[Try It] Sweet Strawberry Disaster... Affordable Christmas Cake Under 10,000 Won

Patisserie 'Strawberry Ssukdaebat Cake'
Uses 20-30 Strawberries per Cake
Price 19,900 Won... Lowered Price through Integrated Sourcing

With Christmas approaching next month and cake prices soaring sky-high, a Christmas strawberry cake priced in the 10,000 won range has been released. The star of the show is the 'Strawberry Ssukdaebat Cake' launched by Frangerie in mid-November. This cake, offered by Frangerie, a bakery specialty store operated by E-Land Eats, is priced at 19,900 won. Considering that cake prices have mostly increased compared to last year due to rising costs of raw materials and other inflation factors, this price is definitely affordable compared to strawberry cakes from major franchise bakeries.

Strawberry Ssukdaepat Cake from Frangerie. Photo by Lee Myunghwan

Especially when taking into account the recent sharp rise in strawberry prices, this is a more reasonable price point. This year, abnormal weather conditions have continued, causing winter seasonal strawberry prices to rise due to poor harvests. According to the Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation, as of the 27th of this month, the average price for a 1kg box of premium-grade strawberries (Geumsil variety) is 43,696 won. The average price for the same weight of premium-grade strawberries (Seolhyang variety) is 19,462 won. E-Land Eats explained that through collaboration with its affiliate E-Land Farm & Food, they were able to purchase strawberries in bulk directly from production areas along with other affiliates, thereby lowering the purchase price.

When opening the cake box for tasting, the first thing that caught the eye was the enormous amount of strawberries. True to its name 'Ssukdaebat' (meaning a place overrun with something), multiple whole strawberries were piled like a mountain in the center of the cake. The product name 'Ssukdaebat' was inspired by the appearance of the fruit seemingly overflowing. Just the visible number of strawberries appeared to be at least 20 or more. According to Frangerie, each Strawberry Ssukdaebat Cake uses an average of 20 to 30 strawberries depending on the size of the fruit. This is noticeably more than the roughly 10 strawberries used in strawberry cakes from major bakery brands.

The cake has a diameter of 13 cm, making it a suitable size for 2 to 3 adults to share as a snack. After removing the coated wrapping paper around the cake, a fresh cream cake supporting the strawberries was revealed. The cake contains fresh cream and strawberry syrup, harmonizing well with the strawberries. Perhaps because there were already so many strawberries on top, there were no strawberries between the cake layers.

Because there were so many strawberries, cutting the cake for tasting was not easy. The strawberries were packed so tightly that there was barely any space to slice with a knife. After some difficulty cutting the cake, the first bite revealed a strong strawberry aroma. Thanks to the fresh strawberries placed on top, the natural flavor of the strawberry could be fully enjoyed, with the sweetness of ripe strawberries spreading in the mouth. The Strawberry Ssukdaebat Cake uses domestically grown strawberries from Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do. The strawberry varieties used include Geumsil and Janghee, depending on the cultivation period and condition of the strawberries.

Since fresh strawberries and fresh cream are used as ingredients, it is advisable to consume the cake quickly after purchase or store it refrigerated. Due to the nature of the ingredients, leaving it at room temperature for a long time risks spoilage. Frangerie also follows the principle of producing and selling cake products on the same day.

Meanwhile, Frangerie is accepting pre-orders for 10 types of Christmas season cakes, including the Strawberry Ssukdaebat, until December 18. Christmas cakes ordered through pre-orders can be picked up at Frangerie stores starting December 20.

Strawberry Ssukdaepat Cake sold by E-Land Eats' Frangerie. Provided by E-Land Eats