The Fabulous Baker Boy
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Song Meets Cake

Issue 07

Singer, stage performer and baker, Juwanda Hassim was searching for the perfect spot to open The Fabulous Baker Boy, a bakery he launched a year and a half ago in Singapore. Juwanda, who has been baking and singing together with his family since he was young, is known for his old fashion cakes (red velvet, salted caramel, apple cider and carrot), tarts and cookies.

The Fabulous Baker Boy

Dorie Greenspan, Rose Levy Beranbaum and Pierre Herme are my (baking) gods” says Hassim. He settled on a space by the Foothills of Fort Canning, a historic public swimming complex that was built by the Singapore City Council in the 1950s and closed in 2003 to be remade into a park for the arts and community.

Interesting Cake on the Menu:
Bitter Marmalade- Layers of buttermilk sponge filled with marmalade and a lemony cream cheese and covered in puff pastry.

The Fabulous Baker Boy

INTERVIEW: Juwanda Hassim, The Fabulous Baker Boy {Singapore}

01 How did you get into baking?
I have always been about food. I cook to feed my mates and my family.  It also helps that this interest started when I was very young. My mom and dad ran a home catering company on weekends and as result, I spent my childhood cutting chickens and helping my parents prep ingredients.

Baking things like cookies and simple breads was always fun to me. I started to make cakes for parties and to give away as presents. When I was living in Bangkok working as a creative director for a local company, one Christmas, I decided to go full on where all of my mates either received a loaf or a cake for the holidays.  Somehow after that, baking became a business for me.

I returned to Singapore three years ago, worked for my boss for a year then started baking from home after that. The rest is history.

02 If you were to enjoy a slice a cake somewhere else than your own shop, where would it be and what kind of cake would you eat?
I am still searching for my perfect slice of black forest gateau….

The Fabulous Baker Boy

03 How often do you develop new cake recipes? 
I develop and test new flavours every other month. Sometimes it takes a few months of testing before a new flavour makes its way to the shelf. Most times, I am developing ideas in my head for cakes waiting to be perfected. I tend to talk a lot to my staff and customers, so I get to know them and their flavour profiles. I try to match their preferences with the cakes I bake.  and i try to match that up with a personal bake.

04 What question do you hear most often at The Fabulous Baker Boy?
Its very rare to have a business owner who is the chef and runs the joint at the same time. So most people don’t even know its me, which is fun.  But the question I receive most often is “Do you still have red velvet cake?”

05 When you entertain family and friends at home, what can always be found on your table?
Wow, tough one! I cook so many different cuisines, but the most common thing on the table would be laughter.  Sometimes it really doesn’t matter what I cook and how many people are eating. When I eat at home, it’s not about the food, it’s about the company.

The Fabulous Baker Boy Singapore
Photo Source: Sung Linggun

06 Are there any cultural traditions related to entertaining at home that are unique to Singapore that you can share with us?
Well depends on who has invited you for a party or dinner…the food might be different but the courtesy and traditions around the table and home does not differ that much.

LET THEM EAT CAKE- Recipes To Try:

 

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