Meet Delcie Lam, Singapore’s pioneer of allergy-friendly cakes
As Singapore’s National Day on 9 August approaches, we meet some of the passionate local creatives keeping Singapore’s heritage alive and giving traditional pastimes a modern twist – one bite, brushstroke, and stitch at a time. First up, Delcie Lam of Delcie’s Desserts.
“Holding onto a sense of identity and tradition matters deeply”
Delcie Lam is the founder of Delcie’s Desserts and Cakes, a shop specialising in vegan, allergy-safe, and diabetic-friendly sweet treats.
“I was just 12 when I won a cake mixer at a grassroots dinner lucky draw. It was second prize, and to me, it was magic – like the universe handed me a sign and opened a whole new world. I started experimenting in the kitchen, baking for my family and friends. That cake mixer wasn’t just a machine – it was an invitation to create, give joy, and eventually, to heal through food.
Left: Delcie with her mum who passed in 2009 Right: Delcie and her daughter looking through old family photos
I made the leap from advertising into health-conscious baking in 2008. At the same time that I was on a sabbatical to recover from some health issues, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Watching her struggle to eat during chemo, and seeing how the ‘treats’ we were used to were suddenly unsuitable for someone so ill, broke me. I searched everywhere for a cake she could eat for her 50th birthday – no dairy, no sugar – and I couldn’t find one. In the end, she blew out a candle on a birthday cake she couldn’t even touch. It tore at my heart. That’s when I realised I wanted to create desserts that even someone with the strictest dietary needs could enjoy. My sabbatical became my second chance.
Safe, inclusive desserts
When I first started Delcie’s Desserts and Cakes, it was in a little bubble tea shop in Bishan that closed every Thursday. I noticed the kitchen wasn’t being used on that day, and asked the owner if I could rent it once a week. I never saw myself as someone trying to make it big in business; I just wanted to make cakes that people with health needs could safely enjoy, without feeling left out of life’s sweet moments.
Delcie’s has been called Singapore’s first bakery to offer vegan, allergy-friendly, and diabetic-friendly cakes. We were the first bakery awarded the Healthier Choice Symbol by Health Promotion Board (HPB), and one of the first to be certified Low-GI. When I first introduced the idea of cakes without eggs, dairy, or refined sugar in Singapore 17 years ago, people looked at me like I was crazy. Veganism was not common, and food allergies were misunderstood. Many thought I was just trying to ride a trend, but there was no trend back then. I worked with regulators, dietitians, and food scientists to help set the health standards.
Initially, one of the biggest challenges was ingredient sourcing. There weren’t many suppliers in Singapore carrying what I needed, and most allergy-safe products had to be imported at a high cost. On top of that, I had no recipes to follow. But I didn’t give up because I saw the difference my baking could make. I watched children with allergies finally able to have their first birthday cake, and diabetic grandparents tear up because they could enjoy dessert with their family. People started coming to me not because they had no choice, but because they chose to eat better. The harder it got, the clearer my mission became: to make inclusive desserts that still taste indulgent. It’s the promise Delcie’s was built on – and what continues to drive us.
Right: Delcie’s Mother’s and Father’s Day creations.
Nostalgia & innovation
Today, Delcie’s desserts break boundaries, but still honour the form and spirit of traditional baking. I think of it as having one foot in the past and one in the future. There’s a joy in traditional cakes – whether it’s the buttery richness of a sugee cake or the soft fluffiness of a pandan chiffon. These are flavours and textures that live in our memories. I don’t want to erase them, I want to honour them.
I think when people hear ‘traditional trades’ such as cake-making, they sometimes imagine old-fashioned, outdated skills. But for me, what I do is a craft – it’s balancing nostalgia, innovation, and storytelling through food. It connects us to where we came from, to our elders, and to our family celebrations. In a fast-moving place like Singapore, where trends come and go quickly, holding onto a sense of identity and tradition matters deeply.
I do a lot of reverse-engineering. I break down the science of why a traditional recipe works the way it does, then I rebuild it using plant-based, low-GI, and allergy-safe ingredients. For example, when I recreated our pineapple tart without eggs, butter, cane sugar, or wheat flour, it took months of testing. I had to swap ingredients while preserving its essence: the crumbly texture, fruit fragrance, and that beautiful golden hue.
Looking ahead, I believe the future of food isn’t just about plant-based or healthier trends – it’s about empathy. It’s about understanding that food is deeply emotional, cultural, and personal. Standout creations at Delcie’s are our baby’s first birthday cakes and Mother’s Day creations. I also enjoy the challenge of local flavour reinterpretations, like our gula melaka pandan, and durian cakes.
As Singapore turns 60, I’ve been working on a cake that honours both our nation’s progress and our roots. It’s not just a tribute to the country but to the people who built it, especially the everyday Singaporean who makes small but powerful choices daily, like choosing healthier food for their families. It’s a cake that represents not just Singapore at 60, but all of us who’ve been growing and evolving alongside her.”
34 Whampoa West, #01-83, 330034
delciesdesserts.com