The award-winning baker who shuns trends to serve up local treats from her heartland kitchen
The award-winning baker who shuns trends to serve up local treats from her heartland kitchen
At 8am, Cake in Action welcomes a steady flow of regulars eyeing donuts, chicken floss buns and Swiss rolls. The customers seem unaware that behind their favourite bakes is a world champion.
Ms Joanne Huang,44, was crowned Confectioner of the Year at the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners Awards 2025 in Brazil.
She is the first Singaporean and Southeast Asian woman to win the title.
It was a feat made even more impressive given that her baking experience spans just over a decade and she faced stiff competition including top pastry chefs from Europe.
"It was an unexpected surprise – I really didn't think I'd get it,” she said of the recognition.
Originally from Taiwan, Ms Huang was a hip-hop dance teacher. She moved to Singapore when she got married in 2012.
The 44-year-old slips seamlessly between the roles of baker, wife and mother to three children.
Her journey as a baker began almost by accident. In 2014, she secretly learnt baking in Taiwan to ease her husband’s burden.
Ms Huang caters to local fondness for “simple” bakes but also found ways to bring Taiwanese flavours into the mix.
Rather than basking in the glow of the global award, Ms Huang seems far more content to focus on the humdrum tempo of her little bakery.
