During my third trimester of pregnancy, I was obsessed with the idea of having a cute gender reveal. They looked so cute on Instagram and I knew that it was impossible to be surprised myself since local laws make it pretty hard. Your doctor will never write down the sex of your baby because it’s illegal.

This law dates back to 1979 when China established its famous one-child policy. Chinese families desperately wanted boys over girls, leading to sex-selective abortion which in turn, affected the human sex ratio – the relative number of males to females in a given age group. To try to mitigate the practice, hospitals in China forbade doctors from telling parents the sex of their bundle of joy. But if you think it’s totally impossible, you should know that just because disclosing the sex of a baby is not allowed, it doesn’t mean curious parents haven’t found ways around it.

Doctors and parents come up with all sorts of creative ways to beat around the bush. Whether it’s asking if you should stock up on dresses or pants for your baby or whether you should buy your baby some dolls or cars. The doctors get what you’re trying to find out and usually, they’ll figure out a way to let you know.

So, I tried to give my mother-in-law and my dad a memorable gender reveal. Here‘s how it took multiple tries…

But recently one of our favorite bakeries, Mary Sweets, has made gender reveals easier for all expecting parents with their delicious cakes!

Their fancy ombre cakes start at RMB249 and you’ll need to order at least three days in advance.

For those who are unfamiliar, what makes this different than a regular blue and pink cake is the surprise inside. When you cut into the cake, depending on the sex of your baby, you’ll either get pink (for girl) or blue (for boy) sprinkles flowing out from the center, awing your guests and satisfying the curiosity of friends and family.

To order one for your gender reveal, get in touch with the Mary Sweets team by scanning the QR code below.

Images: Mary Sweets, Pexels

Mother’s Day is this Sunday (May 9) and as someone who’s celebrating it for the first time, I’m ecstatic to take part in one of Beijing’s many Mother’s Day brunches.

Check out our picks for Mother’s Day and don’t forget to make your booking in advance! Scan the QR code or call for more details.

Mother’s Day at The Opposite House

In celebration of Mother’s Day, The Opposite House is offering some small goodies in all their restaurants and bars. Frasca is offering homemade balsamic to bring home, Jing Yaa Tang is offering rose almond tea, and Union is having rose wine and champagne bottles for 50% off all day on Mother’s day.

Jing Yaa Tang’s unlimited dim sum for RMB 188 per person is also available during the day on Mother’s Day.

Jing Yaa Tang: 6410 5230
Frasca: 6410 5210
Union: 6410 5180

Mother’s Day Brunch at The Lobby of The Peninsula Hotel

Buy two Sunday brunches on Mother’s Day and enjoy a free kids’ flower-making class to create a special bouquet for mom.

12-3pm. The Lobby. RMB 450 per adult. RMB 230 per child (aged 6 – 12).

The Perfect Mother’s Day at Mosto

Mosto is celebrating all the super moms out there this Mother’s Day. All the mothers who come to Mosto on Sunday, May 9 for brunch or dinner will receive a glass of sparkling on the house. Cheers!

Mother’s Day Brunch at N’Joy at Nuo Hotel

“A mother’s love is like a ray of sunshine, important yet ordinary. A phone call, a warm greeting, a dinner”… Nuo has prepared a range of events to help you to give thanks, celebrate and honor the most important family member in your own way.

RMB 598 per person

Mother’s Day Weekend at Qianmen Kitchen

Come for a Mother’s Day Wine n’ Dine at Qianmen Kitchen for lunch or dinner from Friday, May 7 – Sunday, May 9. Mothers receive a complimentary glass of sparkling Champagne, children get a private movie screening room, and enjoy set menus tailored for adults and children!

RMB 298 per adult and RMB 149 per child, add RMB 50 for free-flow house wine.

For those looking for a nice cake to celebrate the special day with mom, here are a few of our favorites to make Mother’s Day a bit sweeter.

Theatre Tea Mother’s Day Cake

Theatre’s tea-infused cakes are a favorite amongst dessert lovers who are looking for something refined and unique. For Mother’s Day order one of their Rose Lychee Raspberry White Tea Cakes, which is sure to brighten up Mom’s day.

Make your order before May 6 and also get a beautiful spring daisy delivered along with your cake for a special treat.

Bake for Love by Peach

This Mother’s Day, Igance Lecleir, Owner and Founder of TRB Hospitality Group, and his Peach team are sending love and sweetness, hands in hands with Bonne Maman & Alliance Française Pékin. Let’s bake in the name of love for our special ones on this very special day!

Mother’s Day Cake from Nuo Hotel

Nuo has a peach white chocolate mousse cake to celebrate Mother’s Day for RMB 388 per pound available from May 2 – May 7.

Images: Courtesy of venues, pexels

One of the things that make living in Beijing so unique is the sense of community amongst expats. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, here, we’re all foreigners and we’re all navigating our way through the ins and outs of the city together. It’s that sense of community that makes life in Beijing truly unique.

Recently one expat mom has taken on the challenge of raising money to help a fellow mom send her beloved pup Mila to the UK.

Meet Mila

Mila is a mixed-breed rescue dog who was just two months old when she was found abandoned on the streets of Beijing. It took time for Mila to feel comfortable with her new family. “When we took her in, she was terrified of people and would hide under my arm. Any food given to her was inhaled because she wasn’t sure when she would get her next meal. Now she’s grown into a calm and confident dog.”, says dog mom Nina Sharma. “While living in China, we were able to give her a home. Now that we have left Beijing, we don’t want her to end up at the dog shelter or homeless again. We are trying to fundraise for her export cost so she can move to the UK and stay with us permanently.”

To help Mila get to her fur-ever home, fellow Beijing mom Camila Kongshavn is using her culinary skills to help raise money.

Recently Kongshavn’s Instagram blew up with photos of her latest cake creations. Each is hand made with love, and each shows the thought and dedication this Beijing Wonderwoman puts into her work.

“I would like your help to bake for Mila, an attempt at getting closer to the amount they need to get her back home.”, says Kongshavn. “I’m offering a little metal tray of my carrot cake make with organic Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka, Madagascar whole Burbon vanilla beans, and my homemade toasted caramel nut crumble with cream cheese frosting made with ingredients from New Zealand and Australis for RMB 120 including shipping as long as you live within or very close to the fourth ring road.” All proceeds, minus ingredients and shipping costs, will go towards Mila’s trip home.

So many carrot cakes, so little time

Kongshavn will continue her fundraising bake sale until Jun 1.

To get in touch with Kongshavn for carrot cake (or just to donate to Mila get home) contact her by scanning the QR code below.

Each carrot cake is approximately 500 – 600g and will be delivered between Jun 6 – 7 depending on the quantity of order. And just to be clear, these are carrot cakes for humans. Sorry pups, no noms for you this time.

Currently, Mila’s also looking for a flight volunteer, someone who’s willing to take the little pup abroad when they travel. COVID-19 has made international travel difficult for people and finding someone to be flight volunteers has become an even bigger challenge than before. If anyone is traveling from Beijing to Paris or Amsterdam and is willing to help get Mila to her fur-ever home, contact Sharma via WeChat (ID: Nina_3107).

Mila has had all her shots and proper documents and requires just three days prior notice to travel.

KEEP READING: The Way to the Forever Home: Becoming a Dog Flight Volunteer 

Photos: Camila Kongshavn

Everybody likes cupcakes. What’s not to like? They’re soft, moist, and you can decorate them however you want. Personally, decorating cupcakes is one of the best parts of getting them ready. It’s like arts and crafts that you can eat – win, win!

They’re great to have as snacks in the house and when it’s the season with numerous bake sales and holiday fairs, cupcakes are a fun and easy way to wow the crowd.

For a super fast and simple cupcake recipe, we consulted Chef Lily Zhang, Executive Pastry Chef of Theatre Tea. They not only carry a wide selection of classic and fruit tea blends but under Chef Zhang’s guidance, they’ve created chic and creative desserts that are delicious and beautiful. Her simple holiday cupcake recipe is great for a fun afternoon of bonding in the kitchen.

While I stick to the classic one-color frosting with sprinkles on top, Chef Zhang ups the game with a few holiday decoration ideas that are still relatively easy to DIY at home.

Check out her easy Christmas tree, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and little snow man-made of strawberries.  According to her, it’s all about practicing keeping your hands steady with a piping bag.

Ingredients

•  5 eggs
• 180 grams sugar
•  2.4 grams salt
• 2 grams vanilla extract
• 72 grams light cream
• 72 grams butter
• 144 grams cake mix
• 2.5 grams baking powder

Instructions

1. Combine eggs and sugar together in a large bowl and whisk.
2. Add in the vanilla extract and salt. Continue to mix the ingredients.
3. Pour in the light cream and melted butter and continue to mix the ingredients.
4. Add in the cake mix and baking powder and mix well.
5. Transfer your cake batter into a piping bag. (optional)
6. Fill the cupcake tins about 80 percent.
7. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees C and bake for 20 minutes.
8. When your cupcake is ready, let cool before you decorate.

Pro Tips:

Don’t rush perfection. Let your cupcakes fully cool down before you start decorating. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a sugary mess.

This article appeared in the beijingkids December 2019 Giving Back issue

As a new mother I’m already thinking about how I would like to celebrate my baby’s first birthday. The celebrations of our kids’ yearly milestones are those precious moments where lifelong memories can be built, and they almost always start with CAKE!

The number one question is who can we entrust with the hugely important job of preparing and executing an epic birthday cake for our precious little (and not so little) bundles of joy? Who can bring your kid’s favorite characters to life, provide a cake that encompasses all the flavors that your kid’s heart desires, and of course brings your kid’s vision to life in such a way that impressive gasps of “Oh wow! What a cake!” will fill the birthday room.

You will no doubt see the reflection of the epicness of a truly masterfully-produced birthday cake in the eyes of your kids, and lots of salivation in anticipation of tucking in. So get stuck in and go for one of these master bakers!

Enjoy! Cakes

Beijinger and cake chef Kim Xue (Viki Jin), has been honing her pastry skills since 2008 when she was part of a team servicing the Olympics with the Beijing Ruiji Hotel Bakery. In 2017 Xue decided to create her own private dessert company, and Enjoy! Cakes was born.

Xue specializes in not just kids’ birthday cakes, but other custom made cakes, dessert tables for kids and adults, and dessert catering for weddings and company events. You can peruse her impressive catalog of cupcakes, puffs, cookies, and more, or give her specifics to work with. Celebrate your kid’s birthday in wondrous style! RMB 100 – 1,000+ (prices may vary depending on custom requirements) WeChat: Viki-Jin

Snowy Baker

Tan Shuang named her beautiful cake studio after her daughter Snow, and prides herself on providing healthy alternatives for her kid and others on their birthdays and important celebratory occasions. Snowy Baker has been operating in Beijing for two years, and caters for individuals and groups who either want to go with classic sweet offerings or who need to choose xylitol (a natural plant-based sugar substitute) versions for health reasons.

Self-styled “treasure mom” Shuang belongs to a group of moms who prefer to abstain from very sweet treats for themselves and their kids, and instead aims to reduce the oil and sugar in her creations for the more health conscious of us, crafting delights that have been made using natural ingredients. Whatever your requirements Shuang can meet them. Go birthday cake classic with sugary options (I mean, it’s only one day out the year!), or go Zen with ‘my body is a temple’ alternatives. It’s up to you!

Shuang will go through all your options and cake requirements; size, cartoon characters, animals, colors and flavors, to create a custom piece you and your kids will never forget. RMB 228 – 298 (1.5 pound cake), RMB 328 – 398 (2 pound cake), RMB 428 – 498 (3 pound cake) (prices may vary depending on custom requirements). WeChat: tanshuang1290

Sweet Laboratory

An exceptionally creative baking designer and enthusiast, mom of three Hwa Wu has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, from seasonal snow globes with edible sugar crystals to superhero delights and whimsical cupcakes, you will be truly spoiled for choice when sitting down with this master baker while she conjures up another epic birthday cake.

When Wu has time away from making kids’ birthday cakes, she juggles looking after her own children with a busy schedule catering for corporate events and anniversaries. Wu prides herself on paying extra attention to all her creations because they celebrate a special moment in someone’s life, whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, holiday, or just to say thank you. She uses quality ingredients and has been making families happy in Beijing for five years.

Wu has been keeping busy this Christmas. Not only has she been creating beautiful birthday cakes to the glee of many kids, she has been designing wonderfully sweet Christmas treats for the young and young-at-heart to keep our festive flames alight, including chocolate Christmas tree cupcakes with strawberry centers, gingerbread houses with all the trimmings, and cupcake wreaths! Take note and take inspiration from these, and others in her catalog, if thinking about using her service for your kid’s next (or first) epic birthday cake. RMB 600-1,500+ (prices may vary depending on custom requirements). WeChat: hwawu001

Happiness is Homemade

Humble but skilled home baker Marina has been baking up a storm for a few years now in Beijing, offering families affordable and creative homemade kids’ birthday cakes and cupcakes.

Marina uses her self-taught hobby to make unique creations for unique occasions, and serves families who want to add a little something special not only for birthdays, but anniversaries, seasonal parties, and more. Marina can whip up cakes, traditional European-style spiced tarts, special sweet and savory breads, and cupcakes. You want every flavor under the sun, I hear? Look no further, Marina makes beautifully sweet and colorful creations covered in icing or piped with cream toppings, dusted with icing sugar or glazed and drizzled with sweet scrumptious frosting.

Chocolate, red velvet, lemon drizzle cake, banana, carrot, tiramisu, marble zebra cake, and more! Parents, you have options and lots of them. Team up your kid’s favorite flavors and sticky yumminess to unveil what will be – yes, you guessed it – an epic birthday cake! RMB 180 – 680 (prices may vary depending on custom requirements). WeChat: wxid_20iboqaole9x12

Photos: Courtesy of Bakers

If there’s one thing Beijing isn’t short of, it’s delicious cake. Whether it’s individuals making traditional recipes at home, or the wave of new Chinese bakeries and shops turning out reinterpretations of western classics, getting hold of these sweet treats is a piece of… well, you get the idea.

But there’s a problem. What if you don’t want a whole cake? Shops will sell you a single slice, but they come at a premium price. And for small producers, it’s just not worthwhile baking smaller batches.

Now a Beijing expat has come up with an ingenious solution. Anne Babilon-Teubenbacher has started a WeChat group called Cake Lovers – Sharing is Caring. Babilon-Teubacher is originally from Germany, she told us, and on her second stay in Beijing, having been here before from 2012-2014.

Babilon-Teubenbacher with one of her cheesecakes

“In real life, I am a change management consultant at CPC,” she told us, “so the cake business is basically my hobby, as I love to bake, and especially love cheesecake! My mom got the recipe from the blind mother of a former colleague 30 years ago, and it is still the best German-style cheesecake I know. She did not have an accurate recipe and only gave some rough instructions. But my mom managed to define this great taste.

“The idea of the cake sharing group came to my mind when I asked a friend if he’d like to try my new plum cake, and he said it was too big for him, so I asked another friend if she would like to take the other half. I thought, why not create a group where people can find their buddy to share the cake?”

And so Cake Lovers was born. It already has over 50 members, who can pick a cake and suggest when they want it for and how much of it they want. The group then allows other people to buddy up with them and claim a portion of the cake, dividing the cost proportionately between them.

Members of the group appreciate the personal touch. As one told us, “I know that the cakes are made with love, as Anne is a person who does things with a lot of care. And this you can feel when you eat them.”

To join Cake Lovers, scan the QR code below, or contact WeChat ID A016096079065.

Photos: Michael Babilon-Teubenbacher

We don’t know about you, but our team at the Beijinger has been celebrating a lot of birthdays. We blame Valentine’s Day, which according to our calculations falls almost exactly nine months prior. With all these celebrations going on, it’s inevitable that the party planning committee should forget to order someone’s birthday cake – but that’s no longer a problem, thanks to Sanlitun’s new cakes-to-go bakery shop.

The cake fridge selection is limited, but stocked, and that’s what matters

Beyond our favorites, Pantry’s Best and Comptoirs de France, where else can you go for a birthday in a box? The answer is Miss Mousse, located in the basement of Sanlitun Soho. Miss Mousse is a relatively a small venue with only two tables, a fridge to display cakes they’ve made today, and the ones available for delivery. There’s ready-made red velvet, black chocolate cake, Hokkaido-style cake, and sponge cake in the fridge, but you’ll have to look elsewhere for coffee or tea to accompany your sweet treat (and in Sanlitun Soho, you won’t have to look far).

A box of cakes (RMB 68)

We went for a box of four different kinds of cake (RMB 68), which we had to take away since the two tables were occupied. Let’s start with the best: go for the chocolate cake (on the left top), with a dense, sticky bottom, airy whipped cream, and flakes of dark chocolate. It looks a bit rustic, but the flavors proved the honest quality of the ingredients they use. The other chocolate one was a bit bitter, and strawberry one was acidic with a soft sponge cake bottom lacking in flavor.

A slice of red velvet cake (RMB 33)

As a red velvet cake lover, we pass up the opportunity to try a slice for RMB 33. It seemed a bit too light and too flakey for us, and even the cream cheese frosting didn’t help – definitely not our favorite when we’ve had the famous richly flavored and satisfying rendition at the Waldorf Astoria.

Piles of birthday-related toys to grab

Unfortunately, they don’t have slices of the popular fruitcakes, which are the bestsellers here, and we couldn’t consume a whole cake like that even they were appealing. While you can grab a cake and go, you can also get a wider range of cakes here if you book in advance, including double layer cake, tiramisu, matcha mousse cake, chocolate and banana cake, red velvet cake, chocolate cake, cheesecake, mocha cake, rose cake, and brownie (RMB 238 for a 6-inch, RMB 358 for an 8-inch, RMB 589 for a 10-inch, and RMB 898 for a 12-inch).

Perhaps the greatest appeal of this cake shop is that they also provide everything you need to decorate and serve your cake in a classic birthday party: balloons, hats, cards, candles, toys, and more – truly a godsend when you don’t have time for Taobao. Even if the new Miss Mousse has some wrinkles to iron out, it will certainly do in a pinch, and could save you and your friend’s birthday.

Miss Mousse
Daily 9.30am-9.30pm. B1-302, Bldg 3, Sanlitun Soho, 8 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (5785 3098)
朝阳区工体北路8号院三里屯SOHO3号商场B1层B1-302

Photos: Tracy Wang, dianping

This post first appeared on our sister site, The Beijinger. See more stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure

I heard about WeChat three hours after arriving in Beijing. I thought, “This is an unnecessary app. I have WhatsApp, I don’t need WeChat.” Boy. I was wrong! We all need WeChat; my life has been so much easier since I got it, and I wish the rest of the world would get WeChat too. I have made many, many friends through WeChat. I have had many questions answered, many shopping experiences, and also great services at home. Here I’ll share some of my favorite WeChat contacts. Do you have any great WeChat contacts? Let us know!

Pies

I have tried and tested these savory pies and they brought me back to our time in London where I would go to the pie and mash shop. Two Guys and a Pie also sell sweet pies and sausage rolls. Add on WeChat: coladapinot

Clothing and Jewels

Ysepia is a brand of women’s clothes and jewelry. Aude sources her fabrics and materials during her travels in Asia. Her clothes are feminine, easy to wear and the tassels on her jewelry are hip and pretty. Add her on WeChat: Audepaname

Balloons

You can never have enough balloon contacts. I have spent a night blowing up my own balloons for my daughter’s birthday, and it’s not fun. Happy Balloons offer balloons that come in all shapes and sizes, already blown up and delivered to your front door. Add on WeChat: happyballoons

Cakes

Need a cake for a special celebration or just for any occasion? Making cakes seems like a simple idea but takes up a lot of time. We tried these lovely cakes from Tania and they are pretty and delicious.  Add on WeChat: sobaboba

Service

Eva helps me around with last minute ayis, and when I need to pick up something I have brought across town. She is a woman of all trades and also sells many goodies you might need for around the home. Add on WeChat: 18655881325

Jams

Caroline is a star at jarring up her yummylicious goods like pesto and jams. Her salted caramel is to die for; I have eaten it out the jar. She appears at many markets with her goods, so look out at those upcoming Christmas bazaars. For more goods add her on WeChat: wxid_1hx4mtv4uz9d12

Fruit and Veg

Fruits and vegetables delivered to your door; say no more. They have an extensive list of organic options. Sunshine Fruits always get me excited about their lovely pictures of smoothie bowls and colorful salads. Add on WeChat: juab001

Photos: Pixabay and courtesy of vendors

In Beijing, we all need a bit a guidance when it comes to kid’s parties, especially if you plan one on your own. I have searched high and low for a party store, where I could find all the kid party essentials. But no luck, so my advice is to start early with the planning. Planning is everything, so get set on a theme as soon as possible. Try to look around each time you go shopping to see if something you need pops up. I had a unicorn themed party, and I kid you not I found Capri Sun juice boxes with a unicorn on them! Mommy score! But if all else fails you will always have the wonderful world of taobao and baopals at your fingertips. For ideas go check out my favorite housewife Martha Stewart.

Confetti Filled Balloons

For the cool parent who does not mind the mess or has an ayi on hand to help clean when this balloon pops. Find these air filled treasures here.

Complete Party Set

For the party that will not look like a plastic knock off, these party sets look so cute. I wouldn’t even mind decorating my home with it. Find it here.

Birthday Cards

Be a little retro and send out an old fashioned birthday card. You can even make it a pop-up one with music like the one we found here.

Birthday Outfit

Get an adorable birthday outfit that’s great for dressing up the birthday girl or boy and making them feel extra special. We found plenty of inspiring outfits here.

Birthday Hats

Making sure that nobody forgets the age of the birthday kid (or adult), we all need a sparkling hat for our birthdays! There are many to choose from here.

Photo Booth Props

Never a dull moment when you set up a photo booth. With some props and a mobile phone you can have that you need to create plenty of fun and memories that last for a lifetime. Get some fun props here.

Goodie Bags

Goodie bags don’t have to be ugly and plastic, Make a statement with these cute paper bags found here.

Beijing Birthday Cakes

For some awesome cakes baked right here in Beijing and delivered to your doorstep contact Forcake on their WeChat: forcakecom

Picture Credit: pixabay taobao  forcake baopals,