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We were passing by and decided to stop in to check out this bakery. It's brightly lit, and the setup reminded me a lot of a Wheatfield or Sheng Kee Bakery. If you're planning to pick up some sweets, just grab a tray while you peruse the bakery. There were lots of pastries, cakes, and desserts tempting us at every turn! I happened to see a staff member loading freshly made egg tarts into the case, so naturally, we had to grab one to try! EGG TART ~ I guess I'm just used to the flakier crust you typically find with egg tarts. This was more of a European-style version, with a crumbly crust more like the traditional tart crust you'd find on a fruit or berry tart. The filling was sweeter than I'm used to and less eggy in flavor. You can definitely tell there's food coloring in the bright yellow custard. Nonetheless, it satisfied my craving for a sweet treat! 4/5 After putting the egg tart on the tray, I wanted to grab a bun too, but my guy went straight to the cashier before I could add one. Next time, I'm definitely grabbing my own tray so I can take my time and try some of the other baked goodies! I guess he thought he was saving me from temptation!! Haha! Maybe next time!
Had to find a cake shop in San Mateo and wanted to try somewhere new I'd never gotten cake from before, and this place popped up! Omg, the moment I walked in, it smelled SO good. It honestly made me want to get all the pastries too I got the strawberry mousse cake, and the packaging is seriously so cute! Right in Downtown San Mateo too! Such a cute little find!
Love love love! Breads are fresh everyday, great flavor all around, and clean. Service is good, line typically goes by quick and has few tables inside. My favorite has to be their BBQ pork bun. Tender, chewy, and the inside for the pork was absolutely delicious. That one is a must try.
We stopped by Simply Cake and ordered two slices to try: the Chocolate Cake and the Mango Strawberry Cake. The chocolate cake was decent and enjoyable, but it didn't really stand out for us. It was okay, but nothing particularly memorable or special compared to other chocolate cakes we've tried. Unfortunately, the Mango Strawberry Cake was quite disappointing. I was really looking forward to the fruity flavor, but the mango pieces were unexpectedly hard and had a sour taste that didn't blend well with the cake. Instead of adding a fresh and sweet mango flavor, the texture and sourness took away from the overall experience. I appreciate the effort and presentation, but the flavors didn't meet my expectations, especially for the mango cake. Hopefully, it was just an off day because I would love to try their other offerings in the future.
Amazing cakes were really good. The best chocolate sponge cake I've ever tasted decent and enjoyable Soft, light, and not too sweet. They provide a packet that includes candles, small forks & paper plates, and a knife. Service was excellent and fast I appreciate the effort and presentation, I would definitely suggest checking them out if you're in the area.
Located in downtown San Mateo, this Asian bakery features the typical baked goods as well as fusion pastries and cakes. Grab a tray and tongs, pick from the drawers, and line up to pay. Ask a staff member to purchase cakes. My order: Ube Mochi Danish ($4.65): +This reminded me more of a pineapple bun vs a danish, with its crunchy top & soft bread. +Ube was smooth and mochi was chewy -As someone who orders drinks w/reduced sweetness, I thought the bread was bland and could be a touch sweeter. -Unfortunately, they don't provide you with an actual bag or sleeve to hold your bread. My item was placed in a paper cone. Durian Pull Apart Bread ($6.20): +Even though there was a cloud of powdered sugar, it was surprisingly not too sweet! +The packaging was so cute with the cartoon & Chinese message. -I was expecting something lighter & fluffy, but it was on the denser side. It reminded me more of crumb cake than bread. -Lacked durian filling *My fave for durian buns is in SF Chinatown Side notes: 1.) Self-serve napkins and water 2.) Paper bags are 25 cents 3.) Indoor seating 4.) Walking distance from San Mateo Caltrain station *Verdict: I thought the items I tried looked better than they tasted, but if I was in the area, I wouldn't mind stopping by to try something else.
We love the durian cake of this. They stuff the inside and they made it so fresh. Much yum and I will come Back.
I cannot rave more about this pastry shop! My friend introduced me to this bakery and it's been my to-go for all things pastries and cakes. The prices are so reasonable and the shop itself is so beautifully designed and has limited seating. Their egg tarts are amazing and one of my favs is the snowy top bun. The taro bun is aesthetically pleasing and delicious and I can't forget their pineapple buns. The cakes are so pretty and it's nice that they have an online system to take orders now. From time to time, they have promotions with their gift cards. Right now for mother's day, they have a buy $50, get $55 or $100, get $115.
Quality/Quantity - What a cool discovery. Interesting pastries. We just had dinner at Mala Town Express and came here for dessert. Great selection and fully stocked and CRAZY busy! See all my pictures. I want to try so many things!! Just means I have to keep coming back! Some pastries I have never seen nor tried before. I'm excited. Ambiance - Small local business. Small seating area. One line to pay, not very user friendly, but probably because of this location being so small and you being so busy. Open 6 days a week from 10am to 9pm; closed on Mondays. Limited street parking but we parked blocks away; good thing we like to walk. Service - Self service. Price - Reasonable price, especially for the quality and selection. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2022.
My cake experience 1. Reasonably priced 2. I appreciate the cake being slightly sweet and fluffy 3. Customer service was exceptional. Someone called and gave me updates about my order. 4. The cake was wrapped in a very very nice box and it includes candle, mini fork, mini plates, and candles.
The cakes were really good. Soft, light, and not too sweet. Love that they have a 4" size cake available for order & their packaging is beautiful. They even provide a packet that includes candles, small forks & paper plates, and a cake knife. Complete package, will return to buy more birthday cakes in the future.
Got a mango mouse cake here and it was the best cake! Their durian crepe was just okay for me. But that mango mousse was not too sweet but definitely not bland. It had great mango flavor and the mouse and whipping cream tasted like cloud and melts in your mouth. Fantastic!!
Always a nice variety of pastries and savory treats. Their cakes are delicious and offered by the slice as well. Hygienic because you get tongs and pick your own pastry selections. Haven't had anything I have not liked so far. It's a nice bakery and very clean inside.
We ordered a birthday cake from Simply Cake in San Mateo and explained over the phone that we wanted "Happy Birthday Dad" written in Chinese. Instead, we received a cake that literally said "Happy Birthday DAD IN CHINESE!" in English. We honestly couldn't believe it when we opened the box. This was supposed to be a special birthday cake for dad, and the result was incredibly disappointing. Given the large Chinese community in the area, the request should hardly be unusual or unexpected request. At the very least, I would have expected someone to clarify the wording with us rather than literally writing "DAD IN CHINESE" on the cake. This is the kind of mistake that is utterly unacceptable should have been caught before the cake was handed to a customer. The photo speaks for itself. At this point, I feel like this was done deliberately to go viral or something. Unfortunately, this also isn't the first troubling experience we've heard about. A friend of ours ordered a cake from Simply Cake last year for his son's fifth birthday. When they went to pick it up the morning of the birthday, they were told the cake had not been made and that there was no paper trail of the order, even though he had brought the receipt. Needless to say, his five-year-old son ended up without his birthday cake on his birthday. And what were they offered afterward? 10% off their next cake. Ridiculous. Birthdays are special occasions that you don't get to redo the next day. Between our own experience and what happened to our friend, the lack of attention to these orders is extremely disappointing. read more
Business owner information
Tim X.
Hi Gary,…
We were passing by and decided to stop in to check out this bakery. It's brightly lit, and the setup reminded me a lot of a Wheatfield or Sheng Kee Bakery. If you're planning to pick up some sweets, just grab a tray while you peruse the bakery. There were lots of pastries, cakes, and desserts tempting us at every turn! I happened to see a staff member loading freshly made egg tarts into the case, so naturally, we had to grab one to try! EGG TART ~ I guess I'm just used to the flakier crust you typically find with egg tarts. This was more of a European-style version, with a crumbly crust more like the traditional tart crust you'd find on a fruit or berry tart. The filling was sweeter than I'm used to and less eggy in flavor. You can definitely tell there's food coloring in the bright yellow custard. Nonetheless, it satisfied my craving for a sweet treat! 4/5 After putting the egg tart on the tray, I wanted to grab a bun too, but my guy went straight to the cashier before I could add one. Next time, I'm definitely grabbing my own tray so I can take my time and try some of the other baked goodies! I guess he thought he was saving me from temptation!! Haha! Maybe next time! read more
Had to find a cake shop in San Mateo and wanted to try somewhere new I'd never gotten cake from before, and this place popped up! Omg, the moment I walked in, it smelled SO good. It honestly made me want to get all the pastries too I got the strawberry mousse cake, and the packaging is seriously so cute! Right in Downtown San Mateo too! Such a cute little find! read more
1 month ago
Love love love! Breads are fresh everyday, great flavor all around, and clean. Service is good, line typically goes by quick and has few tables inside. My favorite has to be their BBQ pork bun. Tender, chewy, and the inside for the pork was absolutely delicious. That one is a must try. read more
We stopped by Simply Cake and ordered two slices to try: the Chocolate Cake and the Mango Strawberry Cake. The chocolate cake was decent and enjoyable, but it didn't really stand out for us. It was okay, but nothing particularly memorable or special compared to other chocolate cakes we've tried. Unfortunately, the Mango Strawberry Cake was quite disappointing. I was really looking forward to the fruity flavor, but the mango pieces were unexpectedly hard and had a sour taste that didn't blend well with the cake. Instead of adding a fresh and sweet mango flavor, the texture and sourness took away from the overall experience. I appreciate the effort and presentation, but the flavors didn't meet my expectations, especially for the mango cake. Hopefully, it was just an off day because I would love to try their other offerings in the future. read more
19 days ago
Amazing cakes were really good. The best chocolate sponge cake I've ever tasted decent and enjoyable Soft, light, and not too sweet. They provide a packet that includes candles, small forks & paper plates, and a knife. Service was excellent and fast I appreciate the effort and presentation, I would definitely suggest checking them out if you're in the area. read more
Business owner information
Tim X.
Thank you, Amanda. We’re so happy you enjoyed the chocolate sponge…
1 month ago
Located in downtown San Mateo, this Asian bakery features the typical baked goods as well as fusion pastries and cakes. Grab a tray and tongs, pick from the drawers, and line up to pay. Ask a staff member to purchase cakes. My order: Ube Mochi Danish ($4.65): +This reminded me more of a pineapple bun vs a danish, with its crunchy top & soft bread. +Ube was smooth and mochi was chewy -As someone who orders drinks w/reduced sweetness, I thought the bread was bland and could be a touch sweeter. -Unfortunately, they don't provide you with an actual bag or sleeve to hold your bread. My item was placed in a paper cone. Durian Pull Apart Bread ($6.20): +Even though there was a cloud of powdered sugar, it was surprisingly not too sweet! +The packaging was so cute with the cartoon & Chinese message. -I was expecting something lighter & fluffy, but it was on the denser side. It reminded me more of crumb cake than bread. -Lacked durian filling *My fave for durian buns is in SF Chinatown Side notes: 1.) Self-serve napkins and water 2.) Paper bags are 25 cents 3.) Indoor seating 4.) Walking distance from San Mateo Caltrain station *Verdict: I thought the items I tried looked better than they tasted, but if I was in the area, I wouldn't mind stopping by to try something else. read more
4 months ago
We love the durian cake of this. They stuff the inside and they made it so fresh. Much yum and I will come Back. read more
7 days ago
Business owner information
Tim X.
Thank you for your feedback, Shirley. We’re sorry the wait felt…
I cannot rave more about this pastry shop! My friend introduced me to this bakery and it's been my to-go for all things pastries and cakes. The prices are so reasonable and the shop itself is so beautifully designed and has limited seating. Their egg tarts are amazing and one of my favs is the snowy top bun. The taro bun is aesthetically pleasing and delicious and I can't forget their pineapple buns. The cakes are so pretty and it's nice that they have an online system to take orders now. From time to time, they have promotions with their gift cards. Right now for mother's day, they have a buy $50, get $55 or $100, get $115. read more
Quality/Quantity - What a cool discovery. Interesting pastries. We just had dinner at Mala Town Express and came here for dessert. Great selection and fully stocked and CRAZY busy! See all my pictures. I want to try so many things!! Just means I have to keep coming back! Some pastries I have never seen nor tried before. I'm excited. Ambiance - Small local business. Small seating area. One line to pay, not very user friendly, but probably because of this location being so small and you being so busy. Open 6 days a week from 10am to 9pm; closed on Mondays. Limited street parking but we parked blocks away; good thing we like to walk. Service - Self service. Price - Reasonable price, especially for the quality and selection. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2022. read more
2 months ago
My cake experience 1. Reasonably priced 2. I appreciate the cake being slightly sweet and fluffy 3. Customer service was exceptional. Someone called and gave me updates about my order. 4. The cake was wrapped in a very very nice box and it includes candle, mini fork, mini plates, and candles. read more
23 days ago
The cakes were really good. Soft, light, and not too sweet. Love that they have a 4" size cake available for order & their packaging is beautiful. They even provide a packet that includes candles, small forks & paper plates, and a cake knife. Complete package, will return to buy more birthday cakes in the future. read more
2 months ago
Got a mango mouse cake here and it was the best cake! Their durian crepe was just okay for me. But that mango mousse was not too sweet but definitely not bland. It had great mango flavor and the mouse and whipping cream tasted like cloud and melts in your mouth. Fantastic!! read more
Business owner information
Tim X.
Hi Julienne!…
3 months ago
Always a nice variety of pastries and savory treats. Their cakes are delicious and offered by the slice as well. Hygienic because you get tongs and pick your own pastry selections. Haven't had anything I have not liked so far. It's a nice bakery and very clean inside. read more
My mom took us here . It's a nicely decorated bakery. I tried an egg tart and a matcha roll cake. Egg tart was ok . Would be nice if it's warm. The roll cake was very tasty and flavorful. The matcha had a hint of earl grey to me. The after taste lingered for some time. Restroom was not available at the time we were there. I would love to come back to try their cakes! read more
25 days ago
The cakes at simply cake are always a must grab! I have come here for my cakes for a while now and they're delicious, fluffy and flavorful every time! The service is always great, staff is always attentive and friendly. read more
Something for everyone! Sweet and savory items available and you can buy full cakes or slices. The cake was fluffy and perfectly sweetened. The location is perfect for dates in the downtown area, with many parking options near by and other restaurants and entertainment spots near by. Most items are self serve and you pay at the counter. There is seating available to enjoy your treats or snacks. read more
Got a very cute last minute cake for my niece's 2nd birthday on Super Bowl Sunday. We left it out on the table while we ate (an hour) and the eyes and cheeks started melting off :( The workers were helpful and kind which I always appreciate. They gave me a little kit with candles, small paper plates and tiny plastic forks. Cake itself was a white cake with fruit in the frosting. It was okay. Nothing special. The store is always busy so I definitely plan on trying this place again to see if their other cake flavors/ other pastries in general are more worth it. read more
4 months ago
Wow! We were surprised how good the mango cake that we got. They wrapped it so nicely. Also, they have different pastries that reminds me of 85 degrees. But this place is much better. read more
2 months ago
I ordered a fruit cake from here Cake was delicious with a lot of fresh fruits. Having mango among the fruit was the stand out thing. Cake was very soft. Cream was light and delicious. Packaging was perfect. They even provided plates, knife, fork and candles. Couldn't have packaged better. Shop had other delicious treats, which all looked excellent. I will have to try all of them. read more
1 month ago
I'm seriously obsessed with the pork bun roll! Everything here is so good--it's honestly way better than 85°C and Paris Baguette. Definitely my new favorite spot! read more
14 days ago
Was disappointed with the cake. Appearance is pretty much average fruit cake that you get from Chinese bakery. I expected a little bit more since it's $75 and it look totally different from the picture online. The fruit was small and didn't look that fresh. I put on the note that I didn't want raw mangoes and there was raw mangoes... super sour! Got the Hokkaido sponge cake because we wanted something different but it didn't taste anything special...just some yellow custard cream inside... plain and very light. I don't think I would order again if I want fruit cake coz there are better ones for less. read more
Business owner information
Tim X.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Chu. We’re…
1 month ago
The service was good. I was able to do earlier pickup. The matcha sponge cake was delicious. It was not sweet and soft. It was not expensive. I just wish it had more matcha taste. Overall, it was great. Highly recommended read more
3 months ago
Simplycake has easily become our go-to bakery in San Mateo, and we make sure to drop by whenever we are in the area. If it's your first time here, you absolutely have to get their pork sung roll--there is a reason it's their most popular item. It consistently hits the spot. They do not skimp on the ingredients at all; it's loaded with a generous amount of savory pork sung and packed with plenty of rich, creamy mayonnaise inside. The balance between the sweet, savory, and creamy textures works incredibly well. Beyond their famous rolls, we also regularly pick up their shortbread cookies and the Castella cake. Both are delicious. The shortbread cookies have a great, classic buttery crumble, while the Castella cake is wonderfully soft, airy, and has just the right subtle level of sweetness that pairs nicely with afternoon tea. We've also ordered their larger cakes for family birthdays, specifically trying out both the mango mousse and the matcha mousse cakes. While they weren't incredibly flavorful--the mango and matcha notes were actually a bit faint--they were still a hit because they weren't overly sweet and had a really nice, proper mousse texture. They are light and overall definitely above average for birthday cakes. The only downside is that the cashier line to pay can get quite long. Part of it is just because the shop is so popular, but it's also because the checkout process is a bit slow. The cashiers have to take extra time to bag everything up properly, using pieces of tape to secure the paper sleeves for the bread, since the wrappers are only sealed on two sides. Still, the quality here is always consistent, and everything we try is very well executed. read more
5 months ago
Great selection of baked goods and your typical Asian bakery fare. The line was a little confusing as it was in the middle of the store, but otherwise the process to check out was efficient. The place was pretty busy for a weekday afternoon, but it was clean and well lit which made for a smooth shopping experience. Everything was tasty and reasonably priced as well! read more
8 days ago
Business owner information
Tim X.
Thank you so much, Henry. We’re glad you enjoyed your visit and hope…
29 days ago
They made the mango mousse cake for a family member's birthday. Finally a cake that both adults and kids relish equally, not to mention it was a work of art. Despite having health aware partiers, the cake was all gone. read more
Business owner information
Tim X.
Hi Amrita- thank you so much for the kind words. we are so happy to…
1 year ago
***USP: cute little Asian style bakery in San Mateo downtown. Several varieties of cakes, pastries, breads, savory and sweet baked goodies. Prices seemed very reasonable as well. ***AMBIANCE: relatively small place with a bustling open kitchen and a few tables. Similar to other Asian bakeries, one can pickup a tray, tongs and pick their treats of choice by walking around. ***FOOD: Most of the items looked very fresh and tempting but I got the Portuguese egg tart, slices of mango mousse cake, chocolate mousse cake and tiramisu. I was not super impressed by the egg tart as it was heavy and the fat seeped through the bottom but the pastry slices were all delish! Mango mousse was sublime and smell of coffee in the tiramisu was intoxicating. I loved the hint of bitterness in the chocolate mousse cake. read more
Business owner information
Tim X.
Hi Pranathi!…
3 months ago
Ordered a sliced chestnut cake, sponge cake with filling of chestnut, wow, so soft and filling was plentiful, actually found a whole chestnut n pieces not just paste. Also had the small soufflé, it was smooth n creamy but portion was a bit small. The place was very clean n organized for a bakery, they had a lot of choices from cakes to buns to cookies. Stock was always being filled instead of empty shelves, yeah. Items seemed very fresh. Looking forward to trying other sweets. read more
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More info about Simply Cake
132 E 3rd Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
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(650) 348-2888
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http://www.simplycakebakery.com
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Ask the Community - Simply Cake
Do they sell mooncakes?? craving some lotus paste mooncakes!!!
Yes we do offer mooncakes during the mid autumn festival season! (They are currently available until 9/25 this year)
What does "celebration size" mean for cakes?
Great question. Celebration just means birthday cake sizing so think of a standard 6” or 8” round birthday cake. Our Hokkaido and sea salt sponge cakes and taro snowy cake are usually sold in a smaller cute dessert cup form so we use “celebration…
Is it possible to make a shredded pork bun without green onions?
Yes, if you order in multiples of 8! (8,16,24 etc..)
Will you have any new options created specifically for Chinese New Year?
We may have some new options for the next Chinese New Year but did not have any this year available.
Do the cakes have gelatin?
Our mousse cakes do contain gelatin however our sponge cakes do not.
Do you sell the Durian Mille as a slice?
Their cake slices vary from day to day but I've seen the Durian Mille in the display case.
Are there any gluten free options?
Currently our only gluten free option is our crème brûlée however we are working on creating more inclusive options!
I would like to order a mango cake and picking up today. I tried to call your store many time but no one pick up. Can I place my order here and pick it up at 5:30-6:00 pm?
Hi Jennifer, unfortunately we are not open today. Store hours can be seen on yelp as well as google. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Are there any delivery options?
We are now on DoorDash for delivery of all our products except for whole cakes!
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
17 reviews that are not currently recommended
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