Sungsimdang Cake Run, Daejeon: Which Branch Sells What (and Where the Line Is Shorter)

In Daejeon recently, I really wanted a Sungsimdang cake. It was a Friday afternoon, a weekday, so I thought it would be easy. Spoiler: I went to three shops and gave up twice. A slightly sad review, but I hope it saves you time.

Name	Sungsimdang Cake Boutique, Lotte Department Store Daejeon (성심당 케익부띠끄 롯데백화점 대전점)
Address	B1, Lotte Department Store, 598 Gyeryong-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon 대전광역시 서구 계룡로 598 롯데백화점 대전점 지하 1층
Getting there	Inside Lotte Department Store — the bakery is on 1F, the cake boutique is on B1. By taxi, show the driver the Korean address
Hours	Not covered here — check Naver Map before you go
Price	Whole cakes ₩36,000–45,000 · rolls ₩14,000–20,000 · lemon madeleine ₩1,500 · cream scone ₩2,000
Good to know	Seating inside the B1 boutique · at the main boutique and Siru shop, one of each item per person
Paid by	Me — this is not a sponsored post

My route, at a glance

– When: Friday, around 1 p.m. – Stop 1: Daejeon Station branch — no whole cakes, so I passed – Stop 2: Main Cake Boutique and Siru Cake shop — 2+ hour wait, so I gave up – Stop 3: Lotte Department Store Daejeon — finally got slices

If cake is your goal, decide the season and the shop before you go, and block out at least half a day.

Stop 1: Daejeon Station — great for bread, not for cake

Sungsimdang is the first thing you see when you get off the train at Daejeon Station. Just getting inside was hard.

Here is the catch: the only cake they had was the plain roll (sunsu-rol). If you want bread, this branch is fine. If you want cake, skip it.

• Address: 대전광역시 동구 중앙로 215 대전역사 2F (Daejeon Station building, 2F)

Stop 2: The main Cake Boutique — “two hours, minimum”

Next I went to the main Cake Boutique. The line went on and on down the alley. When I asked, staff said the basic wait was two hours.

• Address: 대전광역시 중구 대종로 480

The Siru Cake shop nearby is more doable

Nearby, the Sungsimdang Siru Cake shop had a line that looked manageable.

• Address: 대전광역시 중구 대종로 484 1층

While you wait, staff show you a really well-made product list (for the main boutique and Siru shop):

• Summer Yogurt Peach ₩36,000 · Shine Mallong Siru and Sangkeum Siru ₩43,000 each
• Annyeong Crêpe ₩45,000 · 15-layer crêpe (size 3) ₩39,000 · Kirash mochi tart (size 3) ₩36,000
• Plain roll ₩14,000 · fresh fruit, melon or blueberry roll ₩18,000 · yogurt peach roll ₩19,000 · tiramisu roll ₩20,000
• Limit: one of each item per person

The blueberry one I wanted was already sold out, so I left the line halfway. But I have to say: the staff were so kind. It was a hot day, and they handed out bottles of water to people in line. That really touched me.

Stop 3: Lotte Department Store — the calmest of the three

Last try: Lotte Department Store Daejeon. The 1F bread corner was crowded too, so I went straight down to the separate Cake Boutique on B1.

There was a line here too, but it was nothing compared to the first two. Through the glass you can watch the bakers at work — they were cutting peaches when I was there.

There is also seating inside, so you can eat right away.

What is in the cases

Crêpe cake slices line up in the showcase, and Yogurt Peach cups are piled up like a little mountain. The Summer Yogurt Peach whole cake was ₩36,000.

Blueberry jam is ₩4,500, a lemon madeleine is ₩1,500 and a fresh-cream scone is ₩2,000.

Honest taste notes

I picked a Yogurt Peach cup and crêpe cake slices.

• Yogurt Peach — the peach on top was hard. I like soft peaches with cake, so the crunchy bite did not match. The cream tasted a bit artificial to me.
• Crêpe cake — this used to be my all-time favorite, so I bought three slices. But from the first bite, it did not taste like I remembered.

• Lemon scone and chocolate madeleine — these were delicious. They cheered me up.

Before you go

– Main Cake Boutique: try early in the morning or early on a weekday – Seasonal whole cakes keep changing. I wanted the mango whole cake, but its season was over, so check timing first

Zoapik’s verdict

– Lotte Department Store B1 was the easiest place to actually buy cake – Kind staff — free water for people waiting in the heat – Lemon scone and chocolate madeleine are safe, tasty picks – Seating at the Lotte B1 boutique, so you can eat on the spot – Handy price list while you queue at the main boutique – Daejeon Station branch is fine if you only want bread – Heads-up: the main boutique wait was 2+ hours on a weekday, and the cakes I tried did not live up to my memories

Sungsimdang is still Daejeon’s number-one bakery, but it is not a quick stop anymore. Plan your branch and your season first, and do not leave without a lemon scone.