French pastry baker Raphaelle Garwood — owner of Fancy French Cakes — has loved baking since she was a child. She fondly remembers baking basic cakes with her mother in southern France.
“I started baking from when I was a child, but perfected my techniques as I grew up,” she says.
Baking was a longtime hobby for Garwood, but she became more invested in it once she met her husband. At the time, Garwood had moved to Paris after finishing law school to start a career in banking.
“He was taking a three-month pastry class with Le Cordon Bleu,” she says. “He would share the techniques and recipes (with me); we got into it, and every week, we tried a new bakery, a new recipe.
“From then, I got really passionate about pastry and self-learned from all online recipes and tutorials,” she adds. “When you are passionate, there are so many resources online to help develop skills.”
While working in banking, Garwood was regularly baking for friends and colleagues, who encouraged her to turn her passion into a career. She recalls wanting to start her own pastry business since 2012.
“Living in Paris — where a world-class bakery sits on every corner — I lacked the self-confidence to compete in such a crowded space," she says. "I felt like an outsider to the industry."
Fast-forward 12 years. About two years ago, the couple moved to Oʻahu; Garwood says her husband lived here before and always wanted to come back. She looked into bakery positions and worked briefly at Halekulani Bakery. Although it didn’t work out long term, it was instrumental in Garwood’s process of launching her own business.
“I always thought baking in my kitchen was something way different than baking in a commercial setting,” she explains. “It is different, in a way, but I was thinking, ‘Maybe they’re going to tell me my techniques were not good.’ But it gave me a lot of confidence that I’m doing it right; it’s just faster because you’re in a commercial environment, but the techniques remain the same.
“At Halekulani Bakery, working alongside an incredible team and mastering their iconic coconut cake was transformative,” she adds. “It took moving across the world to finally realize that my talent was real and ready to be shared.”
Garwood looked into the necessary steps to creating her own business, and officially started Fancy French Cakes in February. She currently bakes from a certified commercial kitchen in Kalihi.
“The name is a promise of exactly what I offer: authentic French savoir-faire (craftsmanship) right here in Hawaiʻi,” she says. “I noticed a niche for traditional French cakes made by a French baker — an experience for those who want to be transported to a Parisian patisserie.”
For Garwood, coming up with a menu for her new business was easy. She chose to start with her two favorite desserts from childhood — the Opera cake and walnut success. She features traditional techniques and flavors, and strives to incorporate locally sourced ingredients when possible.
The Opera cake features eight layers of delicate almond sponge soaked in coffee syrup, coffee buttercream, a dark chocolate ganache, and a dark chocolate glaze on top. Garwood recently tried Honokaʻa Chocolate from Hawaiʻi Island and decided to start baking the Opera cakes with it starting in August.
“While you can occasionally find an Opera cake elsewhere, it is rarely the authentic, meticulous recipe of its original creator,” she says. “As for the walnut success, it was impossible to find on the Island until now.”
Garwood explains that the walnut success is a dessert inspired by French pastry chef Gaston Lenotre. It features nutty meringue layers with a rich buttercream with premium organic walnuts, delivering a nice crunch with airy textures.
“I believe in uncompromising quality and staying true to original flavors,” she explains. “I want readers to know that they don’t need to travel for an authentic French cake boutique experience; I am bringing that level of artistry directly to Honolulu. These are complex, labor-intensive pieces of craftsmanship that require hours of technical skill and patience.”
As the business grows, Garwood plans to add seasonal items to the menu. She recently added a caramel pecan tart to the line-up; she explains that, while pecan isn’t necessarily French, the recipe she used is from a French chef.
“It (the caramel pecan tart) features a handcrafted pate sucree — a traditional sweet pastry crust that is more refined than a standard pie crust,” she says. “The feedback has been incredible; the caramel pecan tart has been a surprise hit.
“One of the most rewarding compliments I receive is that people are impressed by how deep and authentic the flavors are, without the desserts being overly sweet,” she adds.
The tart’s handcrafted French pate sucree shell is filled with toasted pecans coated with caramel. Garwood recommends pairing it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or unsweetened whipped cream.
Since she doesn’t have a storefront, Garwood accepts pastry orders online. Multiple box options, ranging from four-piece ($40) to nine-piece variety boxes ($90) are available, giving customers the option to try a sampler of pastries.
“Since I started, I realized not many people necessarily buy the whole cake,” Garwood says.
Garwood also receives order inquiries through Instagram direct message. She currently offers weekly delivery to specific Honolulu zip codes and can arrange convenient pre-set pick-up locations. Her goal is to have her desserts available for wholesale by partnering with other business owners.
“I am working on wholesale partnerships to make my cakes more accessible to local cake lovers,” she says. “I’m not looking to scale up as a brick and mortar; I want to keep it small.
“When you order from me, you aren’t just getting a dessert; you’re receiving a unique piece of work,” Garwood adds. “I find serenity in the precision of a recipe and the creation of a beautiful product. To me, each cake is a piece of art designed for the pleasure of the eyes and the mouth.”
CONTACT
Fancy French Cakes
fancyfrenchcakes.square.site/
Instagram: @fancy_french_cakes
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
