This M’sian gave up a career in finance & HR to open her own chiffon cake bakery in PJ

For many, the corporate world offers a clear path to success—climb the ladder, secure the corner office, and reap the rewards. 

But for Renae, the allure of boardrooms and spreadsheets eventually gave way to the sweet aroma of freshly baked chiffon cakes.

Renae spent years in the corporate world.  She was a regional head of Finance and HR, based in Kuala Lumpur. She covered Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Beijing, during her job. Her work life was a whirlwind of travel, stress, and challenges, yet it was an experience she cherished. 

Amidst the corporate hustle, baking with her son became a hobby and a way to de-stress. Together, they baked everything from bread to cakes, nurturing Renae’s long-held dream of owning a bakery.

In 2019, Renae made a life-changing decision: she quit her corporate job to pursue her dream full-time. 

The inspiration for Pandanese came after tasting the renowned pandan chiffon cakes in Singapore when she travelled for her work. 

“My ex-colleagues told me they have the best chiffon cakes in Singapore, it’s like their national cake,” she told Vulcan Post.

And everything changed on that trip. There, she bit into a Pandan Chiffon cake that wasn’t like anything she’d ever tasted before.  

The cakes were a revelation—moist, flavourful, and made with natural ingredients like fresh pandan juice and coconut milk. Unlike the airy, dry, and artificial chiffon cakes Renae was used to, these cakes were a cut above, though they came with a hefty price tag of S$13-15 (around RM40).

“It is also famous among tourists, with Bengawan Solo being the market leader and available in Singapore’s Changi Airport. I do not see this trend in KL,” she noted.

Seeing an opportunity in Kuala Lumpur, where such premium chiffon cakes were absent, Renae began her journey. 

Encouraged by a CNN article that highly rated pandan chiffon, she spent six months perfecting her recipe through rigorous R&D.

In May 2020, she launched her first order, baking from home. Her son suggested the name Pandanese, and it stuck, perfectly capturing the essence of her venture.

Filling the gap in the F&B scene

Pandanese aims to fill a unique niche in Malaysia’s saturated F&B industry by specialising in premium chiffon cakes made with quality, natural ingredients. 

“It was challenging because I started selling a plain one at RM30 for an 8” big cake, while the market was selling approximately at RM10 or less for half my size,” Renae explained. 

Convincing customers of the value of her cakes took time, but they soon returned, appreciating the natural taste, less sweetness, and moist texture of Pandanese’s offerings.

The cakes at Pandanese are crafted with natural flavourings like fresh pandan juice, fresh orange juice with zest, lemon, and blue pea water for the popular pastel blue lychee cake. 

Renae moved from home baking to a proper shop in Petaling Jaya in September 2020, needing more space and equipment to meet growing demand and expand her product range.

From plain chiffon cakes to birthday cakes and mini chiffons, Pandanese now offers a variety of over 10 flavours. 

The mini chiffon cakes, slightly bigger than a doughnut, have become a bestseller. Customers love their cuteness and the variety of flavours available in gift boxes. 

For birthday cakes, Renae uses chiffon as the base, fully frosted or half-naked to meet different preferences. 

Popular flavours include pandan, lychee, Earl Grey, strawberry, chocolate, and mango.

“Our cakes are always quoted as so cute, so beautiful, not sweet, fresh, moist, natural, too cute to be eaten,” Renae said with a smile. 

She constantly improves the cakes, ingredients, packaging, and services, ensuring Pandanese remains—if not the only specialised chiffon cake shop in Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia—a go-to for chiffon cakes.

Adapting to trends and customer needs

Over the past four years, Pandanese has shifted focus from solely online sales with delivery to welcoming more walk-in customers and offering a cosy dine-in experience in Petaling Jaya.

Starting with two workers, Renae now employs three, keeping up with the demand. 

The trend has evolved from whole cakes to gift boxes containing mini cakes in various flavours. “Mini chiffons are available in individual boxes or gift boxes that can contain two, four or six mini chiffons,” she noted. 

Despite the popularity of gift boxes, whole cakes remain highly sought after, and bulk orders for mini chiffon as corporate gifts are common.

“The biggest order to date was to produce 220 mini chiffon for a private school as a gift to their teachers and staff.”

“I have also created many designs and different versions for festivals like CNY, Christmas and Raya, and for occasions like Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day,” she said.

Maintaining quality and consistency is crucial as production scales up. Renae combines machine and handmade processes, ensuring each cake’s texture is perfect. 

“Chiffon cakes are very sensitive to heat; we monitor the baking time and temperature closely,” she explained.

Renae stays abreast of consumer trends through social media, drawing inspiration from Korea, Japan, and China. 

Her R&D process involves experimenting with flavours, shapes, textures, icing, fruits, and decorations. Sometimes, customer requests spark new creations. 

The pastel colours of her cakes are a happy accident, resulting from using natural ingredients. “When the flavouring agent is natural, the colour of the cake becomes lighter in shade, hence the pastel shade,” Renae explains. 

Challenges and growth

“It was very costly when I had to buy quality ingredients and packaging in low quantities in the beginning,” Renae recalled. 

Over the years, prices for ingredients and packaging have risen, pushing Renae to drive sales and order in bulk to be cost-effective. 

She runs campaigns on Grabfood, offers discounts on her website, and regularly updates social media to improve visibility. A feature by Malaysia Food and Travels (MFT) in 2023 brought in more followers and new customers, she said.

Renae’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is simple yet powerful. She emphasises finding passion in your work and persevering through challenges. 

“It is important to identify your USP in the products you want to sell to sustain. Do not compromise the quality, be realistic with your customers, and do not over-promise,” she added.

Content with the current position of Pandanese, Renae prioritises work-life balance and has no immediate growth plans.

Pandanese, with its focus on quality, natural ingredients, and customer satisfaction, has carved a sweet niche in the F&B scene.

Featured Image Credit: Pandanese