If there’s one small silver lining that appeared from the Covid-19 crisis, it has to be the influx of Instagram home bakers that have blossomed during the circuit breaker. In fact, some of the desserts we’ve seen appear online have been so incredibly creative, it’s become our latest obsession! From customised cakes to delectable brownies and cookies, there definitely a home baker online that will have something you love.
But be warned, some of these pastries go out fast—sometimes even within minutes. So if you’ve got a sweet tooth and some spare cash to burn, turn on your Instagram notifications ‘cos you won’t want to miss out on any of these home bakers and bakeries on our list.
If soft, fudgy cookies and cream-filled doughnuts are your thing, then you need to follow Puffs And Peaks’ Instagram page, stat. This home baker makes small batches of artisanal baked goods and does limited-edition drops that are best served with their own cold brew coffee.
For their upcoming bake sale, you can opt for the following options:
Box A ($14) – 4 doughnuts
1 x Vanilla bean
1 x Matcha
1 x Passionfruit
1 x Blackcurrant
Box B ($14) – 4 soft chewy cookies
2 x Triple Chocolate Walnut
2 x Earl Grey Dulcey
Cookie pre-orders – $3.50 per cookie
(Brookies, Pecan Chip, Matcha, Triple Chocolate Walnut, Earl Grey Dulcey)
With a star resume peppered with world-renowned restaurants such as Restaurant Andre, Noma, Black Star Pastry, Zumbo and Quay, you’re in good hands when it comes to Chef Matin’s pastries. If you love experimental pastries with interesting flavours such as purple potatoes, chestnut ricotta and pumpkin brulee, you’ll definitely want to put in an order for one of Le Matin Patisserie’s pastry boxes.
For their September drop, feast on the Harvest Pastry Box, $59, where every box will come with the following five pastries:
- Kouign Amann
- Greengage Plum Galette
- Autumn Pumpkin
- Chestnut Ta-Cro
- Purple Potato Brioche
Started by Karen, who calls herself the friendly #Doughminatrix, Bespoke Bread was created as a way to combine Karen’s love for visual storytelling and baking bread. A freelance video producer and editor, Karen is a self-taught home baker who pivoted to making bread when most of her corporate and broadcast projects were shelved due to Covid-19.
Luckily for all of us bread fiends out there, now she specialises in making fusion sourdough breads that go big on Asian flavours. She uses ingredients that are readily available here, which allows her to create unique breads which you can’t find at any commercial bakery.
And if you’re tired of doing weekly orders, Bespoke Bread also offers a weekly bread subscription where you’ll be able to receive a total of four loaves of your choice. Customers can choose to do a self-pickup or opt to pay $30 (for four trips) for delivery.
One look at the cakes appearing on Say Lee’s Instagram page, and you know this is one baker who is dedicated to #aesthetics. This art director is also heavily dedicated to the art of flower arrangement, and that influence can be seen from the way she decorates her cakes.
While not much be found on her Instagram bio apart from the fact that she specialises in chiffon cakes, Say Lee does seem to take special commissions and uses the brief given to her by her customers to come up with these wonderful and tasty creations. This one, in particular, was inspired by Singapore’s birthday and reputation as a garden city and is made with pandan chiffon, gula Melaka and durian.
While burnt Basque cheesecakes have been around since 2019, it seems like the dessert really increased in popularity in 2020. And with its cool flavour variants and artisanal look, we can see why this cake has become Instagram catnip. If you’re looking to order one, head over to The Whisking Well to try their Rose Burnt Cheescake, $45. The bakery prides itself on its modern rustic desserts and we bet you their desserts taste just as great as they look. Pre-order slots are released on Sundays at 12pm so be sure to save the date if you would like to get one!
Whiskdom specialises in soft baked gooey gourmet cookies and brownie bake boxes. They are so popular, they sell out immediately each time pre-order slots are released. Orders are open every Monday at 10am and 7pm.
The current Bake Box, $42, will stock the following flavours:
1. Dark chocolate overloaded
2. Earl Grey Raspberry Cookie
3. Original Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie (Manjari Alpaco)
4. Salted Dark Chocolate
5. Nutty Party Brownie
6. Speculoos delight brownie
If you’re the sort that loves soft fluffy buns, then Nico Bakes is the account for you. While she started out with cakes and cinnamon rolls, she’s now known for her cream filled Cloud Buns. Like its name, these fluffy buns are just tempting you to squish them through the screen. Each box comes with six buns and retails at $18 a pop. Nico Bakes also bakes them daily and delivers them on the same day to maintain ultimate freshness!
Here are some of the flavours available currently:
- Strawberry Milk Clouds
- Nutella Clouds
- Speculoos Clouds
- Matcha White Choc Clouds
- Choco Clouds
- White Choc Clouds
- Coffee Clouds
- Vanilla Bean Clouds
Frostedbyfang was started by accidental baker Fang, who was looking at baking as a creative outlet. One thing led to another, and now the self-taught home baker receives orders from delighted customers and corporate companies looking for specialised gifting. If you’re up for being surprised with new and creative desserts, Fang holds regular bake sales where she curates a box of assorted baked goods that are a combination of bestsellers as well as new flavours she experiments with. Just FYI, some of the interesting flavours from August were Salted Caramel Popcorn Miso Teacakes, Pear Cardamom Crumble Bar and Chocolate Chilli Cupcakes with Lime Curd.
With Mama Fang, bread takes on the form of steamed mochi bread rolls that have a chewy, bouncy texture when bitten into. Right now she only has two flavours which are sweet potato and matcha, so watch this space for more or DM her with your requests. FYI, The bakes are also vegan-friendly and don’t contain any eggs, milk or butter. Prices start from $10 for a box of three.
While most of the bakers on Instagram have been concentrating on Western desserts, Terang Bulan specialises in Martabak Manis, a sweet Indonesian pancake smothered in cheese, chocolate and bananas. They update their website every Sunday at 6pm and aren’t open every day, so make sure to book your slots fast if you want a piece of this pie! Prices start at $7.50 for a standard pancake.
This is arguably one of the most popular places to get croissants currently. Brotherbird Bakehouse is so in-demand that currently, customers are only allowed to purchase one box per order. Each box, selling at $29, usually consists of both sweet and savoury croissants, as well as an original flavour so that you can try their croissants in its purest form.
While technically not an Instagram bakery (they are stocked at places like Bar Stories and Park Bench Deli), Cookie Guilt is the place to go to if you want chunky cookies that have thick gooey centres. With interesting flavours such as kaya cheesecake with apricot and coconut as well as marshmallow peanut butter, there’s bound to be a flavour that will intrigue almost any palette. Prices start at $4.50 for an individual cookie and $26 for a box.
This bakery set up by an ex-primary school teacher specialises in burnt cheesecake, although the other options on the menu are just as exquisite-looking, making them perfect for any special occasion. Cakes come in five inches (which feed four to six pax) and seven inches (eight to 12 pax). When in doubt, you won’t go wrong with the Naked Burnt Cheesecake and Berried Burnt Cheesecake.
Best known for its sourdough breads, this humble artisanal bakery also offers freshly made cakes and cookies, as well as three-cheese grilled cheese made with its very own homemade ricotta. The hole-in-the-wall bakery also serves up comforting favourites like nut butter toast ($5), which is layered with a generous spread of nut butter, which can vary from hazelnut to almond.
(Read also “Rebecca Lim Is Now Selling Homemade Sourdough Bread“)
Specialising in “brownie bark”, this small home baking business is all about decadently delicious thin, crispy brownie pieces, which are a big hit with those in the know. The whole thing came about when this baker, who prefers to stay anonymous, realised that everyone was fighting for the crispy bits of a tray of brownies. After a few months of experimenting, they perfected a thin, delicious brownie. In the coming months, they’re expecting to launch more flavours so stay tuned to their Instagram account.
While a new addition to the Singapore home baking scene, the husband and wife team behind Harina Bakery have been serving up delicious sourdough and decadent cookies to friends and colleagues for years. When their jobs became victims of the pandemic, Aaron and Jess decided to put their passion for baking to business, launching with a curated menu accompanied by drool-worthy photos (the couple are a photo editor and art director by training). Unique bakes include the pandesal, the unofficial national bread of the Philippines and a tribute to Jess’ heritage. These fluffy, pillowy rolls coated in breadcrumbs are perfect for a breakfast bite or snack in the afternoon. Worth sampling as well are the sourdough loaves that come in four flavours (plain; sun-dried tomato and mixed herbs; cranberry and walnut; and sunflower and sesame seed) and their decadent and massive chocolate chip cookies. Bakes are done in small-batches and only available Wednesday to Saturday for delivery so be sure to book via their link in bio.
A modest home baker who usually only bakes for friends and families, Ann’s creations are worth checking out for their vibrant creativity and whimsical fun (not to mention deliciousness). A whiz with buttercream and fondant, Ann’s cakes also range from Basque Cheesecakes to Earl Grey butter cakes and she’s known whip up some delicious cookies and pandan chiffon cakes as well.
Specialising in traditional flavours and a variety of tarts, home baker Hanna Yusis’ most in-demand product are her must-try Nutella tarts, which have a habit of selling out almost immediately. Worth trying as well as her pineapple tarts and Biscoff tarts as well. Following on the Nutella theme, another must-try are her Tapak Kuda, roughly translated into “hoof roll” which is a light tasty sponge roll filled with Nutella. Everything is baked fresh and so a one to two day lead time is required to fulfil orders.
Inspired by her grandmother’s recipes and a love for baking at home, Julia’s bakes offer classic flavours and elegant designs in a range of cakes, cookies, cupcakes and brownies. Her Viennese Whirls expand beyond traditional flavours to include coffee and speculoos, ondeh ondeh and kinako sesame making them a treat for the tastebuds. Three days lead time is required when putting in your order.
Specialising in sourdough bread and cookies, Witty Wheat is all about quality ingredients (they only use French and Italian wheat and grains in their breads) and creating delicious breads without preservatives, dairy (except in cheese bread), sugar, commercial yeast, additives and colouring. Worth trying as well are their giant, gooey sourdough cookies baked “New York style”. These come in flavours ranging from Cookies and Cream to Matcha White Chocolate.
This article was first published in Women’s Weekly.
