Maison Bake Is Fancy by Name, Not by Nature

Hidden down one of Melbourne’s smallest laneways, Maison Bake is a new bakery from Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Lalita Punpanawan. After stints at Agathé Pâtisserie, Falco and Chéri, Punpanawan is well versed in the polished precision of Melbourne’s pastry scene. At Maison Bake, she’s taking a more homespun approach.  

“I don’t think Melbourne is missing a good bakery; we have plenty of those,” she says. “I feel like there’s an opportunity to create something different. I want to create more of a homey-style bakery that feels warm, feels welcoming, feels like handmade things.” 

Set in a two-storey brick building, the bakery occupies a tiny, hole-in-the-wall space, with an open kitchen behind the counter. Timber runs throughout the room, softened by rice-paper lighting that gives the compact space a warm, considered feel. Behind the counter, pastries are made in small batches of around 30, with fresh trays emerging throughout the day. 

On the counter, seasonal tarts sit beside sweet and savoury croissants and French-inspired pastries including madeleines and escargots. One highlight is the Cara Cara orange tart, balancing citrussy tang with a rich cream-cheese base. Another is the truffle bun, a flaky wheel of pastry layered with truffle butter and generously dusted with parmesan.

But Maison Bake’s unlikely signature is a drink: the pudding latte. Available alongside matcha lattes and peanut-butter cream coffees, it features a salted-caramel iced coffee topped with a soft, springy flan. Part coffee, part dessert, it sells out daily. 

“My background is as a pastry chef, but a barista as well,” Punpanawan says. “I just want to create something that connects both dessert and coffee. From the day that we started until now, we’ve sold out of pudding every day.”

Maison Bakes

28 Corrs Lane, Melbourne

No phone

Hours
Tue to Fri 9.30am–4pm

Sat & Sun 10.30am–4pm

@maisonbake_melbourne