CAKE BAE

If you have strolled along Dunbar recently you may have noticed a new pastry and coffee shop near the corner of West 30th Avenue. Cake Bae opened on December 20, 2020, and is owned and operated by Lizzy Fu.

When meeting Lizzy, you will be drawn to her warm, energetic, and enthusiastic personality. She is eager to make her customers feel welcome. She chose relaxing shades of green and white paint not only to make the space look bigger and brighter but also to make her customers feel happy.

Lizzy didn’t begin baking until she was 18. She explains, “I came to Vancouver from China when I was 16. Ovens are not common in homes in China, so there is not much of an opportunity to do home baking. Instead, people go to the bakery.” While completing her B.A. in Fine Arts at UBC Lizzy moved out of residence and got her own apartment and this is when she began teaching herself how to bake. She laughs when she says, “I love to eat! I watched a lot of YouTube.”

She did her practicum at Thomas Hass Chocolates, which is renowned for its artisan chocolates, pastries, and desserts. After graduating from VCC, Lizzy worked at Vancouver’s Chambar restaurant as a baker where she expanded her knowledge of bread and waffles.

Opening her own business was a natural next step for this enterprising pastry chef. Lizzy explains, “I am a leader and always wanted to work for myself.”

As a UBC student, she was familiar with the Dunbar neighbourhood and was aware there are not a lot of dessert or coffee spots locally. She thought this would be the perfect place to launch her business, and was so committed to the community that she chose to move here.

Lizzy admits she is fussy about her coffee. She likes to support local suppliers and is excited about Vancouver based Argo Roasters organic beans. She appreciates the well-balanced Equilibrium Espresso with its chocolatey taste while not being too acidic. She says, “It goes perfectly with my baked goods.”

Twenty layer mille crêpe cakes are Cake Bae’s signature dessert. These delicate cakes are extremely popular in China but are not as easy to come by in Vancouver. It is a labour of love to assemble these cakes with alternating layers of paper-thin crêpes and pastry cream. Only quality ingredients are used. Pastry cream is used rather than whipped cream, which is lower in fat and has more complex flavours. Cakes are made daily and are never frozen.

Lizzy sources matcha tea from a Japanese woman in Calgary who brings it in regularly from Japan. This tea is sensitive to light; therefore the cake cannot be displayed, as it will transform from its distinct bright green shade to a brown tone. Look for the sign in the display case that indicates the matcha crêpe cake is available and be sure to give it a try.

Another customer favourite is the organic London Fog Earl Grey crêpe cake. With tea sourced from a supplier in Chinatown, the cake is created with Earl Grey pastry cream and an Earl Grey ganache on top.

Mochi Kinako is a new flavour, which contains less dairy. It features honey mochi, kinako soy milk pastry cream, and a thick layer of kinako powder. This cake has earned many glowing reviews. Lizzy says, “People have gone crazy for this one!”

The eight-inch cakes are sold whole, as well as in quarters and by the slice. Lizzy says, “For smaller gatherings a quarter of a cake is often all customers require.” She is happy to take custom orders for a quarter or whole cakes; due to the labour involved, three days’ notice is required. Cakes can be pre-ordered on Cake Bae’s Instagram page.

In addition to cakes, there are a few cookies to choose from. The Valrhona brown butter cookies contain Valrhona premium French chocolate, which lends considerable depth to the flavour.

Lizzy has felt welcomed by neighbouring business owners who come in to say hello before they open their shops. Passers-by also pop in to check out Cake Bae.

Lizzy is looking forward to the day she can welcome customers to sit and socialize at Cake Bae. During the pandemic she is offering take-out orders only, however, in the future when it is safe to do so, there will be a number of comfortable areas to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee and a delectable mille crêpe cake.

Cake Bae, 4593 Dunbar Street, Vancouver, BC V6S 2G7 Telephone 604-228-0051