17 December,2023 11:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Nasrin Modak Siddiqi
Representation Pic
The most beautiful time of the year, Christmas brings warmth and merriment. The air is filled with the love and laughter as friends and family gear up to celebrate the end of the year. The aromas of decadent, moist cakes with ginger, raisins, orange peels, roasted nuts and nutmeg bring joy.
India's first Christmas cake was made in 1883 at Thalassery by Mambally Bakery. Since then, every family has been giving a twist to the traditional Christmas cake, integrating local produce and conventions. We asked friends and family for recommendations to see where you can order the warm, baked Christmassy perfection.
Gayathri Sivasankaran's foray into the world of pastry started in Christmas 2011. A fun project baking cookies and cheesecake for a party turned into a passion and then commitment, so much so that she switched careers after more than a decade in furniture and interior design. "I went on to study at Le Cordon Bleu [London] in 2014 and worked my way up at a few restaurants in Britain, Dubai, India and at the Taj Hotels before I set up my own brand, Pâtisserie Goya in 2018.
Sivasankaran's USP is quality over quantity and unique desserts and chocolates made entirely from scratch with only premium ingredients and couverture chocolate. She uses her design background from start to finish all parts of the product, from conceptualisation to packaging, and everything is done in-house. "Christmas is my favourite season of the year," she says, "and every year, I try to showcase different desserts from all over the world in the holiday menu. However, a few constants are very popular, mainly my signature Christmas Yule Log and the gingerbread house."
The Fruit Cake Yule Log is a twist to the ubiquitous plum cake as it's known in India, tweaking the traditional recipe so that it's baked in thin, soft layers and turning it into a roulade with marzipan and fruit preserves to make it travel worthy. "I add a protective layer of fondant, which is then decorated to look like a log of wood," says Gayathri. "It is our signature Christmas dessert; the best feedback is the repeat orders! This year, I have taken the twist further and created a cross between the Italian panforte and the fruit cake, so it's a chocolate fruit cake yule log." In this delightful alternative to the fruit cake, rich chocolate cake meets hazelnuts and almonds, boozy black raisins, blackcurrants and candied orange peel, rolled with marzipan and covered in fondant.
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Price: Rs 1,050 for 6.5" log
TO ORDER: @patisserie.goya on Instagram
Home baker Michelle Gafoor drew inspiration from her parents, who wrote a beginner's cookbook, dominated by a baking section. "My exposure to cooking while growing up fuelled my passion, leading me to take up baking as a hobby," she says. "I ventured into plum cakes over two decades ago. Initially a Christmas tradition for family and friends, their love encouraged me to turn it into a business. I source ingredients from local suppliers and soak the fruits in rum as early as August. The baking process begins on December 1 in my home oven. The demand has consistently risen, with orders peaking at around 250 kg."
Gafoor follows a traditional family recipe spanning four generations. This cake is made with candied mixed peel, dry fruits, fruit jams, marmalade, caramelised sugar, and minced walnuts and is baked individually. The moist texture and subtle rum flavour complement the fruity essence. The aromatic blend of warm, sweet, and spicy notes wafting through the air is a delightful reminder that Christmas is around the corner.
Going by the overwhelming demand, with people ordering from abroad too, Gafoor feels people like her cake because it carries a bit of nostalgia compared to commercial cakes produced in bulk. "I feel blessed that people appreciate and support local talent, making us home bakers stay relevant," she says. "I wake up at 4 am every day in December to start the preparation and baking process, but all this seems worth it when I get feedback from those who tastes my cakes."
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PRICE: Rs 800 onwards
TO ORDER: 9845092630
Her cakes are rich, intense, exquisite and one of the finest in the country. The stunning treats by Kallivayalil Bakes' Sheela Tomy, are known to improve with time. They comprise a blend of premium fruits all soaked in rum and wine. The flavours are elevated by cashew nuts and nutmeg. The baking process unfolds in the distinctive on-site borma oven, specially constructed when orders reach the impressive milestone of 500 kilograms.
Tomy's journey into baking Christmas cakes commenced modestly and unexpectedly. "Initially, I baked 150 fruit cakes for my father-in-law to distribute to a nearby old-age home during Christmas," she tells us. "The demand increased gradually through word of mouth, starting with a 30-cake order from my cousin in Chennai. I inherited the tradition from my mother and mother-in-law, modifying the process over the years."
The aroma of the cake as you open the packaging is irresistible, with a warm and inviting scent of rum, citrus, and spices. It makes you want to dive right in and savour every bite. The cake itself is a marvel of texture and flavour. It is dense and moist, has a slight chewiness that melts in your mouth, and a smooth and tender crumb that holds shape well. The cake is infused with rum, vanilla, and spices, creating a complex and aromatic profile that lingers on the palate.
"The show's stars are the dried fruits soaked in rum or wine for months," Tomy says. "They add sweetness and tartness to every bite. The nuts balance the sweetness and softness their crunch and flavour. Tomy's favourite feedback is from a Frenchman who said he has had Christmas cakes worldwide. But nothing comes close to this cake's texture, aroma and taste.
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PRICE: Rs 1,400 onwards
TO ORDER: kallivayalilbakes.com
It's a busy time for this family in Sangam City, where at a showroom-cum-bakery, customers come to watch their cake being baked. Over a phone call, Mohammed Aslam from Prayagraj's Bushy Bakery tells us, "We allow families to bring their batter and bake their own cakes too. It feels so good to watch them sit and chat and get excited to see their baked cakes; for those who can't make the batter, we make it for them."
The secret ingredient in their Christmas cake is homemade caramel, which gives it a rich colour and the use of petha (ash-gourd candy) from Agra. "We've been making it for over 50 years and use only the best ingredients," he says with pride, adding, "Our cakes are made in ghee with garam masala, using nutmeg, mace, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon, and baked over a woodfire oven, but we won't share the recipe." he adds.
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Price: Rs 350 per pound
TO ORDER
This year, Mysore's SAPA bakery's Stollen - a dense, sweet, buttery, juicy bread with Christmassy spices - is all the rage on Instagram. Founder Dina Weber, who sought to infuse some of her German heritage into the Christmas festivities, says, "Our Stollen is special because it has multiple elements that take a while to prepare on different timelines.
The rum-soaked fruits were prepared over three months ago, so the flavour is round and deep. We make a roux of milk and flour that is cooked down slowly, allowing us to insert more moisture into the dough and making the Stollen stay juicy for a long time. Our in-house spice mix is blended with butter and almond flour for 24 hours before making the dough for extra richness and a Christmassy fragrance. And, of course, everyone loves the marzipan log in the centre as a little treasure in each slice, representing the body of Jesus wrapped in white linen.
Each bite gives you a different treat of the rum-soaked fruits, delicious butter and sugar coating on the crust and, of course, the sweet, nutty and creamy marzipan centre when you bite into it. We have heard people say it's the one thing they look forward to every Christmas the most. One of our customers, who ran an ultra marathon, told us the thought of our Stollen kept her going for [the last] six km when she was completely exhausted and ready to give up on the race."
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PRICE: Rs 1,750
HOW TO ORDER: airmenus.in/sapa/sapachristmas
Originating in the 1400s, this bread initially comprised simple ingredients such as flour, water, sugar, and oil. Over the years, the Stollen has evolved to incorporate richer elements such as marzipan, candied fruits, and various spices.
One of the most renowned ones are from the Iron Ore Mountain Stollen, distinguished by its indulgent combination of butter, dried fruits, nut flour, and an aromatic blend of spices, all lovingly soaked in butter. The longer you preserve a Stollen, the more its flavours mature and intensify.
Find friends who can stand in a queue to send you...
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