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Home Sweet Home is a column dedicated to the talented people baking up a storm at home.
Since she was young, Cherry Chiu has known she likes to bake. She has a way with the oven, whipping up warm treats and sweet creations during her teenage years.
“But I was told repeatedly that baking is only a hobby, not a career – so I ended up working in human resource at PwC London,” shares Cherry.
She worked hard over the years, but felt that something was amiss. The desk-bound job wasn’t what she wanted; Cherry constantly felt the pull of the kitchen, and the desire to play with flour and eggs to make bakes that others could enjoy. One day, Cherry finally decided to “take the jump” and follow her lifelong passion. “I joined Le Cordon Bleu in London to study pastry-making professionally, and after graduating, I ended up working at The Langham, a five-star hotel,” she says.
Her stint at the French pastry school gave her the confidence needed to set up Mon Cerise, a home-based bakery that focuses on cakes that are lighter in sugar. Cherry insists on only using premium French ingredients – a deliberate decision to ensure the quality of the final product. For instance, butter is sourced from a small producer in the Charente, France and only pure cocoa butter, curated from a bean-to-bar French chocolate maker, is used.
The result: some eight elegant bakes on its menu perfect for any celebratory occasion. There’s the signature Strawberry Charlotte ($55) – a personal favourite of Cherry’s – where fluffy Japanese sponge cake comes layered with citrus gel, strawberry compete, and Madagascan vanilla cream. “It’s my favourite because the process gives it a distinctive taste: by cooking the skin of the limes, lemons, and oranges in sugar syrup, it gives acidity and an element of surprise that keeps you wanting more,” she adds.
Equally popular is the Chocolate and Raspberry Dream ($55), a decadent creation where chocolate sponge comes paired with your choice of dark or milk chocolate mousse. The tart raspberry middle helps cut through the creaminess, making it easy to finish this cake in one sitting. Other beautiful stacks include the White Princess ($55), where cheesecake mousse surrounds a middle of vanilla cheesecake and Granny Smith apple compote; and the glazed Matcha Goodness ($60) with red bean cream and black sesame base.
Currently, Cherry is a one-woman show working out of her kitchen in Jurong East, and she gets the occasional help from her husband when orders pile up. Beyond cakes, Mon Cerise also has a monthly bake sale where the menu switches up. “We want to continue bringing unique desserts to the home baking scene in Singapore,” says Cherry.
HOW TO ORDER Visit moncerisepatisserie.com. There’s no minimum order, and delivery fee ranges from $10 to $20. Free delivery applies to orders above $100.