The past couple of days proved to be chaotic ones in the F&B world. Standalone shops selling predominantly beverages — such as bubble tea, packaged and loose snacks (popcorn, nuts, bak kwa), desserts like doughnuts, cookies, ice cream, yogurt, plus cake shops — were labelled non-essential by the government and ordered to close with effect from 22 April, till a tentative date of 4 May. This, along with a one-month extension of the Circuit Breaker till 1 June to battle the burgeoning Covid-19 cases in Singapore.

Even affected businesses with licensed central kitchens cannot do online sales and delivery if their primary category of food falls under “cakes and confectionery, chocolate and chocolate products, chips, crackers and other tidbits, ice-cream and non-chocolate confectionery”.

Stalls selling hot snacks like Old Chang Kee are still allowed to operate, but others such as Bengawan Solo, Lana Cakes, Patisserie Cle, Lucia Cakes, Tarte By Cheryl Koh, Patisserie Glace etc, aren’t.

*Information correct at press time — details may change as bakeries get better clarity from the authorities. All photos cannot be reproduced without permission.

And then there are shop proprietors who remain unsure of what’s allowed and what’s not under the rather ambiguous, wide-ranging new regulations. An initial Q&A on the government-run website covid.gobusiness.gov.sg said bakeries selling predominately breads, but that also offer some cakes, are permitted to sell their entire menu. However, by 23 April, a day after this article was first published, a new rule had emerged: bakeries can only continue to manufacture and sell breads, not sweet stuff. They're allowed to sell their existing cake inventory but not produce fresh ones for the next couple of weeks. But here's where it gets especially confusing: big boys like BreadTalk, Paris Baguette and Pine Garden (whose AMK HQ which sells breads) are only offering their current cakes till 26 April, or while stocks last. However, standalone indie bake shops like Edith Patisserie say they've been granted exemptions by the Ministry of Trade & Industry to continue selling cakes for delivery. Meanwhile, owner-baker Jane Chung of The Plain Jane café in Serangoon, which sells roll cakes, shares: “I’m still in the midst of clarifying if I can continue to operate the café as there are a lot of grey areas. But I’m going to close shop for these few days until I’m certain”.

We can only speculate: perhaps solo stores with with its minimally staffed kitchens whipping up several cakes for delivery are deemed okay vs large central kitchens powered by numerous employees churning out hundreds of (non-essential) sweet treats daily for several outlets?

Another interesting two loopholes: cafes that serve both cakes and savoury food are allowed to sell its entire menu. And businesses that import and sell cakes from overseas without having to produce them in Singapore are allowed to continue selling them via delivery. So yes, you can get speciality cakes for when being holed up at home 24/7 is driving you so insane you need a cupcake like, now. Or when you wanna order a whole cake to celebrate a birthday, or to send your lonely, lovely ma for Mother’s Day on 10 May. Here's our list of businesses selling more than decent cakes by the slice or whole (accurate at press time, we’ll update it as we go along). Lord knows we all need some sweet relief in our paused lives now.

Cheesecake fiends, rejoice. The popular sweet treats brand, which opened in Otaru, Hokkaido, in 1998, is still offering islandwide delivery even though its physical stores are closed. Why? Because it imports its cakes already baked and assembled from Hokkaido that don't have to be produced here. So go nuts ordering their signature chilled Double Fromage Cheesecake and Chocolate Double ($28 for 12cm), or the Mother’s Day-appropriate seasonal special, Berry Fromage $35 for 12cm), a sweet pink confection made with strawberries and raspberries from Japan (available till mid-May).

Call/WhatsApp 8799-3551 or Facebook message to order. Order via delivery (free with minimum order of $85 otherwise, $20 delivery fee islandwide) here: http://www.letaosg.com/menu/

Photo: LeTAO

This Tokyo-born brand is brought to you by the same folks behind fellow Japanese brand LeTao. Both its rich cheesy cookies plus cakes, including the new Tiramisu Cheesecake ($34.90 for 12cm), are available for island-wide delivery though their physical stores are closed for now. They’re also given the green light to continue operating ’cos their products are imported from Japan and not produced here. The compact disc stars coffee sponge cake filled with cheese mousse made from Hokkaido cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. It’s sprinkled with a generous coat of coffee cake crumbs for texture. Might as well throw in a packet of the signature Salt & Camembert Cookies (from $13.80 for 10 pcs) and the Singapore-exclusive flavour of Salted Caramel & Mascarpone Cookies ($18.80 for 10 pcs), too.

Call/WhatsApp 9248-8476 or Facebook message to order. Free delivery with minimum order of $85, otherwise $20 delivery fee islandwide). http://www.tokyomilkcheesesg.com/menu/

Photo: Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory

This independent bake shop partnered with 11 Hamilton cafe since last July. The cafe serves largely brunchy plates like grilled sarnies and omelettes, along with slices of cake from In The Brickyard (which also sells them whole for pre-order). ITBY founder Phua Jia Min tells us a day after this article was published: We were given an exemption and allowed to continue operating initially. But we're a bit confused right now if we can go ahead with selling our cakes or not. We just want a straight yes or no, so we're awaiting further confirmation from MTI . If the green light is given, then definitely consider their “fluffy chiffon whole cakes”, many in localised flavours such as the best-selling Ondeh Ondeh and this Pulut Hitam (from $45.00 for 5.5-inch cake), featuring pandan chiffon sandwiched with homemade pulut hitam “slowly simmered down for hours”. It’s coated with coconut buttercream and shredded coconut. You can also order assorted flavours by the slice if it’s just a casual treat you crave (from $15 for two slices).

Self-pickup or order via delivery (fee $4 or $25, depending on preferred time slot) here: https://www.inthebrickyard.com/

Photo: In The Brickyard

You’ve probably seen an outlet of this well-loved Japanese dessert chain from Yamanshi Prefecture in your neighbourhood local mall. While all their Singapore shops (over 20) have been ordered to close for the Circuit Breaker period — one branch remains open based on a technicality. Châteraisé’s stall at Isetan Scotts is allowed to still operate because it’s located within a supermarket (which it supplies its cakes to), deemed an essential service. For now at least — who knows? The rules keep changing by the day. So this means you can drop by during a grocery run to grab yummies like its best-selling, hilariously named Legendary Fresh Cream Cake ($5.10 per slice; $40 for 18cm). The fluffy sponge cake is layered with cream, fresh Japanese strawberries and a layer of berry jam. Or the White Zebra ($5.10 per slice; $45 for 17cm) crepe cake and Crispy Chocolate ($4.70 per slice; $40 for 17cm) one. The brand is currently working on an online and delivery platform so you can get their cakes delivered to your doorstep pronto. Why is this allowed when other confectioners like Bengawan Solo aren’t? Simply because Châteraisé’s cakes aren’t manufactured in Singapore — they’re imported already baked and frozen from Japan. So this means no extra manpower is needed to prepare cakes from scratch.

*Update: Several hours after this article was posted, Châteraisé was ordered to shut its Isetan Scotts stand. However, it is likely to continue operations via online sales, pending confirmation from the authorities. Watch this space for updates.

Photo: Châteraisé

This minimalist rustic-chic small chain of cafés is most famous for its sweet bakes. So how come it’s allowed to remain open? Because it also sells savoury food like sandwiches, soups, salads and yummy tarts (even pastas at its flagship Tiong Bahru outlet). While most people buy their cupcakes, what we really love here is the comforting and fragrant Blueberry Loaf Slice ($5) and the wonderfully rich Rosemary Butter Tea Cake Slice ($8.50).

Order takeaway or via delivery (free with minimum order of $95 or a $15 fee is charged) here: https://plainvanilla.com.sg/. Also available via Deliveroo, GrabFood or Foodpanda.

Photo: Plain Vanilla

Ah, this too-cool-for-school foliage-filled Aussie-style designer-friendly café that has been attracting hipsters even before the term hipsters was born. Like many others, we enjoy chilling at its beautifully decorated cafes, eating oversized, decadent Aussie-ish desserts (more so than their hit-or-miss hot meals) like our fave steamed Ginger Pudding and Banana & Mango Crumble. For delivery/takeout now, there are cakes and tarts, like this too-large-for-one person to finish slice of sinfully rich Double Chocolate Blackout Cake ($17.12) drowning in choc sauce. It’s the cake to eat when you’re feeling sad and need a heavy dose of chocolate to blot out all those negative thoughts.

Order takeaway or via delivery (GrabFood, Deliveroo, FoodPanda and soon — Oddle) here: https://www.pscafe.com/​​​​​​​

Photo: PS.Cafe

This Instagram-famous bakery (its account @edithpatisserie boasts 88.4K followers) churns out beautiful, whimsical customised layered cakes. It said via an email reply: “We will continue to be operational during the extended circuit-breaker till 1 June 2020 as we have been granted a general exemption from suspension from MTI (Ministry of Trade & Industry).” They’ve not responded to 8 DAYS’s query on why they’ve received this exemption yet. Meanwhile, if Edith does indeed have permission to continue operating, you can try its celebration cakes like this luscious Pandan Coconut Gula Melaka Cake (from $50 for six inches). Or smaller but still delish treats like the Mini Lemon Loaves ($24 for six), soft, citrusy sponge cakes smothered in a tangy drizzle.

*Update: A day after this article was published, Edith announced on its website that it's no longer taking orders till June 1, following further govt notice regarding the extended circuit breaker & to follow their social media a/c for updates.

Order takeaway or via delivery (free with minimum order of $150 or $15 delivery fee islandwide) here: https://www.edithpatisserie.com/.

Photo: Edith Patisserie

Grub café in Bishan park is a familiar fave of families as well as millennials who enjoy their brunchy food like burgers and waffles. Alas, while the Bishan outlet has to be closed this CB period (eateries in parks cannot remain open), its Balestier brunch still offers, uh, grub for takeout and delivery. We recently tried its Kaya Burnt Cheesecake ($10.50 per slice; $80 a 2kg cake) and, damn, it was unexpectedly… great. Lemak with coconut milk and generously perfumed with pandan leaf, its richness counterpointed by the piquant, squishy cheese. We’d readily order a whole cake for a kaya-crazy loved one. Or let’s be real — ourselves.

Order takeaway or via delivery (free with minimum order of $50 or $10 is charged) here: https://grub.com.sg/delivery/

Photo: Grub

Cleverly named outfit Ten Butter Fingers is a huge hit among foodies in the know. It’s run by home-based baker Jenny, who’s a corporate trainer by day — she says home bakers have been granted permission by the authorities to continue selling desserts. Her light cream cakes in flavours like yuzu (currently not in season) and the feathery, not-too-sweet signature Strawberry Shortcake (from S$85.00 for 6 inches) are the most sought after. She has also introduced a seasonal cake “for some good cheer” during this stay-home period: the “light, spongy and airy” Earl Grey Tea Cake with strawberries and cream (from $90.00 for six inches). Because Jenny works only with her daughter, order slots are limited, so fastest fingers first.

*Update: Hours after this article was posted, MTI changed its regulations on home baking businesses. Ten Butter Fingers is halting all new orders until it receives further clarification from the authorities.

Order via whatsapp at 9731-2267 or https://tenbutterfingers.oddle.me/en_SG. All prices include delivery for now as Ten Butter Fingers “will be absorbing part of the delivery cost during these difficult times”.

Photo: Ten Butter Fingers

What can we say, save for the fact that we love Bakery Brera? We adore its excellent cruffins, flaky croissants, delightful hot cross buns, buttery brioche loaf, and now — its recently introduced Basque Burnt Cheesecake ($7.30 a slice; $60 whole). While the matcha and hojicha flavours are not bad, the classic one is unbeatable. Its oozy, lush mouthfeel is on point. So too the tang of the cream cheese blend counterpointed by the faintly bitter notes from the burnt surface that looks scarily chao tar but tastes almost caramelly. Definitely worth ordering a slice or the entire eight-inch cake for a picker-upper.

*Update: Two days after this article was posted, Brera was informed it can now only sell its cakes in-store till 26 April, while stocks last.

Order online at bakerybrera.com for self pick-up or self-arranged delivery. For enquiries, email: order.brera [at] gmail.com or call 6492-5428.

Photo: Florence Fong

We recently wrote about chef-owner Pang Kok Keong of European patisserie Antoinette and his donation of 20 loaves of bread daily to charity during the Circuit Breaker. He, too, is allowed to continue running his flagship Penhas Road outlet because it also serves savoury meals like pasta and meat dishes. For sweets, you can still tapow or order the café’s full range of sophisticated mod French mousse cakes, tarts and whole cakes. Such as the fluffy and light Strawberry Shortcake or this Velvet Rouge ($10 small; $47.20 for six-inch), an atas red velvet cheesecake with walnut chocolate fudge.

Order takeaway or via delivery (minimum order of $55 with $8 delivery charge islandwide) here: https://antoinette.oddle.me/

Photo: Antoinette

Baker and Cook, founded by genial kiwi bread maestro Dean Brettschneider, is a chain of bakery-cafes beloved by expats. It hawks all manner of European-inspired loaves like sourdough, baguettes and the tasty soy linseed bread. The always busy cafes also serve pies, sarnies, salads, egg dishes, pancakes and more. Their line of cakes are homely six-inch rounds in flavours like this Deluxe Chocolate ($36), Lemon Passionfruit Cheesecake and Carrot Cake. The petite sizes make them good for small family treats.

Order via delivery (free with minimum order of $200, otherwise $15 delivery fee islandwide) here: https://www.bakerandcook.biz/. Also available via Deliveroo and Foodpanda.

Photo: Baker and Cook

This quaint Teck Chye Terrace establishment, run by, ahem, two bakers, is popular for its European-style pastries. Luckily for it in these times, the café also serves a range of brunch and lunch plates like egg and pasta dishes and are thus allowed to stay open during the Circuit Breaker. On its dessert menu, there are elegant confections like the Goma ($8 small; $58 for 18cm), comprising black sesame, salted caramel, matcha sponge, chocolate sable tart and snow powder. Also for your special occasion dessert consideration: its speciality buttercream cakes (from $80 for six inches).

Order takeaway or via delivery (free with orders above $100; delivery fee $5 islandwide with minimum spend of $30) here: https://two-bakers.com/. Also available via Deliveroo, GrabFood or Foodpanda.

Photo: Two Bakers

Wholesome café-bakery chain Cedele needs no introduction. While we find their savoury food like sandwiches, soups and grain bowls middling at times, some of their cakes are a pleasure to eat. Such as this soft, dense Carrot Walnut Cake ($7.50 a slice; $56 whole) and the aromatic, moist Pandan Ogura Cake & Pandan Gula Melaka Cake.

*Update: Days after this article was posted, Cedele was informed it can only sell its cakes till 26 April, while stocks last (pending its appeal to continue offering sweet bakes during the CB).

Order takeaway or via delivery (minimum spend of $30; delivery fee of $10 per location) here: https://www.cedelemarket.com.sg/​​​​​​​

Photo: Cedele

Most definitely not from Paris (it’s from Korea), but charming all the same. This Seoul-born bakery-café chain sells a whole gamut of breads like garlicky crusty baguettes to pillowy buns stuffed with red bean, and also cutesy, crowd-friendly, fluffy fresh cream cakes that most Asians can’t resist. Good news is that you can still order their cakes as it is prepared onsite in the outlets that fall within operations that are allowed during this period. We think the light and refreshing fruit-filled Fresh Yoghurt Cream Cake ($52 whole) is lovely for a birthday cake. Or their recent addition, the Mother's Day Strawberry Blossom Cake ($55 whole). This vanilla sponge cake is layered with fresh cream, topped with sweet strawberries and decorative flowers which makes it the perfect Mother's Day gift. Pre-orders for the Mother's Day cake start from 27 April and will only be available for takeaway/delivery from 8 May onwards.

Order takeaway or via delivery (free with minimum order of $50; $10 fee for orders below that) here: https://www.parisbaguettesg.com/. Also available via FoodPanda, GrabFood & Deliveroo.

Photo: Paris Baguette

Your ubiquitous heartland mall bakery will remain open throughout the CB, of course. But the updated ruling means that from 27 April, it can only offer its range of soft bread loaves and flavoured buns like its signature pork floss one — no longer its simple, family-friendly chilled cream cakes, sponge cakes or chiffon cakes. But you've got till 26 April to get yourself whatever cake BreadTalk still has on its shelves.

*Update: Days after this article was posted, BreadTalk was informed it can only sell its cakes till 26 April, while stocks last.

Order takeaway or via delivery (free with minimum order of $30, otherwise, a $5 fee is charged) till 26 April here: www.formpl.us/form/1092906100. Also available via GrabFood and Deliveroo.

Photo: BreadTalk /Instagram

Additional reporting by Merrilyn Teng.

*Information correct at press time. All photos cannot be reproduced without permission.