Gyeongbokgung café with ice cream latte and upstairs seats: The Baum

I was out near Gyeongbokgung Palace and got a craving for something sweet, so I stopped by The Baum, a Gyeongbokgung Station dessert café that's apparently famous these days for premium baumkuchen. Its sleek exterior stood out among the hanok-style alleys, so it was easy to spot — here's my review of this baumkuchen spot.

Finding The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch in the Chebu-dong hanok alley

The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch sits at 13-2 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, inside the hanok alley of Chebu-dong. It's a dessert spot near Gyeongbokgung Station that really stands out in this traditional hanok neighborhood.

Walking up to the storefront, the clean, cozy exterior caught my eye right away. It didn't clash with Chebu-dong's distinctive vibe at all — it actually fit in nicely.

What baumkuchen fills The Baum's first-floor showcase?

The first-floor showcase at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch has a really wide variety of baumkuchen on display. The café also has a second-floor space, so seating felt quite roomy.

From basic styles to ones topped with cream, the range of choices was really wide. The baumkuchen were pretty too, so it was fun just to look around.

On one side, they had neat, upscale gift boxes ready to go — these would be great for wrapping up as gifts for Chuseok holiday or special occasions.

The Chebu-dong street view from The Baum's second floor

Both the first and second floors at The Baum Gyeongbokgung Branch had enough tables to comfortably fit groups. Sitting upstairs, watching the quiet Chebu-dong street while eating baumkuchen was such a nice, relaxing time.

Tasting The Baum's signature desserts

There were so many things I wanted to try, but since The Baum near Gyeongbokgung Station specializes in baumkuchen, I ordered the yanggaeng shu cream baum for ₩5,800, fondant chocolate baumkuchen for ₩7,800, ice cream latte for ₩6,800, and watermelon juice for ₩7,800.

Yanggaeng shu cream baum, 5,800 won

I started with the yanggaeng shu cream baum. Since it has yanggaeng (sweet red bean jelly) in it, I expected a slightly bitter edge, but it actually tasted smoothly sweet.

The combination of sweet choux cream and yanggaeng worked together far better than I expected, and it never got cloying. The baumkuchen sheet itself was moist rather than dry, which paired well with the cream. The cut was also super clean, so it made for a great photo!

Fondant chocolate baumkuchen, 7,800 won

The fondant chocolate baumkuchen was a menu item I was really looking forward to just from its looks.

The chocolate flavor wasn't too artificial, just sweet enough and rich, and it paired well with the latte. It's the kind of taste any chocolate lover would enjoy.

Ice cream latte 6,800 won and watermelon juice 7,800 won

The watermelon juice and ice cream latte were both really delicious. The ice cream latte got even better as the ice cream melted — it melted smoothly into the espresso shot, if that makes sense, and the taste was clean, which suited my palate well.

The watermelon juice had the watermelon's own sweetness captured in a very cool, clean way, and since it was a bit hot that day, it cooled me right down.

Is The Baum worth a stop near Gyeongbokgung Station?

Stopping by The Baum during my outing near Gyeongbokgung Station gave me a really comfortable spot to rest. The gift set lineup was well put together too, so next time I plan to pick up a few on my way home. If you're looking for a Gyeongbokgung dessert spot or a place to rest comfortably after a stroll through the old palace, The Baum is worth a visit.