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.
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
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
View this post on InstagramA party without a cake is just a meeting. Dont you agree?
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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
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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.
View this post on InstagramWATCH THIS SPACE! We’re coming to you soon!
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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.
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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.
Here’s what’s available for the September line up:
1. B.B Original Croissant
2. Double Chocolate ROLL
3. Kinder Beuno Croissant
4. Mango Sticky Rice Mochi Croissant
5. Ham & Cheese Twice-baked
6. Shepard’s Pie Twice-baked
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While technically not an Instagram bakery (they are stocked at places like Bar Stories at 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.
Home baker Jessica Chow channels her love for chocolate into Valrhona dark chocolate cookies that come in a variety of flavours, including sea salt, peppermint, pistachio and chocolate chip. The stuffed cookies are a decadent treat that satisfy with generous servings of peanut butter, Nutella or Speculoos. New order slots from this small-batch bakery are released every Monday at 7.30pm on their website. The slots fill up fast so don’t hesitate too long to make your order.
Text: Cheryl Chan