It was a time when Red Velvet was trending. Nivin Pauly-starrer Premam had become the rage among the cine-going youth and the movie did more than its share in popularising the delicious cake. “On a friend’s request, I baked a Red Velvet cake during an informal get-together of teachers. Much to my surprise, it was a huge hit,” says Hema Edwin, who was then teaching at College of Architecture, Trivandrum.
Hema started receiving cake orders from her buddies for informal occasions and soon she found herself plunging into what had become an abiding passion. Today, the architect-turned-baker’s Ovenly is fast becoming a popular choice in the city for those wishing to indulge their sweet tooth.
However, Hema feels she is lucky that didn’t have to go far for baking tips. “Though I started baking quite accidentally, much of the credit goes to my mother-in-law, an excellent cook and baker herself. Taking cues from her, I used to try out different recipes for sport,” says Hema, who studied architecture at the College of Engineering, Trivandrum. She still recollects the first cake she baked and the “mess” she created in the process. “That was on my mother-in-law’s birthday. I was baking a chocolate cake and I burnt it badly. However, I didn’t give up as my family members encouraged me to try again and again,” she says with a laugh.
She launched Ovenly last March, initially supplying sweetmeats to a bakehouse managed by her uncle. “The reception to my delicacies was warm and through word of mouth, more people started approaching me for cakes and pastries. One day, I received orders for over 13 kg of cakes for the very next day. I had no clue how I would manage it and my mother and my mother-in-law chipped in,” says Hema. That boosted her confidence in baking bulk orders and she struck gold one day when Spencer’s came forward with an interest in setting up Ovenly counters in four of the retail store's outlets at MG Road, Vellayambalam, Pattom and Sreekaryam.
Hema says she perfected the art of baking through “trial and error” before opening her establishment. “I did a lot of research in finding out what works. I tried umpteen varieties, many of which I chucked out either due to non-availability of ingredients or lack of commercial feasibility,” she points out. Cake gel and cheaper substitutes for butter such as margarine are a strict no-no. “I’m a stickler for a healthy baking methods and I try to reflect that in the ingredients I choose as well. I keep taste enhancers and texture-temperers off my kitchen,” she adds.
Besides the sought-after Red Velvet, Ovenly’s Supermoist Chocolate cake, Cheesy Chocolate cake, Rainbow cake, Ovenly Special black Forest cake to name a few sell like, well, hot cakes. The cake store also serves up an assortment of cup cakes, breads, buns, doughnuts and puffs. Ask her what makes her Red Velvet special, and she says with a smile: “That’s a trade secret.” All the desserts are prepared in Ovenly’s central bakery near Police Headquarters at Vellayambalam.
“Each cake has its own quintessential texture, taste and flavour and it’s paramount to understand them. Only then would we be able to bake them in the most authentic way. Cakes do not simply mean something sweet to eat,” explains Hema. She, however, does admit that eschewing preservatives truncates the shelf life of her bakes. “That’s the price we pay for keeping the edibles healthy.” That’s also a reason why Hema brought in ‘jar cakes’ that come in airtight glass jars. “It keeps the moisture out and preserves the cake longer,” she points out.
Hema feels her background in architecture has made designing customised orders for special occasions a piece of cake. “That allows me to visualise my preparations and offer customers options, especially for theme cakes or wedding cakes. I myself do the cake decorations and the writing part,” explains the mother of a five-year-old.
She is ably aided by a team of about 10 in keeping up with the orders. At Ovenly, work starts as early as 6 am as the cakes have to reach the sales points before 9 am. Hema says plans to expand the menu and set up a café attached to the central bakery soon.
Any word of advice to aspiring bakers? “Stick to home-style baking as that’s what’s more appreciated. Also it’s best to avoid commercial ingredients as much as possible for a healthy method of baking,” says Hema.
