Build a custom cake from castella, Gimpo Gurae-dong bakery: Jinsim

Hi, this is Laming☺️ I stopped by Jinsim Castella in Gurae-dong. The bread there is always so soft and delicious. You can buy the castella and the whipped cream separately, which is great if you want to use it for making a cake, and it's soft enough to work well as a kids' snack too.

Where is Jinsim Castella Gimpo Gurae Main Branch?

Jinsim Castella is near the Olive Young in Gurae-dong, on the first floor of the building, so it's super easy to find! It's not far from Gurae Station either — an easy walk.

Castella flavors and buying whipped cream on its own

• Jinsim Castella
• Whipped Cream Castella
• Chocolate Castella
• Chocolate Whipped Cream Castella
• Mocha Castella
• Mocha Whipped Cream Castella
• Mugwort Castella
• Mugwort Whipped Cream Castella

Broadly it's 4 flavors — original/chocolate/mocha/mugwort — but each comes in a version with cream and one without. Nice that you can pick to your taste. Also, the whipped cream flavor on the cream castella can be swapped, and you can buy the whipped cream by itself too.

Since the castella tastes similar to cake sponge and you can buy various whipped cream flavors separately, it seems really good for making custom cakes. Buy the castella, cut it into whatever shape you want, add the whipped cream, decorate with fruit — easy custom cake, right? Hahahahahahaha

How long castella keeps and the best way to eat it

Jinsim Castella has no preservatives, so after purchase it keeps refrigerated for 6 days, frozen for a month. They said it's fine to warm it up in the microwave too. I've only had it cold, but even straight from the fridge it wasn't dry at all — stayed soft, which I liked. It goes really well with an Americano, and kids would probably like it with milk too.

Drink menu and how to order at the kiosk

You order at the kiosk, and Gimpo Pay works too!

• Black sesame latte, mugwort latte, misugaru (roasted grain powder)
• Fresh strawberry latte, lemon dill ade, grapefruit shower ade, peach & black tea (iced tea)
• Vanilla bean latte, devil's chocolate latte, green tea choco latte, Jeju matcha latte

There's black sesame, mugwort, and misugaru for the 'grandma palate' crowd, along with refreshing fruit ades and sugar-rush drinks. If you pick one of those grandma-palate drinks and grab a mugwort castella, it'd make a great snack for elderly family too. It's a flavor older folks tend to love, and it's soft enough to be easy on people with sensitive teeth. Americano ₩2,500 / café latte ₩3,500 — the coffee's really affordable too!!!

Something I notice every time I come — they generously give out heart-shaped candles to take home, and if you leave a receipt review, the tasting sample of castella is really generous too.

Chocolate whipped cream castella and grapefruit shower ade

I got chocolate whipped cream castella and grapefruit shower ade to go.

Grapefruit shower ade. Personally I think grapefruit is the best ade flavor. Just sweet enough and refreshing — really crisp and good.

Chocolate whipped cream castella.

It's packed with a ton of chocolate chips🍫 The texture when you bite into them is surprisingly nice.

There's so much cream in there it's practically spilling out haha

It's so soft I just sliced right through it with a knife. Looks fluffy and pillowy just from the photo, right❤️

It's not just packed on the outside — it's packed with chocolate all the way through!

How the castella worked as a kids' snack and a group order

I brewed an Americano to have with it, and yeah, coffee and chocolate is the best combo. Not overly sweet or heavy, goes down smooth — really nice as a snack. I'd recommend it for bakery group orders, kids' snacks, and as a cake base too. That was my review of Jinsim Castella in Gurae-dong!💕