Baumkuchen café in Jongno, Seoul: The Baum Gyeongbokgung

Near Gyeongbokgung Station, I had baumkuchen, a German dessert, at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch (더바움 경복궁점). The two of us chose three flavors to have with coffee, and it was a nice café for quietly resting while reading.

What kind of dessert is baumkuchen?

Baumkuchen combines the German words “Baum,” meaning tree, and “Kuchen,” meaning cake. Batter is spread thinly over a cylindrical spit and baked repeatedly as it turns, creating round layers like tree rings. It was a little firmer than castella, with a rich buttery flavor.

Its shape and texture were different from familiar cakes, so I thought it would be nice to share or choose as a dessert gift.

How do you get there from Gyeongbokgung Station, and is parking available?

The address is 13-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and the café occupies the first and second floors. It is about 100 m from Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station; I simply walked straight in the direction I came out. The entrance’s sign, which looked like wooden sticks, caught my eye.

The original post listed hours as 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, and parking is not available. At the time of my visit, there was also an event that gave a dessert for writing a Naver review.

Are there good seats for reading or taking a quiet break?

The first floor had the counter, display case, and plenty of seating.

At the second-floor entrance, there was a space with an attic-like feel, and I liked the window seats. Charging was available, and there was an indoor restroom. During my stay, it was a good place to read, eat dessert, and rest quietly.

What is on the menu, and how much does an order for two cost?

There were coffee, other drinks, smoothies, and ice cream, as well as summer seasonal items at the time of my visit. Decaf was also available.

There was also an item served with baum bread on top of ice cream. The refrigerated display held a variety of desserts, and we chose three of them.

• Yanggeng Baum: ₩5,500
• Mini Baum Plain: ₩4,500
• Custard Baum: ₩4,500
• Iced Americano: ₩5,000 per cup; we ordered two
• Total for the two-person order: ₩24,500

How did the custard, yanggeng, and plain flavors differ?

The Custard Baum had a hard sugar coating like crème brûlée. Beneath the exterior, which reminded me of dalgona, was custard cream. It was hard to see under the coating, but the base was tree-ring-shaped baumkuchen.

The Yanggeng Baum tasted like familiar yanggaeng (sweet red-bean jelly), but its texture was softer, like cream. I thought it would be even better chilled.

I liked the cool, moist texture of the Mini Baum Plain. After trying several flavors, I was satisfied with the basic flavor too.

How was it for a dessert date or a gift?

Being able to try several baumkuchen flavors together made it suitable for a dessert date. I also felt it would make a nice gift to let someone experience its tree-ring shape and unusual texture.

The dessert received through the review event tasted like a butter cookie and also had a tree-ring shape.

I also liked that they used wooden straws. The café was neat and the service was kind, so I would like to return when I want to have dessert and rest near Gyeongbokgung Station.