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Bento cakes are creative, look impressive and come from the heart. And these South Korean mini cakes have spread well beyond Asia thanks to social media.
The palm-sized cakes offer everything a large cake does, including a base, filling, coating and decoration. They often feature a short message to the recipient, such as a buttery “Love yourself” or an apologetic “Oops”.
“In South Korea, people love colourful, playful and cute things,” says Man Ahn Büschges, a master confectioner and operator of an online bakery.
The name bento is derived from the Japanese bento boxes, those lovingly assembled lunchboxes that enjoy cult status in large parts of Asia.
Photos of bento cakes and videos of people surprised when opening a box are often shared on social media, but bento cakes do not need an online audience.
“They are easy for anyone to make and are a great gift,” says Marid Lubenow, an author and food blogger.

Instagram-worthy bento cakes are relatively easy to bake at home, with no need for professional equipment.
“Patience is the most important ingredient,” Lubenow says.
“Allow more time than you think you’ll need,” Büschges says, because it is crucial that the cake is well chilled between each step.
The typical bento cake is a layer cake. For beginners, sponge mixes are suitable, which can be given an interesting flavour with special ingredients.
Lubenow bakes a chai cake with spices like vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. She likes to add a little olive oil to her Italian orange cake. If you do not have a mini baking tin with a diameter of 8-12cm (3.1-4.7 inches), you can use an existing baking tin and cut circles out of a larger base.
Once the cake base has been baked and cooled, the filling and coating are prepared.
“Mousse fillings are particularly popular. They are light and less sweet,” Büschges says. She sells cakes with three sponge bases and two mousse fillings.
“Sponge cake stacks well and a finger-width layer of mousse keeps the cake stable,” she adds. If the layers are too thick, the cake could break when carried.

For those trying their hand at icing for the first time, Lubenow recommends American buttercream or icing. Cream cheese icing, Swiss meringue and ganache are more elaborate.
Small mistakes when applying the icing can be corrected. If crumbs get into the cream or the icing is uneven, chill the cake and ice it again.
Later, add a second layer on top to create a clean and smooth coating. A turntable and a palette knife are helpful for spreading the cream.
Once the cake is iced, put it back into the fridge, because the artistic piping decorations work best when it is chilled. Lubenow advises first trying out the piping nozzle on a plate.
Now put the test cream back into the nozzle and, once cooled again, use it to decorate the cake.
“With a little patience, it will turn out fine and the cake will look home-made,” Lubenow says.
It does not always have to be a layer cake. Meanwhile, vegan versions are also possible, such as a courgette bento cake.
There is a trick to lifting the finished cake into the box without destroying the work of art. At the very beginning, the bottom layer is placed on a piece of baking paper cut to size. You can lift the cake by grabbing the protruding corners.
“If brown baking paper doesn’t work, I use white sandwich paper,” says Büschges. You can order a wide selection of suitable boxes online. Or “just ask at your local snack bar if you can buy a burger box”, says Lubenow.
You can find inspiration for bento cakes everywhere. Lubenow finds new flavour combinations or exciting ingredients while shopping. She also gets ideas from cafes or friends, which she incorporates into her creations.
In the end, it is not the perfect photo that counts, but the smile on someone’s face.


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Palm-sized bento cakes offer everything a large cake does, including a base, filling, coating and decoration, and often feature a short message to the recipient. Photo: Shutterstock

Bento cakes are typically layered, iced and often come with a message. Photo: Shutterstock

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Food & Drink

Bakers and bloggers are singing the praises of bento cakes, small layered confections originating in Korea that are easy to make at home


Bakers and bloggers are singing the praises of bento cakes, small layered confections originating in Korea that are easy to make at home.


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