Bake Brown in NU Sentral, KL
Everyone has their comfort food, and for the owners of Bake Brown, it’s madeleines. They call themselves the “first Madeleine concept store”. While these shell-shaped French sponge cakes aren’t exactly a rare find in KL, finding a bakery that focuses solely on them is.
We dropped by Bake Brown in NU Sentral to bring you this review.
Ambience at Bake Brown
“How could anyone resist stopping by to grab a box of madeleines and a cup of coffee?” That was our first thought when we realised Bake Brown is just a short walk from KL Sentral – the hub of public transport – and right by the lift to the NU Office Tower. First madeleine concept store or not, the location is brilliant.
The bakery oozes a retro vibe with burnt and neon orange tones, and the counter is filled with their specialised madeleines. Don’t plan a mid-sized catch-up here – there are only two small tables for dine-in. It’s best suited for a quick stop with a friend or two.
Food at Bake Brown
We found their nine-flavour menu just right. It isn’t overwhelming to the indecisive peeps but still offers enough variety to keep things interesting even after a few visits.
The freshly baked madeleines are sold in boxes of three (RM22) or six (RM42). You can also have them individually (from RM6.50). The classics are here, such as Seashell Chocolate, Lemon, and Red Velvet. There are also Malaysian-accented Pandan Coconut and less common flavours like Tiramisu and Lotus Biscoff.
Our favourites: Tiramisu, Pandan Coconut & Black Sesame
The texture of the madeleines made an instant impression with the first bite. It hinged at the perfect spot between spongy and dense, reminiscent of homemade banana cakes. The exterior was slightly crisp like kuih bahulu, especially around the edges.
While humped backs are usually frowned upon, a hump is what defines a quality madeleine, and the ones from this shop nailed it.
Their Tiramisu was injected with a small capsule of espresso extract that you squeeze to release into the cake. It is also dusted with cocoa powder, but just enough to avoid any coughing fits.
The filling was rich with cream cheese, and the overall flavour was so espresso-forward that it rivalled a traditional tiramisu cake. The only difference: you could easily have several of these bite-sized cakes in one sitting.
The Pandan Coconut offered a mouthfeel of sweet pandan flavour, wrapped in aromatic and moreish coconut notes. The coconut flakes-coated cake gave way to a vanilla-coconut cream, which complemented the pandan flavour beautifully. In case you’re wondering, it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet.
Sometimes you don’t need complex flavours to fall in love with something – like the shop’s Black Sesame madeleine. The nutty and earthy flavours shone through the buttery base. It was simple but totally addictive.
Recommended by staff: Lemon, Lotus Biscoff & Seashell Choco
Lemon is dusted with powdered sugar and lemon zest. We were expecting a lemon curd inside but surprisingly, it isn’t filled with that. The overall flavour was pleasant but we still missed a bit more tang to call this our favourite – like a radio with the volume turned too low to fully enjoy the music.
Caramel Biscoff is a fluffy take on the famous Lotus Biscoff cookies, capturing the warm notes of caramel and cinnamon. To pay homage to the original Biscoff cookies, it is also generously covered in Biscoff crumbs for that extra crunch.
Remember to check for chocolate stains on your teeth after enjoying the Seashell Choco. The chocolate coating is so thick it will leave an imprint, as it did on our teeth. The chocolate flavour leaned more towards a milder 45% cocoa rather than dark chocolate.
Madeleine-concept bakery in KL
Bake Brown isn’t the only spot in town for madeleines, but it is one of the few places we’ve experienced the best madeleine texture. The flavours hit the mark and yet we couldn’t stop talking about the cakes’ fluffiness, bouncing back with each gentle squeeze.
When both texture and flavour are executed this well, it’s no wonder the shop confidently serves just madeleines.
Address: GF-21, Ground Floor, NU Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 10am-10pm, Daily
Contact: 017-396 1078 | Bake Brown’s Instagram
Photography by xinyeegoh.
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia