What started out as a quest to bake her father a delicious diabetic-friendly cake has blossomed into a bustling business for Fong Mayee. The founder of Bob the Baker Boy now has over 400 creations in her impressive repertoire – from her signature Belgium chocolate cake ($55) baked without any sugar to elaborate custom creations perfect for any celebratory occasion.
Mayee realised that while pretty, customised cakes often come laded in sugar – a trade-off in order for tiered cakes to hold their shape. But after spending more than three years tweaking recipes, she has found the sweet spot of making elaborate treats that aren’t overly saccharine. That, combined with quality ingredients such as European butter and chocolate imported from Belgium, are reasons why the home-based business started growing in popularity.
Choose between eight different base flavours (from $50) including bittersweet chocolate, indulgent salted caramel with crunchy Valrhona chocolate bits, best-selling Black Velvet, and the refreshing honey yuzu studded with bits of nata de coco. For a cake befitting the occasion, let Mayee bring your sweet dreams to life with a bespoke creation. There’s the kid-friendly fondant unicorn (from $138), or one made to resemble a pink ombré beach with mermaids and seashells (from $128). And for the young at heart, Bob the Baker Boy also creates a version of the trendy money-pulling cake that’s equal parts fun and delicious. “I hope to make people happy with healthier cakes that cater to the Asian palate,” shares Mayee.
But her tiny home kitchen soon outgrew the demand, and the dreams of the avid baker. “I realise that if my mission is to make people happy through my cakes, doing it from home means I can only serve a small group,” she shares. Today, Bob the Baker Boy has a physical store in Yishun, where Mayee hopes to eventually bring joy through her bakes to over one million people in Singapore.