Seongsu café for a birthday surprise cake: Notldun

It was recently a friend’s birthday, so I was looking into cakes when I found a dessert café around Seongsu and Seoul Forest that is incredibly famous for desserts. It’s called Notldun (노틀던), and not only were the other desserts lovely, but the whole cakes were so pretty that I ordered one right away.

Notldun’s location and waiting

Notldun is just a short walk from either Ttukseom Station or Seoul Forest Station. If you know the distinctive Notldun signature illustration, you’ll find it quickly! Both the lower and upper floors look like cafés, but Notldun is upstairs.

Since this place is clearly famous for desserts, there can be a wait, and there is even a waiting guide. But for takeaway, they said you can come straight in and purchase comfortably.

Inside Notldun before picking up the whole cake

Since we had bought a whole cake, we had reserved it in advance and were taking it away, so we went straight in. The café was packed, so I couldn’t photograph the seating, but it didn’t seem to have loads of tables—maybe five or six.

It really felt like a café where desserts are the main event, with such an elegant atmosphere. Above all, it was so fascinating to watch the pâtissiers making desserts right there inside, haha.

Drinks, baked treats, and elaborate desserts

Along with a range of drinks, the menu had financiers, madeleines, and lots of incredibly elaborate, beautiful desserts.

Reserving and packing the Signature Blanc whole cake

We ordered a whole cake. Because it is made in advance, you absolutely need to visit after making a reservation, and payment is made in advance when booking, so pickup is quick. Before packing it, the staff showed us the actual cake and checked that it was the one we had ordered.

Because it is a mousse cake, they prepared it in an insulated bag, but explained that they recommend eating it within three hours. If it will be longer than that, they recommend refrigerating it and eating it as quickly as possible.

They also included six pretty candles with the cake. You can choose between silver and gold, and since we chose a white cake, we went with silver! I was secretly preparing it for my friend’s surprise, so the photos are a little dark, but it is much prettier in person,, haha.

The soft Signature Blanc mousse cake

The Signature Blanc whole cake takes the shape of Notldun’s brand mark itself. Since it is a mousse cake, it looks firm from the outside, but it is completely soft and fluffy.

It looked so pretty even in photos, but the pattern was just as clear in person. More than anything, the lightly powdery texture on the surface felt a little like snow, which was so lovely, haha.

The cake was so pretty that, even though they gave us six candles, we put just one in the center. Because it was such a pure white cake, I was so curious about how it would look in person, and I was a little worried since I had bought it based only on photos—but the more I looked at it, the more I loved how beautiful it was.

A slice with cassis berry and pistachio cream

After singing happy birthday, we cut into the cake to eat it. Since the pâtissiers make the cakes themselves, the layers really were stacked so beautifully.

At the center were cassis berries, also called blackcurrants, and pistachio cream. The combination was tangy and nutty, and so delicious. In particular, the little cassis seeds gave a pleasant bite, so the mousse cake was not simply soft and made it fun to enjoy different textures and flavors, haha.

The outside was full of white-chocolate mousse, and even though I am definitely not usually someone who likes white chocolate, it was not overly sweet. Its milky, nutty flavor was really delicious too.

When you eat the sweet, nutty, soft white-chocolate mousse together with the various ingredients inside, you get tangy and sweet flavors along with all kinds of textures, haha. The pistachio croustillant at the bottom also added the crisp, nutty flavor of a cookie, making it a perfect cake with nothing missing.

It is a little pricey, but it is just as beautiful as it is delicious, so I think it will be the first cake that comes to mind when another friend’s birthday rolls around.