This is your go to place for agar cake or jelly cake. If you're not familiar with it, it looks like Jell-O but it has a crunchy quality instead of chewy/wiggly of jello. Agar-agar, or just agar, is a vegetarian gelatin substitute produced from seaweed. They always seem to have plenty on hand. This cake stores well, good for outings where you don't have refrigeration. Really enjoyed the cake we got with the mixed jelly layer. We finished an 8 inch cake in three days among four people. read more

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I LOVE cream puffs and this place is the OG for traditional cream puffs that are not too sweet. They are fluffy, creamy and just the right amount of perfect. If you like coconut get the green coconut cake. read more

I am loving this unique cake we got for Mothers Day. It is a jelly cake with a flan center which is so unique and a good break from cream cakes. Would definitely recommend this bakery for its cake selection! read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

I am really happy with the customer service when it comes to ordering custom designed Asian flavored cakes. Sometimes the cake is one of the main theme of a celebration or party so it's important to select the right decorations and design of the cake. Communication and response is quick from the bakery if you need to get a quote and go over details of the cake design. I ordered 2 milestone cakes from this bakery and both times they did not disappoint. read more

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Everyone likes to go fancy with their cakes and all, but every birthday, I've had their in-fridge gelatin cakes. You can miss me with that burnt-almond or red velvet any day of the week. I will grab that gelatin cake 10 times out of 10. read more

Came here looking for a cake for my sister-in-law's baby shower, the cake looked beautiful. The cake looked exactly like the picture and everyone loved the flavor. read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

I grew up eating the durian and vanilla cream puffs from here, but I haven't had them in a really long time. I ordered a few boxes of the durian and vanilla cream puffs for a birthday party, but I was so disappointed. Not sure what they did, but the cream filling was a lot more dense and not as flavorful. The pastry was also different this time-- my pastries were more cooked and chewy for some reason. The pricing seemed reasonable at first, but now that I've eaten the cream puff, I rather spend the $ elsewhere. $1.40/durian and $1.20/vanilla. I also got the pate chaud, and it tasted pretty good, although it would've tasted better with more meat inside. I will still come back for this and waffles/ice cream sandwiches, but won't be ordering the cream puffs again. read more

Van's Bakery - Durian cream puffs & vanilla cream puffs. Not as good as it used to be though. - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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This place is over priced for birthday cakes, the cake is just okay, not that great, I can just have a thin slice of it and that's more than enough for me, somehow it's too sweet it makes you feel stuffed afterwards, I bought a pandan coconut cake for my employee's birthday at my company with 30 people, I talked to a lady on the phone and she sold me out a huge cake for $125 she said it serves 25-30 people, turns out they only ate less than half of the cake. Now we are left with a big portion of cake which we do not want to eat it again. My lesson yo learn I won't be coming back here for sure, it's not worth the $$. If you ever come here for birthday cakes or any events, make sure you look at the sizes before ordering. read more

Van's Bakery - This is how much left over we had. - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

My husband and I stopped by Van's bakery the day before the birthday dinner for his mother to order a birthday cake. When we walked in, we were greeted right away and asked if we needed any help. We were a little lost at what to ask for, but we told them that we needed a birthday cake for my husband's mom. The lady behind the counter showed us the cakes in the refrigerator to see what basic design we wanted and asked us what flavor we wanted. We said something fruity would be nice, and she suggested the strawberry cake, which is a vanilla chiffon cake with a strawberry and whipped cream filling. I actually wanted to order that cake originally, but I didn't tell my husband that. Ha When we went to pay, she asked for the typical details: who is picking up the cake tomorrow, what time were we going to pick it up, what to write on the cake, etc. The next day, we came in to pick up the cake. Before giving us the cake, they wrote the birthday message for us. We were then quickly on our way to pick up my in-laws for dinner. The service was quick and easy, which is great. It is a Vietnamese bakery, but the ladies in the store do speak English (even though I speak Vietnamese). At dinner, we sliced into the cake, and it was what I think is standard Vietnamese birthday/celebration cake. The chiffon was light and not too sweet. The frosting was a whipped cream, so it was also not too sweet. The strawberries in the cake were also fresh, definitely enjoyed the cake. TL;DR - Good place to pick up a Vietnamese-style cake even if it is last minute read more

Van's Bakery - Birthday cake for my mother in law - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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Love Van's bakery. This review is way long overdue. Meant to write it in 2020 but so many things got in the way. Anyways, I grew up eating their delicacies, especially the cakes. So you can only imagine how stoke I was to bring my fiancé for our cake tasting and to see his reaction (he's very picky when it comes to sweets). I didn't tell him that this was my favorite bakery since childhood - it was just one of the few tasting we booked that day. Vans bakery was the last on the list (saved the best for last) and after all the cake tasting he did that day, he loved Van's bakery the best! He said the cake was super moist, flavor was on point and wasn't too sweet! When he found out the cost of a 3-tier wedding cake, he was sold!!! It really made me so happy how much he enjoyed all the flavors here. Unfortunately, our wedding got postponed due to covid. However, Van's bakery was very accommodating and they put their customers first! They were willing to work with us during these hard times. Big shout out to Amanda for being so kind and understanding throughout all this process. Seriously, outstanding service from her. I won't be buying my cakes anywhere else. They also sell a variety of moon cakes in October which i enjoyed very much. read more

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Oh, how they get you with all the pretty pictures on the window! We were picking up Mother's Day Dinner next door and while I was waiting I noticed the fresh sugar cane pictures on the window so decided to go try it! It was a pretty hot day that day so my drink was nice and refreshing!! I ended up getting a large sized lychee sugar cane juice and I was not disappointed. The drink was quite pricey but understandable as they make it fresh and put a descent amount of whole lychee in it. This drink lasted me the whole day as it's on the sweet side, I kept adding more and more ice throughout the day. I would definitely get one again when I'm in the area but probably try a different flavor next time. read more

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Van's has a wide variety of pastries...cakes, cookies, and pandan. The pandan (waffle) was inexpensive and delicious. We ordered sugarcane juice, and the cup was mostly ice (see pics). read more

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Had a chance to try Vans Bakery a few weeks ago and I was really blown away by the cake I had! My friend had come over and I got to try their coconut pandan cake. This is a great dessert for someone who likes fresh cakes that are not too sweet and enjoys the taste of fresh coconut. I love desserts on the not so sweet side and I loved this! Would recommend one to try it out - especially if you are a fan of Pandan like I am! read more

Van's Bakery - Pandan coconut cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

My go-to place for jelly cake! They have some of the coolest jelly cakes I've ever seen. Not sure how they even make those. The ones with flowers inside. I've been getting these kinds of cakes for my mom's birthday because she likes them more than the regular flour cakes. These jelly cakes aren't too sweet. We really liked the jelly cake with flan and different flavor layers. Each layer has a different texture-- one is more crunchy while the other is more gelatinous. Not sure how to exactly describe it but you gotta try for yourself. Another thing we always get from here is the vanilla and durian cream puffs. I looove durian so I always get this for myself. I'm kinda glad I don't live too close to here otherwise I'd go here everyday lol. read more

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I ordered this custom cake for my daughter's one month celebration. Top tier is 8" fresh strawberry filling. Second tier is 12" taro flavor. "Frosting" is whipped cream. Van's Bakery's cakes are "not too sweet" which is perfect for our family's taste. This size was plenty for our party of 60 guests. Price of the cake was very affordable! read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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Definitely reach out via Yelp messages if you have any questions--Amanda was very responsive, which I really appreciated. She answered all my questions, and I ended up going into the store to place my order and pay. I'd recommend visiting the store to order, rather than order over the phone or online. In the store, I was able to talk to one of the workers (totally forgot his name but he was a younger guy and spoke great English, which helped because my Vietnamese is subpar lol). He took me over to the cake display and showed me different options for decorations, what was included, what would cost extra, etc. I placed my order for am 8" guava cake and paid in full. On the day of (Saturday), my pick up time was 2 pm, but my cake was ready early around 1:30. Check in to get a free box of candles! Before handing the cake over, they double check with you on what you wanted to write on the cake, then they quickly write it. I thought this was great, just an extra cautionary step in case any mistakes were made beforehand! The 8" guava cake came out to exactly $42, and it was more than enough for 10 people. As for the flavor, it was super subtle. We love that Van's cakes aren't too sweet, but we really were looking for a stronger guava presence. Even the vanilla sponge flavor was more dominant than the guava. read more

Van's Bakery - 8" guava cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Excellent cake decor with delicious flavors. Exactly what I had in my mind. Thank you Van for the lovely cake. It made my daughter's birthday even more special. Full star! Thanks to Amanda for providing all the details and prompt responses. read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

I bought a BD cake for my daughter at 5pm and this one tasted like it had been on the shelf for a few days. I am disappointed and sad because no cake to eat. This is the last time I buy from this Van Baker place. The photo looks beautiful but the cake is yucky read more

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I grew up always going to this place with my mom and sister. All our family's birthday cakes were always from Van's, whether it was pandan, taro, or the fruit tart. I remember begging my mom to buy me the vanilla and durian cream puffs whenever we passed by. This place will always be special to me. Now that I'm older, I still find myself craving their cakes! My friend's birthday was coming up and I had no idea where to get the cake.. baskin robbins, Paris baguette, Whole Foods, 85 were all good choices; however, I wanted something unique since my friend is not from the area. My choice was with Van's Bakery and I couldn't be happier. I reached out to the business via yelp message and Amanda was super responsive. We discussed what kind of custom cake I wanted and she was super helpful. I ended up ordering a 6" chocolate cake with fresh strawberry filling and chocolate hazelnut topping at the price of $30. I was amazed by the outcome of the cake. I had asked for a brown to cream ombré design with strawberries outlined on top and chocolate sprinkles. They definitely delivered. To be frank, I was a bit hesitant because there weren't a lot of pictures for custom cakes and I didn't know if it was going to turn out like the pictures I shared. But thankfully it did! And I'm so happy about the turn out. The presentation of the cake was amazing and my friend was blown away. And it tasted just as good as it looked. The cake was super moist and fluffy and the fresh strawberry filling went perfectly with the chocolate hazelnut. The only thing I felt that could have been better was the hazelnut flavoring. It wasn't really strong and resembled more of a faint chocolate mocha, which didn't exactly leverage my idea of the whole Nutella and strawberry crepe theme. Other than that, the cake was everything and more. My friend just moved out from Idaho, and it feels nice sharing a little part of home with my friend especially during this time. read more

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Since our wedding got postponed, we held a small ceremony on our original wedding date and ordered a cake from Vans. We wanted a small and simple cake that didn't cost too much and Vans met all those! We ordered a pandan coconut cake and everyone loved it! They also were able to add in flowers for a reasonable charge so that I didn't have to find my own florist or do it myself. I will definitely come back and try all their different flavors! read more

Van's Bakery - Pandan cake flavor - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Love their cakes especially the pandan one. It was so good that I had to buy two cakes. The customer services were great. She was so nice and welcoming. read more

I've never ordered a cake from here but my family has before. I'm sure almost every Viet knows of Van's. I came in looking for a cake for my friend's bday. They had whole cakes in the fridge and they asked me if I wanted writing on it. They told me to write down the phrase and they did it on the spot! Only took two minutes. I'd definitely come here if you have a last minute cake and in a rush. Not to mention it was only $22 whereas you can look to spend over $35 for a cake elsewhere. read more

Van's Bakery - Coconut pandan cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

My favorite place for pandan waffles!! Super inexpensive, fresh, and delicious! They also sell delicious macaroons, and make birthday cakes/jello cakes! They don't bills over $20, just to keep in mind! read more

Open during SIP. Located on plaza so parking lot available. Came here to pick up a coconut cake since my sis was craving and didn't want to drive all the way to Oakland. The bakery had a lot of goodies to try, but since I was in a rush, I just grabbed the cake and go. 6inch for $22, not bad at all. Super moist cake, not too sweet, unfortunately not much coconut flesh in the cake but since it was so moist, that makes up for it. Would totally come back for more treats! read more

Van's Bakery - Coconut cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

I came here to get 2 specific items: fresh sugar cane juice and pandan waffles. They had both and did not disappoint. The juice was refreshing and waffles were fluffy and tasty. I also ended up trying the guava cake slice (good), pandan cake slice (ok, didn't love the coconut shreads), and "cow ear"/smackles cookies (not bad, could have been sweeter though). They also sell full size cakes and other Vietnamese deserts and snacks. read more

This bakery has been around for as long as I can remember. When I was in my terrible twos stage, my mom claimed that I made her get me a personal cake daily. In my little head, it was my birthday every day and there were candles to be blown out every day. As an adult, I no longer wish it to be my birthday once a year much less my birthday everyday. But this place still makes the best cakes. I love how light and airy the cake is and how flavorful the cream is without being overly indulgent or sweet. My go to flavors are taro or pandan with coconut filling. I pre-ordered a large sheet cake in celebration of graduating and it was a hit even with the "anti-dessert" people. read more

Awesome cakes. The creams are light and buttery! Great place for Vietnamese snacks too!

I've been picking up sweet treats from this bakery for the past few weeks! I usually call in to see if they're open and to check the pricing of what I'm picking up that day! They always answer and are always willing to give me the price. I've picked up cream puffs, green waffles, and a flan cake so far. There are two flavors for cream puffs - vanilla and durian. Both are to die for! I love how it's not too sweet and the durian flavor is not too strong. I also recommend the green waffles. The first time I ordered it - I was mind blown and was taken back to my childhood days. It's made to order so it comes out slightly crispy and piping hot. Once it cools down it has a very nice chew. Very great pandan flavor. The flan cake was my least favorite item but that's a biased opinion since I'm not the biggest fan of flan. However I can say that I do appreciate the fruit decoration on top of the flan cake! It's extremely aesthetic - I wish I had pictures to show. All in all, definitely will be back often to get my cream puff or green waffles cravings! read more

Their macarons and ice cream macarons are the best! I used to be a loyal customer for their coconut cakes and jello cakes but now I will continue to go back for the macarons as well. They now have hired two new employees (or maybe the children of the business owners who are helping out?) named Amanda and Andrew who have been so helpful in helping place orders over the phone or online. They are quick to respond to DMs through Instagram or via email. I don't speak Vietnamese so it used to be very difficult when trying to call in an order. Everyone is super friendly in the store though and will continually ask if you need help while you're waiting in line. read more

We ordered the pandan coconut cake and we could immediately tell that the coconut in the cake was super delicious, chewy and fresh. I would definitely go back for another cake other! Maybe I'll try durian cake next time if they have it! read more

Exceed expectations. I highly recommend Van's Bakery for cake on your special event. Amanda was able to capture and executed My Very Hungry Caterpillar book theme for my twins 1st birthday. The cake was so realistic. It was an awesome birthday cake and received so many compliments. Strawberry flavor was a hit for the kids because it wasn't too sweet and Durian/Coconut was a winner for the adults. Love love love this cake. Thank you Amanda. read more

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The wifey stopped by here to get a pandan cake for a birthday party. (Her first choice was CA Bakehouse, but they no longer sell pandan cakes.) The lady who helped us was very rude which should have been the first clue to go somewhere else. However we bought a small pandan cake for $25. It definitely is not in the same league as CA Bakehouse, but if you really need a pandan cake they sell them here... read more

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Jello cake- $42 for a small flower cake that's flavorless and really dry/hard. Aren't these people professionals? Is this a joke? They switched the cake I picked out claiming this new one was better. I said I was getting a cake for my mom and they even had the nerve to joke "don't want to bring home a bad cake, or your mom will yell at you." Guess what? The jello cake was absolutely horrible. Literally a joke that it's called jello. It was super hard and the top flower part was actually flavorless. For $42 this is the biggest scam. And for something meaningful like a birthday cake- they probably think this is revenue they can get away with. I kinda hate Yelp but ain't letting this one go- not on my watch. read more

Van's bakery is a standard, well-known bakery to get French-style Vietnamese desserts. They cater to the Asian sweet tooth without being overly creamy/rich/sweet. I loved the cream puffs when I was younger but they taste different last time I had them. Can anyone recommend me a good durian cream puff anywhere?? Recently I tried the mango flavor cream cake ordered for a birthday and it was fluffy and flavorful and light without being too decadent. Love it! read more

Van's Bakery - Mango cream cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

We worked with Van's for our wedding cake and we are so happy we did! We knew we would go with them when our friend had Van's at their wedding. Their pandan coconut and mango mousse flavors are so good and the pandan coconut was a huge hit with our wedding guests. Absolutely love their cakes and we appreciated working with Amanda to share with her our vision for our wedding cake. It came out just as we had envisioned! We highly recommend this bakery if you are looking for an Asian style cake for your wedding or event. read more

Van's Bakery - 14+10+6" three tier cake with pandan coconut filling - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Chưa từng thấy một người bán hàng nào mà nói chuyện xất xược không cần khách như cô Dung ở tiệm này Sẽ không bao giờ trở lại lần thứ hai Gọi phone đặc bánh hôm thứ tư và pick úp hôm thứ năm vừa qua. . The cake was good but that lady Dung was rude. Should not let her answer and taking phone orders read more

Great place to grab pastries! Clean and great local ownership. Variety of items to pick from. read more

Van's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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they do a great job with cakes i've ordered from them on multiple occasions. the person you need to speak to is amanda she is great! one thing that really got me upset was when i came in to pick up my cake i asked the lady to write something on the board and the cake was a nice pastel color and she wrote it with red on the board i was so disappointed. i wish she would have used the same color as the cake which would look nice in our pictures. imagine your cake pink and happy birthday is written in ugly green on the white board of the cake. just make sure to tell them every detail even writing on the cake or board very very important. the cakes here are so delicious very light so you can eat more and not feel that disgusting full feeling! i still will be returning to them! read more

One of thee only places that can legibly write Happy Birthday [name] without it looking like a five year old tried to. They do this on the fly with no issue. I used to go here as a kid. Not much different now except no more jelly writing. I miss that. There's plenty of cakes and it's very usual and unique to get a coconut pandan style cake. It's very good. If you need a cake, want it to be nice, this is the spot. read more

I was recommended their bakery for Vietnamese cakes and treats. I decided to purchase some rice cakes this year as gifts. Their rice cakes for Lunar New Year were a hit! I find it to be better than most other local establishments. I tried the traditional savory with pork and bean and the vegetarian. Both cakes were filled generously, although the savory cake held together better than the vegetarian. A bit pricey in comparison to their nearby competitors, but I was pleased that they had plenty available to purchase on the day of, and I didn't have to go through the stress of running to different places to find some. Worth buying again next year for our celebration. read more

Van's Bakery - Vegetarian Vietnamese rice cake. - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California