Originally operating as a rotating market stall at Kirribilli, Bondi, and the Flour Mill for two years, The Baking Lists opened its permanent location in January 2024. Now known as Khanom House, the vibrant teal-coloured shop in Chippendale reflects the self-taught baker’s Thai heritage—its name meaning “dessert house” in Thai.
The menu retains market favourites, including pandan custard and crème brûlée-filled doughnuts, chiffons, Basque cheesecakes infused with matcha or Thai milk tea, strawberry shortcakes, and coconut mango Swiss rolls.
2025
Honey Layered Cake ($13.50) — a seven-layer cake assembled with honey sour cream
Despite initial reservations about the sour cream component, the cake was unexpectedly well-balanced. The sour cream provided a light, slightly tangy whipped texture, while the burnt honey and hint of cinnamon in the sponge layers added depth with delicate bitterness and spice. The sponge itself had an airy, loose crumb, and the restrained sweetness allowed the flavours to shine. The result was a beautifully layered cake with a harmonious combination of textures and flavours, reminiscent of an elevated speculaas.
Black Sesame Honey Layered Cake ($14.50) — a seven-layer cake assembled with black sesame honey sour cream
Building on the already well-executed original, this variation introduced a black sesame honey sour cream that deepened the flavour profile without overpowering it. The roasted nuttiness of the black sesame brought a refined, toasty depth that softened the sweetness of the honey while adding a savoury dimension. The sour cream retained its light, slightly tangy whipped texture, now carrying the added complexity of black sesame without any astringency or bitterness. The sponge remained airy with a delicate crumb, subtly spiced with burnt honey and cinnamon.
Overall, a thoughtful enhancement of the original—layered, nuanced, and deeply satisfying. The black sesame addition elevates the cake, making it the preferred version.
Pandan Honey Layered Cake ($14.50) — a seven-layer cake assembled with pandan honey sour cream
The pandan was very restrained, with the honey largely dominating the flavour profile. Coconut provided the most noticeable point of difference, adding a mild richness rather than a clear pandan aroma. Setting the pandan aside, the cake itself was pleasantly moist and well constructed, but it tracked closely to the original honey layered cake, offering only limited variation beyond the subtle coconut note.
Pandan Basque Cheesecake ($12.50)
The pandan remained understated here as well, quickly overtaken by the cream cheese. As a result, the flavour felt fairly neutral, with little aromatic lift. The texture was smooth but leaned dense rather than creamy, lacking the softer, more custard-like quality found in stronger Basque-style examples such as Fifteen Cenchi.
Strawberry Shortcake ($12.00)
While the strawberries were fresh, whatever they had been cooked in imparted a slightly medicinal quality to their flavour, which was not entirely pleasant. The sponge lacked the light fluffiness typical of Japanese strawberry shortcakes, instead having a denser crumb and a noticeable sweetness, as well as being a touch dry. A soak in strawberry sugar syrup would have helped. The layer of jam also fell short—it had the appearance of a store-bought product rather than a freshly made compote and tasted overly sweet and nondescript.
Coconut Pandan Matcha Cold Foam ($10.00)
This was where the pandan came through most clearly, presenting as a gentle, vanilla-like note that paired naturally with the grassy matcha. The coconut water contributed a clean, lightly sweet base that softened the matcha’s intensity, while the foam delivered a creamy mouthfeel without feeling heavy. Overall, this was a well-balanced and refreshing drink, and the most successful use of pandan among the three.
2026
This is the pandan hot cross bun seasonal release from Khanom House, offered during Easter.
Pandan Hot Cross Buns ($5.50 each, $30.00 for 6)
Each bun was structured as a milk bun filled from the base with pandan custard, finished with a green pandan cross and a small pandan leaf garnish. Aroma opened with a strong pandan note, immediately apparent before opening the box.
On tasting, the custard delivered the primary flavour impact. The opening impression was rich pandan, followed by a thick, velvety creaminess through the mid-palate. The flavour remained clear and natural, consistent with pandan leaf rather than extract, and the filling was generous, maintaining presence through to the finish. The bun itself provided a softer, neutral base but lacked moisture. The crumb showed a drier texture, with limited elasticity compared to typical milk bread. This reduced the contrast between filling and structure, with the custard compensating for the dryness rather than being supported by the bun. The finish carried lingering pandan aroma and light sweetness from the custard, with minimal contribution from the bun.
Overall, a pandan-forward bun with rich, well-executed custard offset by a drier, less cohesive bread base.
Pandan Coconut Cream Cake ($13.00)
This featured layers of pandan sponge, pandan whipped cream, pandan custard and coconut sauce.
Initial contact delivered an immediate pandan aroma led by the custard rather than the sponge. The pandan whipped cream introduced a light, airy mouthfeel, while the custard provided a richer, silkier texture that closely resembled the filling used in the bakery’s pandan hot cross buns. Through the mid-palate, the thick coconut sauce added further richness and rounded out the pandan with gentle coconut sweetness, creating distinct layers of creaminess that prevented the cake from feeling one-dimensional. The sponge, however, resembled a conventional sponge cake more than a chiffon, with a coarser crumb and less spring and aeration than expected. Although it provided structure, it contributed relatively little pandan flavour, leaving the custard to carry the aromatic profile of the cake. The finish resolved into lingering pandan and coconut notes with restrained sweetness, while the sponge remained texturally secondary to the fillings.
Overall, layered and flavourful, though driven more by the well-executed pandan custard and coconut sauce than by the sponge itself. Crisp toasted coconut shards or ribbons of young coconut flesh would have elevated the cake further, introducing textural contrast while reinforcing the coconut component.
Khanom House offers a promising selection of desserts with well-balanced flavours, though the strawberry shortcake fell short, while the honey layered cake and pandan matcha foam drink stood out as highlights.
Khanom House is located at 15 Meagher St, Chippendale NSW 2008.