Kids growing up in the 1990s have fond memories of Mr. Bean, a child-like television character played by comedian Rowan Atkinson who often finds himself getting caught in absurd situations. A 28-year-old wedding planner from Imus, Cavite indulged her childhood nostalgia by baking a cake similar to what Mr. Bean had in the seminal British comedy series.
Jacee Uy saw the cake in an episode of the animated version of Atkinson’s show. As most fans know, the cake was baked by the antagonist Mrs. Wicket, Mr. Bean’s landlady.
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“I’ve been craving to taste this cake since I was a kid, and the next day, it just so happened that the oven we ordered arrived,” Uy said in an exclusive interview over chat with Coconuts Manila.
She researched and came across a recipe posted by a Malaysian Instagram user who goes by the handle @nahlahrs.
“I reached out to her. I also asked permission for me to post her own recipe. But since I don’t want my cake to be commercial, I want it to be special. So I did more research…[and I learned] I should use Belgian chocolate rather than the ordinary ones,” she said.
“With the help of a friend, I made this childhood dream cake into reality,” Uy added.
Uy ordered the cake from her friend Michelle Principe, who runs a business called Little Prince Cake Stop. It took Principe half a day to bake the cake and all the ingredients cost about PHP1,500 (US$31). Uy ate the cake with her family and her plush toy named Teddy, which shares the same name and appearance as Mr. Bean’s stuffed bear.
“I was planning to eat it whole alone. But since my sisters saw it, I had to share,” she joked. “So [a] total of five people, me, my two sisters, my mom, and Teddy,” she said.
She admitted that she doesn’t really bake often, but she was compelled to order the cake from Principe because of Mr. Bean, whose antics help her manage her stress.
“[I’ve] recently dealt with anxiety and depression, but whenever I watch Mr. Bean, it super relieves me. It brings me back to [the] good old days where things were super simple, and there were no problems. Also, I love how independent Mr. Bean’s character is,” she said.
“I was surprised [to learn that] I’m not alone [in] craving for this cake. And if I could share it with everyone, I know it could really bring satisfaction and good vibes.”
Update: An initial version of this article said that Uy baked the cake with the help of a friend for about half a day. After publication, she clarified that she actually ordered it from Principe. Uy also said that the cake cost PHP2,000 to make, when in fact it cost just PHP1,500
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