Gyeongbokgung dessert café with baumkuchen: The Baum

While exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace and Seochon, I stopped at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch (더바움 경복궁점) for coffee and baumkuchen, a layered ring cake. The space has a hanok-inspired atmosphere, and from the second-floor window I could see the sky and street trees of Seochon, making it a pleasant place to take a break during a walk.

How close is it to Gyeongbokgung Station?

It was about 100 m from Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station. It sits along a main road lined with shops, so it was easy to find. It also suited a date spent exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace and Seochon together.

There were many customers even at an in-between time when I visited. Visitors ranged from international tourists to older guests, and the first floor felt somewhat crowded.

What baumkuchen and gift products are available?

As soon as I entered, I noticed the wide display of baumkuchen. There were options from basic baum to varieties with cheese or brûlée, making it fun to choose.

I was especially curious about the varieties topped with brûlée. I considered a new flavor too, but chose the chocolate one.

The gift packages were neatly presented as well. With such a varied selection, they looked like good options for a Seoul travel souvenir or a gift for someone I know.

They also had ice cream, but it was already sold out when I visited, so I could not try it. Besides coffee, there were smoothies and ades.

Where can you rest with a view of Seochon?

The interior extends across two floors, so it felt fairly spacious. Compared with the busy first floor, the second floor was relatively calm and tidy. There were also spacious tables that looked good for sitting with several people, so it seemed suitable for groups.

My favorite spot was the second-floor window seat. The blue sky and street trees were visible through the large windows, so it did not feel enclosed. It was a good place to rest over a cup of coffee after a long walk around Gyeongbokgung Palace or Seochon.

What did I order and how much did it cost?

I ordered three kinds of baumkuchen and two Americanos. Below are the prices recorded in the original post.

• Cheese Baum: ₩4,000
• Brûlée Dark Choco Baum: ₩7,800
• Mini Baum Plain: ₩4,500
• Decaf iced Americano: ₩6,000
• Hot Americano: ₩5,000

What were the Mini Baum Plain and coffee like?

The Mini Baum came individually wrapped in small pieces, making it easy to sample. It was fluffy but had some density, with a texture somewhere between pound cake and castella sponge cake. Its basic flavor felt approachable even for someone trying baumkuchen for the first time.

The Americano was nutty and not overly bitter, so it went well with the desserts. I ordered the iced Americano decaf and was pleased with its taste.

How did the Cheese Baum and Brûlée Dark Choco Baum differ?

The Cheese Baum and Brûlée Dark Choco Baum were basic baum cakes with added cream. I felt they would be good choices when I wanted to enjoy the flavor of cream rather than the plain cake.

The Cheese Baum had a rich, sweet cream-cheese filling. Its pronounced cheese flavor seemed well suited to anyone who likes cream-cheese desserts. I thought it would also pair well with black tea.

When I broke through the crisp sugar layer and split the Brûlée Dark Choco Baum in half, it was full of cream inside. Rich, sweet chocolate cream and milk cream formed layers. It seemed better suited to people who prefer fluffy cake and cream desserts over dense baked sweets.