A new dessert shop recently opened up in Richmond, and one of its products has been making waves on Vancouver’s social media scene.

L’otus Cake Boutique (103-8580 Cambie Road) makes mille crêpes, which are multi-layer cakes made with paper thin crepes and filled with pastry cream.

Some of its flavours include fresh fruit (mango or strawberry), crème brûlée (light Madagascar vanilla bean and caramelized sugar topping), matcha (matcha crêpes and Uji matcha crème), and blue earl grey (refined bergamot and royal blue flower).

This type of dessert has been popularized by other cake shops around the world (namely New York-based bakery and café Lady M Cake Boutique), so it’s no wonder that Vancouver food-lovers are flocking here to check out this sweet treat.

“Due to a high demand for the mille crêpes cakes in the market right now, we are often sold out of our products very quickly,” Stacy Liang, owner and chef at L’otus Cake Boutique, told the Straight in an interview at her dessert establishment.

Liang originally started making cakes as a hobby at home, but that soon progressed into baking for friends and family. She eventually built up a following of people who loved her desserts, and that led to a decision to pursue her hobby at Granville Island’s Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.

“Basically, my passion and hobby became a business and I think that is a wonderful thing to happen to me,” said Liang.

Although the mille crêpes (each one made of 15 layers and take 5 to 6 hours to finish) priced from $8 to $13 per slice at L’otus are loved by customers and sell out very fast, they aren’t the signature product. 

“The lotus roll is actually our signature product,” explained Liang. “It may look like a normal Swiss roll, but as soon as you take a bite, you can tell it’s special because it immediately melts in your mouth.”

She also explained that her products are influenced by Japanese flavours that aren’t too sweet, and will use both local and overseas ingredients.

Besides offering different kinds of pastries, the 1,030-square-foot space also serves up a variety of different beverages. Guests can find everything from espresso to lattes to floral teas.

If you think making the trek to Richmond for a slice of cake is a bit out of the way, there will soon be a solution to that concern. Liang plans to launch an online cake-ordering site in the near future, as well as partner with food delivery services so you can have the pastry sent straight to your doorstep.  

Scroll through the photos below for a look at the new cake boutique and some of its mouth-watering products.