Rice cakes from online bakery Cakeforu are different from the ones typically dipped in spicy sauce like the popular Korean snack, tteok-bokki. In Korean culture, rice cakes, called tteok, are a versatile staple in both savory and sugary dishes. At Cakeforu, crumble made from sweet red beans and a tteok base that is topped with bean paste flowers, when combined with cream that is signature in U.S. cuisine, create a sweet fusion cake that customers from both the East and West can enjoy.
Sherry Chang started Cakeforu in 2018 as a way to retire. Chang loved her job designing elaborate hair pieces that gifted people with seamless hair, but she was exhausted. Her job in research and development for a Korean hair extension company was based in the U.S., but flying out to visit factories and attend monthly trader shows had grown stressful and physically draining for her.
Seeking an escape route to heal from her stress, Chang took a class on making cakes using tteok, which she said was life-changing. The same day, she came home and spent the night perfecting her ability to pipe a single rose with bean paste.
Once she could do so with ease, Chang knew the next step in her journey was the complex yet enticing process of crafting the perfect design for a beautiful tteok cake. It took her a whole year of experimenting with tteok recipes, running many trials with friends and family along the way.
“I handed out samples around the office to ask for advice,” said her husband, Dustin Kwak. “My co-workers mostly gave positive feedback, so it was up to me to really criticize and pinpoint weaknesses, like saying the tteok was too sticky or too dry.”
After a couple of years, Chang’s hard work paid off. Cakeforu peaked when the pandemic hit in 2020.
“A lot of customers began ordering large batches of rice cakes and dacquoise to snack on at home,” Chang said. “They ordered celebratory rice cakes as gifts for family and friends they couldn’t physically meet, too.”
Part of the widespread appeal of Cakeforu’s products stems from the ingredients. Chang uses rice in 90% of her products because elders find it difficult to digest flour. This also means her tteok is vegan and gluten-free, which accommodates for the different diets of potential customers seeking to indulge in the cultural delicacy.
Chang said 80% of her customers are regulars who turn to her when they wish to celebrate their special occasions with her edible artwork.
Right now, Chang works alone from her home kitchen in Koreatown. She limits orders to six to eight rice cakes a day so she can focus her attention on meeting customer requests regarding flavor and design.
Still, Chang is eager to learn more crafts. She expanded her menu to include bean paste cookies, moon cakes, rice milk loaves, mochi buns and dacquoise, but her best selling item remains the versatile tteok, which she continues to innovate.
“Korea continues to design creative tteok flavors like Oreos and custard,” said Chang. “I want to make sure that Koreans in the U.S. don’t miss out on these new cultural textures.”
However, starting her business is just the beginning for her. Next, she hopes to share her experience making rice cakes with others and intends to one day open a small workshop. “I’m passionate for more learning, sharing and being better,” she said.
Overall, Chang is happy her retirement is allowing her to fulfill her dreams. “Cakeforu is [my] devotion and passion. It’s what I’ve always yearned to do,” she said.