchen, Sally Wilson, Benson Kua (flickr)

Charlotte Friis Lodahl is a Danish mother of two (4 and 7, both daughters) and a 10-year resident of Beijing. Since taking a break from her career in product marketing for Nokia in 2011, she has been spending her time consulting, doing charity work, and enjoying quality time with her daughters – during which she stumbled upon a talent for making spectacular home-made cakes. We sat down with her for a brief Q&A before her cake-baking workshop scheduled for next week.

Q. Why did you start making your own cakes?
A. I make my own cakes first of all because I like to know exactly what my kids are eating. Apart from the additives that come in store-bought mixes and mass-manufactured cakes, I’m always reading about food scandals here – so I prefer to make my own. The other reason is out of guilt: Where I come from, we have a tradition of making our own cakes, and I was feeling bad that I hadn’t done that for my own children here in Beijing.

Q. Tell us about your first attempt.
A. My first cake was a Barbie cake. The thrill in my daughter’s eyes when she saw it was indescribable … and it was even better when she showed it to her friends. She was so proud of the cake and so proud to tell her friends that her mother made it by hand.

Q. That’s it? You just up and made a masterpiece on the first try?
A. Not exactly. A did a few trial runs, and looking back on it, it looked so easy … but there was a lot of screaming and swearing and ordering people to get out of the kitchen during the process. However, once it was there, even though it wasn’t perfect, I was very proud because people actually recognized what I made.

Q. How long did that first cake take you?
A. Actually, including the trial runs, it took an aggregate time of about 48 hours to complete it. Nowadays I’ve improved my track record considerably – from top to bottom I can make a cake almost in any form you can imagine in a bit less than 8 hours. The cakes are no longer just cakes for me: they’re more like art. Luckily for me, people like to eat my art.

Q. What’s in your cake repertoire at this point?
A.  I’ve made the Death Star, a Teddy Bear, a shark, Spongebob … I look for a new challenge each time. To date the biggest challenge was a 4-tiered castle. My older child is totally into the movie “Brave” and she wanted a castle like the one in the film – and by then my 7-year-old was pretty jaded over the ‘mom makes the homemade birthday cake’ bit, so she wanted to be a part of making it as well. That adds a new level of complexity to working in the kitchen. She ended up doing an awesome job and we had so much fun together.

Q. Any cake disasters to tell us?
A. I made a shark cake on request for my daughter Asta’s 3rd birthday. I thought in order for it to be authentic, the inside should be red, but when the kids cut into it at the party, they started screaming “the shark is bleeding! The shark is bleeding!” It took a while for me to get them to realize it was make believe, but eventually they got over it and enjoyed the cake.

Then there was the first time I tried to make a castle for my daughter: I used a mold, but I couldn’t get the cake out of the mold and it broke in several places in the process of taking it out. I managed to salvage it by covering it up with some grass and flowers made out of frosting, so in the end it was still a hit with the kids.

Q. Have you had to fit out your kitchen with tons of gear to get started?
A. Not really. I bought a good rolling pin and a knife, and I already had a decent baking pan, but that’s basically all I started with. I have an old, crappy oven that was installed probably 20 years ago in my flat. My most loved piece of equipment is my KitchenAid – which does all the mixing for me. It’s not a “must-have,’ but it makes life easier. You don’t really need anything but a knife, a rolling pin and a pan to get started.

Q. What will you be teaching at the workshop?
A. It’s really just a basic intro to give people a taste of what it’s like to make your own cake, and give people the satisfaction of bringing home something they’ve made by hand. Unfortunately we won’t have the full eight hours it would take to make everything right then and there from scratch, but everyone’s going to walk away with basic framework for making any of these cakes at home, as well as developing some passion for the art of cake-making. Participants will also get to do the part that people really see – the exterior decorations.

Charlotte’s workshop takes place Wednesday, June 11 at the Siemens Test Kitchen from 10:30am to 2pm. Participation in the workshop is restricted to a maximum of 10 individuals. The price for this workshop is RMB 300, which includes a take-home custom cake, refreshments and a light lunch. Full details and registration information can be found here.