Jongno dessert café for decaf coffee and baumkuchen: The Baum

I took a day trip near Gyeongbokgung with my child. We looked around the National Folk Museum’s regular exhibition and an outdoor area where old buildings had been restored.

Near Gyeongbokgung Station, we stopped at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch (더바움 경복궁점) for dessert and drinks. Even though the coffee was decaf, it had a robust flavor, and it was a nice place to take a break with baumkuchen.

How close is The Baum to Gyeongbokgung Station, and when is it open?

The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch is at 13-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It is 134 m from Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station, so it was close to the station. The hours listed in the original post are daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

What kinds of baumkuchen are available, and how much do they cost?

The Baum specializes in baumkuchen, a layered spit cake. There was a wide selection, from basic baumkuchen to brûlée baumkuchen with cream cheese, chocolate, matcha, lemon, or passion fruit.

A watermelon-shaped baumkuchen also caught my eye. My child, who is interested in art, and I talked while looking at the unusually shaped desserts. I thought it would make a nice gift in place of a cake.

There was also Eiffel Baum, shaped like a mountain peak with layers of baked cake. It came in plain and chocolate flavors and cost ₩7,500.

Horyang, a moon-jar-shaped baumkuchen, cost ₩19,800. It was quite large, so I thought it would be good for several people to share or as a housewarming or birthday-party gift.

Whole baumkuchen cost ₩18,000–₩22,000. Plain was ₩18,000, while Plain Soft and Torte Chocolate were ₩22,000 each. They also looked suitable for sharing with a group or eating a little at a time at home.

Was it a quiet place to take a break on Sunday?

The café occupied the first and second floors. There were tables suited to having coffee alone and tables for two or three people, and I liked the generous space between tables. It was quiet and uncrowded when I visited on Sunday.

How were the decaf coffee and the drink my child chose?

I tend to drink decaf coffee in the afternoon. I chose a decaf iced Americano that day, while my child ordered the seasonal Melona smoothie.

The Melona smoothie cost ₩7,500. It had the familiar Melona flavor, but to me the melon flavor came through more strongly than an artificial sweetness. It was a substantial smoothie.

The decaf iced Americano cost ₩6,000. I sometimes find the flavor of decaf coffee a little lacking, but this one tasted robust, which I was happy with. Its bitter coffee flavor also paired well with the sweet dessert.

Was the brûlée baumkuchen good for sharing?

For dessert, we tried brûlée chocolate baumkuchen and brûlée baumkuchen. I liked the combination of the sweet coating that we cracked with a spoon and the soft baumkuchen.

I especially liked the chocolate filling in the chocolate baumkuchen. Rather than being overly sweet, it had a deep sweetness like dark chocolate.

It was quite large, so one dessert was fine for two people to share. I ate about half and packed up the rest.

The quiet atmosphere and robust decaf coffee stood out most from this visit. My child also enjoyed the smoothie, so it was a pleasant place for us to rest during our outing near Gyeongbokgung.