GEORGE TOWN, Dec 27 — Rich rum-infused fruit cake that’s more fruit than cake. Thick slices of cake infused with the strong aromas of the cempedak or durian. Rich creamy creme brûlée baked in a cheese cake with a smooth, sweet and salty finish.

Cempedak cake, Russian cheese cake, coffee meringue cake or the common creamy Black Forest cake given a twist with the addition of red wine, these are all the homemade creations of Nely Koon.

Nely Koon opened Passion Heart two years ago.

From selling her rich homemade cakes at a humble stall at the monthly Little Penang Street Market, Koon has opened her own cafe offering a simple menu of local delicacies, pasta, soup and naturally, cakes. In fact, she has more than 20 cakes on offer.

What started as a hobby for the 52-year-old has become a full-time business that she loves and never regrets starting.

The banana crumble (left) and apple crumble, both bursting in rich fruity flavours.

Koon, who started selling her cakes under Nellcis Cakes then, also had a stall at a hawker centre for a while before she decided to open Passion Heart at Muntri Street two years ago.

Always busy baking, cooking and completing various handicraft projects, she is very passionate about what she produces — particularly her rich, moist and thick cakes that are bursting with flavours.

Nely preparing her cakes in the kitchen.

“I’m always coming out with my own creations such as the coffee meringue cake or the durian cream cheese cake because I love baking and I like to try new things on my customers,” she said.

The coffee meringue is a light concoction atop a sponge cake soaked in coffee and rum giving the cake a rich coffee flavour with a kick.

Adding the final touches to one of her cakes.

The cafe is simply furnished and even without any air conditioning or the usual modern trappings of most other cafes, it is airy and comfortable because of the high ceiling and air well.

“Food craving comes from the stomach, not from the eyes, so my cakes are always high in quality, full of ingredients and with less sugar so that it is not overly sweet,” she said.

Rich and not overly sweet carrot cream cheese cake (left). Spaghetti (left), broccoli soup and Jawa mee (bottom) (right).

Koon’s passion for her food and her cakes is very apparent as she will gladly share stories of how she came up with a certain recipe and how particular she is in ensuring she adds extra ingredients to all her food.

“I don’t believe in cutting down on ingredients just to reduce costs. I believe if I add in more ingredients, my customers will be happy... then I’m happy,” she said.

The air well in the middle of the prewar shophouse gives the cafe ample natural light.

Koon used to be personal assistant to a director of a multinational company before she decided to venture into entrepreneurship.

Passion Heart in Muntri Street is simply furnished without the modern trappings of most other cafes.

She feels it’s the best decision she has ever made as she is happier now with her children helping her with the business and she gets to do what she loves best, cook and bake.

Koon also has a lot of life philosophies and stories to share so having a cuppa and a slice of cake with her can be inspiring.

“Our customers who come here end up as our friends because over here, everyone is a friend,” she said.

Other than cakes, one of the must-try dishes at Passion Heart is the Jawa mee, a savoury noodle dish in a thick sweet potato gravy.

The jawa mee is overflowing with ingredients in a thick sweet potato gravy.

As with everything Koon prepares, the bowl of noodles has generous servings of chicken slices, a whole hard boiled egg, beancurd, prawn fritters, fresh greens and the gravy is so thick, it is almost like sweet potato soup.

Even her homemade soups — with choices of mushroom, tomato, carrot and broccoli — are thick and made fresh upon order.

“I cook the soup by the bowls instead of having them ready made by the pots so that each bowl of soup is made fresh,” she said.

Koon also makes cakes and cookies to order especially for the festive season. She can custom-make any type of cakes from gluten-free cakes to cakes for diabetics using natural ingredients.

Passion Heart 83, Muntri Street, George Town Time: Noon-10.30pm (Closed on Tuesdays) Tel: 016-4431336