Indulgence With Intention

Baker, business owner and selfconfessed sugar lover Delcie Lam of Delcie’s Desserts and Cakes tells us why inclusive desserts have been her focus for over a decade.

- Kenneth Lim & Nida Seah

Delcie's Desserts and Cakes - a specialist in bakes both healthy and inclusive - was born close to a decade-and-a-half ago in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Its owner-baker, Delcie Lam, 39, was then a harried art director at an advertising firm who staved off burnout with a daily dose of sugary treats. But a serendipitous month-long sabbatical spurred Lam to pick up an old hobby - baking - and turn it into a full-time job, despite looming financial risks.

What eventually solidified her health-focussed ethos was her late mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. We celebrated her 50th birthday in the hospital, but we couldn't find a cake that was suitable for the diet the doctor prescribed for her, says Lam. After her passing, I felt that I wasn't able to do something for her, to make her happy. That's when I really began looking into baking to suit certain diet restrictions.

It started with eggs, then dairy, then sugar, and soon we started attracting a niche group of customers, she adds. It was slow-going at first, but as vegan and sugar-light cuisines made inroads into the culinary consciousness of the everyday consumer, business improved.

From a tiny space shared with a bubble tea shop, Delcie's Desserts and Cakes has since grown to include a retail store in Whampoa, a burgeoning online shop, and a kitchen in Chinatown where the baking is done. She now leads a team of bakers, and together, they ideate and create cakes that are, in Lam's opinion, as healthy as they get.