Christmas cakes to give you the most bang for fewer bucks

Food & Travel

Published: 13 Dec. 2023, 06:02 Updated: 13 Dec. 2023, 06:19

Christmas cakes to give you the most bang for fewer bucks

Gluten-free Christmas cakes at InLike cake shop in Gangseo District, western Seoul [SCREEN CAPTURE/ INLIKE]

Don’t want to spend a fortune on cake this Christmas?

From some of the cheapest choices this season to affordable gourmet cakes by renowned pastry chefs and even gluten-free options, here are some fuss-free and fun holiday gateaux around town.

Emart, Shinsegae Food

Happy Kkotka Cake (9,980 won) by Shinsegae Food is showcased in the middle of the photo [SHINSEGAE FOOD]

The Happy Kkotka Cake by Shinsegae Food, priced at 9,980 won ($7.50), is a cute, simple punch bowl cake inside a plastic container, layered with whipped cream and strawberry jam. The outside is decorated with Kkotka-shaped chocolate and fresh pieces of strawberry. Kkotka is an animated character resembling the Australian marsupial quokka, which has recently grown popular among teens and young adults.

For more information about purchasing the cake, visit https://www.shinsegaefood.com/main.sf

Gong Cha

Gong Cha's Christmas Taro Cheese Cake (9,900 won) [GONG CHA]

One simple yet eye-catching option among all the red-and-white strawberry cakes is Gong Cha’s Christmas Taro Cheese Cake. The Taiwanese bubble tea chain is offering this mini cake at 9,900 won, portioned for one to two people. It has a chocolate biscuit base and uses taro-infused cream cheese so that the cake shows off a purplish hue and has a subtle sweet taro flavor. The cake also comes with a plastic gingerbread man and Christmas tree as cake decorations.

For more information about reservations and purchasing the cake, visit https://www.gong-cha.co.kr/brand/board/view.php?b=event&n=48795&status=ing&page=1

Shoto

Chocolate cake with strawberries (27,000 won) at cake shop Shoto in Gangnam District, southern Seoul [SCREEN CAPTURE/ SHOTO]

Cake shop Shoto in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, offers a classic, well-balanced chocolate cake with strawberries for 27,000 won. The chocolate sheets are placed atop layers of chocolate cream, crunchy Valrhona chocolate balls and fresh strawberries and milk cream. The cake is then topped off with blueberries and some more strawberries. The cheaper option is portioned for one to two people, though there is a larger version for two to four people, priced at 59,000 won. Lettering service is also available only for the larger cake, in English or Korean, for an additional 1,000 won.

For more information about reservations and purchasing the cakes, visit https://www.instagram.com/shoto_patisserie

Honeybee Seoul

Gingerbread man Christmas cake (46,000 won) at Honeybee Seoul in Yongsan District, central Seoul [SCREEN CAPTURE/ HONEYBEE SEOUL]

Dessert boutique and baking studio Honeybee Seoul in Yongsan District, central Seoul, is featuring a nostalgic gingerbread man cake priced at 46,000 won. “The point is the gingerbread man’s expression, which looks a bit resentful,” said owner pastry chef Jo Jeong-un. The inside is filled with whipped ppat, or sweet red bean paste, ganache incorporating vin-chaud-flavored black tea cremeux, and Bavarian cream with ppat. They are layered between chocolate sponge and crispy chocolate crumble. It is portioned for four to six people, according to the shop.

For more information about reservations and purchasing the cake, visit https://smartstore.naver.com/honeybeeseoul/products/9637560620

InLike

Glueten-free Santa Strawberry Christmas cake (53,000 won) at InLike cake shop in Gangseo District, western Seoul [SCREEN CAPTURE/ INLIKE]

Hand-crafted cake shop InLike in Gangseo District, western Seoul, is showcasing three cheery and adorable gluten-free Christmas cakes this season. They are made of rice flour instead of regular wheat flour and also don’t incorporate butter, white sugar or any preservatives, according to InLike. Its signature mugwort cake with Christmas lettering and design is priced at 48,000 won for the smaller size with a 15-centimeter (6-inch) diameter and 55,000 won for the larger, 18-centimeter cake. The Rudolph Strawberry Cake and Santa Strawberry Cake are both vanilla cakes with strawberry topping and filling, priced at 53,000 won for the smaller size and 60,000 won for the larger size.

For more information about reservations and purchasing the cake, visit https://www.instagram.com/_inlike/

Jaein Patisserie

Strawberry Charlotte (58,000 won) at Jaein Patisserie in Yongsan District, central Seoul [SCREEN CAPTURE/ JAEIN PATISSERIE]

Dessert-shop-slash-bar Jaein Patisserie in Yongsan District, central Seoul, has put forth an elegant Strawberry Charlotte priced at 58,000 won. A type of French bread pudding, this dessert contains vanilla ganache, strawberry sauce, vanilla Bavarian cream and fresh strawberries. It is portioned for three to four people, according to the shop. The owner-chef, Lee Jae-in, previously worked as a pastry chef at the two-Michelin-starred modern Korean fine dining restaurant Jungsik Seoul. Jaein Patisserie said that it plans to release three more Christmas cakes soon.

For more information about reservations and purchasing the cake, visit https://www.instagram.com/patisserie.jaein/

Finz

Christmas cake at dessert boutique Finz priced at 63,000 won [SCREEN CAPTURE/ FINZ]

Dessert boutique Finz is out to satisfy the Insta-savvy generation with a rich vanilla genoise cake resembling a miniature Christmas tree with shiny ornaments. The bread is moistened with strawberry lavender syrup and layered with strawberry lavender cream, pistachio cream with French Valrhona Yvoire chocolate and berry compote. Covering the base of the cake is Finz’s iconic chestnut cream. Priced at 63,000 won, the cake is portioned for four to six people, according to Finz. Finz is run by pâtissier Kim Beom-joo, who has previously worked at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Mingles. Finz has a shop in Seongdong District, western Seoul, and at the Lotte Department Store Jamsil in Songpa District, southern Seoul.

For more information about reservations and purchasing the cake, visit https://www.instagram.com/finz.seoul/

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]