Creative Capital: The vegan baker whose chocolate cupcakes inspire rave reviews

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Creative Capital: The vegan baker whose chocolate cupcakes inspire rave reviews

Former corporate professional Jane Tan produces allergen- and intolerance-free cakes and so that no one always gets left out during a commemoration.

25 April 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 09 Jul 2022 ten:22PM)

I have never been a huge chocoholic. My wife, daughter and younger son are, though. So I am always on the lookout for nice, yummy, well-made chocolate treats to buy for them.

Recently, a friend started telling me near his favourite chocolate cupcakes. Actually, he didn't just tell me. It was more akin to a Southern Baptist testifying earlier God in a Mississippi church. He was that enthusiastic in his praise. I was almost expecting him to practise a backflip and start speaking in tongues.

What interested me most – about the cupcakes, not my friend's enthusiasm – was that the cupcakes were vegan, gluten-free and contained avocado.

Curiosity piqued, I dug up a footling more than data on ROA, founded two years ago by 39-twelvemonth-old Singaporean Jane Tan. The various reviews and testimonials I found equalled my own friend's unbridled love for Ms Tan's cakes, so much so that I reached out to her to conversation.

READ: Creative Uppercase: The Singapore mumpreneur who custom makes wall decals and cake toppers

HI, JANE. TELL ME Most YOUR LIFE BEFORE ROA. WHAT DID Yous Do?

I was working in a local bank equally a Hr professional person. Prior to that, I was also a flight bellboy at a local airline for a short period. I was adamant about wanting to travel all over the globe subsequently university. I've e'er enjoyed exploration and whenever I travelled, I sought out delicious pastries and desserts.

Roa's Midnight Classique chocolate cupcakes (Photo: Roa)

WERE Yous ALWAYS A FOODIE?

Yep. I was brought upwards to enjoy all kinds of cuisines. My dad would bring us to swallow at various places, from the finest exotic restaurants to the about delicious bell-ringer fare. Nosotros were raised never to be picky with nutrient and learnt to enjoy all kinds. That being said, I never once thought I would be making pastry total-time.

WHAT PROMPTED Y'all TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO PASTRY? LEAVING THE CORPORATE WORLD TO Become TO CULINARY SCHOOL IS A PRETTY BIG Decision. WAS THERE A Catalyst?

I had been working in the bank for about v years and I felt like I had explored enough to effigy out corporate life wasn't what I wanted. During that time, I had already been baking a lot for various clemency events and also taking minor-time orders for friends and family. All that fabricated me seriously consider going to culinary schoolhouse. Coincidentally, soon after I got married, I knew information technology was a skillful time for me to make the switch, before kids and all. It was now or never.

TELL ME Nigh YOUR Fourth dimension IN SYDNEY. IT SOUNDS Like YOU WORKED WITH SOME AMAZING AND WELL-KNOWN CHEFS.

It was an incredible experience. The intensive training at Le Cordon Bleu gave me a proficient foundation in the science and art of baking. It also trained me in the basics and techniques of the pastry world.

Workwise, being completely new to the industry, I decided that I had to kickoff out as a waitress at a local Australian cafe, but to get my hands dirty and to learn from the ground up. But a few months in, I managed to wheedle my way into the kitchen. I guess it was sheer hard work and determination – and knocking on many doors – that eventually helped me to country a full-fourth dimension job at one of the top cake designers in Australia, Faye Cahill Cake Pattern.

I also worked alongside and assisted chefs like Australian representative Andre Sandison during the preparation sessions for the Asian Pastry Cup – and yes, he won it! Stints with other celebrity chefs similar Luke Ngyuen and Adriano Zumbo also exposed me to how professional kitchens are managed at the highest standards. I wanted to become as much exposure equally possible, so I held downward multiple jobs – three at a time even – and sometimes even worked without pay. Simply the experience was invaluable and I came back with a lot of noesis that couldn't be bought.

DID Yous KNOW, WHEN Yous CAME Dwelling, THAT Yous WANTED TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS Right AWAY?

When I first came back to Singapore, I had a baby! Taking intendance of a newborn meant I had to put my career on hold. Nevertheless, the passion in me was so potent that five months afterwards I gave birth, I was back to baking for others. That's when I started my offset home-based business making celebration cakes for people. It grew rather quickly and soon, I was booked out 12 months in advance. I knew then that running my own concern was truly fulfilling and my calling.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND ROA?

While making cakes for a lot of people, peculiarly immature kids, I kept getting requests from parents to omit sure ingredients like sugar, eggs or nuts, as they or their kids were allergic, or they only wanted to follow a sure nutrition. I used to turn them away as I didn't want to compromise the taste. Omitting ingredients changes the gustation and texture of a block drastically. Simply it was when my own goddaughter Emma was allergic to four out of the meridian v most ordinarily found allergens – nuts, eggs, gluten and dairy – that I knew I had to exercise something. I truly wanted her to bask a delicious cake. I also knew at the dorsum of my heed that many others like her would appreciate it.

I UNDERSTAND THAT PERFECTING YOUR VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE TOOK 9 MONTHS. WHY WAS IT SO DIFFICULT?

It was hard every bit it was more than just switching out ingredients with substitutes. For example, changing butter to margarine would have been a quick and cheap fix. Merely nutritionally, that's not great. The exploration in search of more than wholesome ingredients, like avocado for example, meant a lot more than work and a lot more testing to perfect the cake.

The biggest challenge was making the product gluten-free. If you lot are into nutrient science, you may know that wheat flour contains gluten and is what gives cakes their low-cal springy texture. Often, gluten-free products are idea of as dry, hard and dumbo every bit mutual substitutes are nuts, beans and chickpeas. I was determined about wanting to make a low-cal, fluffy cake without any bogus stabilisers. I used my own flour blend consisting of 4 unlike natural, gluten-complimentary flours – spud, corn, rice and tapioca. This meant a whole lot of testing as each flour has different binding and raising properties.

Even after the initial launch of the product, I continued to get feedback from paying customers, and I kept tweaking the recipe. For example, instead of canola oil, which is what we used to blend with our avocados, I switched to rice bran oil. I learnt from my customers that canola actually isn't the healthiest product – it is highly processed. There's zero like truly listening to your customers and embracing ongoing change positively.

And so, WHAT IS THE Underground TO WHY YOUR CAKES ARE SO GOOD? OR IS IT Actually A Surreptitious?

The secret is truly in the loftier-quality ingredients used. There are actually no two means about it. You are what you lot eat, and your gustatory modality buds know information technology. I go customers telling me they go, "Mmmm" when they gustatory modality our cakes considering they instantly know that we utilise practiced quality chocolate.

It besides helps that the people who make the cakes are a agglomeration of very positive and happy individuals. The erstwhile adage about the food beingness as skilful as the emotional state of the chef is very true. Happy chefs make delicious food! Our team is a truly bonded group and nosotros are unremarkably in the best of spirits. I think this actually helps, too.

WHEN Y'all Fix Most TO CREATE THE Block FOR YOUR GODDAUGHTER, WERE Y'all ALREADY THINKING ABOUT A NEW Business organisation AND A NEW MARKET SEGMENT, OR DID IT ALL HAPPEN ORGANICALLY?

When the block was so well received, information technology felt very heartwarming. The turning betoken was when I had some friends who said, "Finally, a birthday I can actually relish!" Instinctively, I knew that many others would appreciate this. More than that, it was a keen mode to be inclusive. This kind of cake means no one gets left out of enjoying a celebration because of food allergies and intolerances.

By THE NATURE OF YOUR INGREDIENTS, YOUR CAKES ARE VEGAN. Practise You lot THINK VEGAN BRANDS Get A BAD RAP?

I think the term "vegan" evokes a love-hate emotion for a lot of people. The trouble is an old-school mindset about alternative proteins – think mock vegetarian meats – or eating simply salads. The misconception that vegan food is bland and tasteless tin can put many people off. Thankfully, this is all changing, with many new, upcoming, crawly-tasting brands that wow people all the fourth dimension.

When information technology comes to dessert and cakes, I find that it's a lot less intimidating equally most cakes are already vegetarian to begin with. But when you say vegan – no butter or eggs – some people can be skeptical. I always joke that all I demand to do is to get some of my cakes into their mouths, and the rest will exist history. Thankfully, many positive online reviews have helped and my business has grown organically. Nosotros have been blessed with groovy word-of-mouth since Day One.

WHAT'South YOUR IMPRESSION OF THE Plant-BASED MOVEMENT Here? Information technology FEELS LIKE IT'S GROWING Apace.

Definitely! The fact that so many new, culling protein brands are growing right here in Singapore is a telling sign. That an increasing number of eateries accept found-based options on their menus shows growing need. As someone who is largely constitute-based myself, I often proceed a sentinel for options and am usually pleasantly surprised to detect that 8 out of 10 places practice offer some form of plant-based alternative – even if it'south something as simple every bit soy or oat milk for your coffee.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU?

After the morning mum duties, I often head to the kitchen to check in with the team. Once I know that the operations are running smoothly, I attend to all my messages and emails. I too do taste tests on batches of cakes fabricated. And so it's usually meetings with clients and suppliers until the end of the day, when I have to resume my parental duties. Once my two girls are in bed, I continue to oversee the operations and planning for the mean solar day or week.

WHAT PART OF YOUR Work DO You Savor THE MOST?

I actually beloved brainstorming ideas. These days it is split betwixt growing the business – I'yard on the lookout for potential collaborations – and thinking of new flavours and products for the coming year.

ANY Really REWARDING MOMENTS SINCE STARTING ROA THAT YOU Tin can SHARE?

At that place have been iii times when I have had people tell me their cakes made them tear upwardly! Tears of joy, thankfully. I distinctly think one lady who came to selection up her cakes during Christmastime and described the showtime time she tried my cakes, which had been a few months prior. She had only had bloodwork washed and been told by doctors to avoid a whole range of foods. When she finally found my cakes at a cafe that sold them and tried a slice, tears rolled down her cheeks. Her story fabricated my hair stand, and my ain eyes welled up. She was so glad that she could enjoy desserts again. What an emotional ride it was for her, and for me, besides.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR HERO Product?

The bestseller is our Midnight Classique cupcake. This is the best size for eating enjoyment and can be stored easily. I guess it's versatile equally you tin enjoy it as a regular cupcake or warm and serve information technology as a corrupt lava cake. I often hear of people enjoying it close to midnight whenever they want a treat to air current downwardly at the finish of a long day.

ARE YOU DOING Annihilation Cool THIS YEAR THAT Y'all Desire READERS TO KNOW Nearly?

Nosotros are planning a whole new range of desserts, such equally chocolate cake truffles. We are also exploring different styles of celebration cakes to cater to a wider audition. While we innovate, we will of course stay truthful to what ROA stands for: Desserts that are ethically made, luxurious and delicious, and don't contain dairy, eggs, nuts, soy or gluten, the 5 most common food allergens.

Creative Capital: The vegan baker whose chocolate cupcakes inspire rave reviews

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