Xocolatl
If you like drama and dessert, you must meet Ashmeet Dua. He can spin together everything from a creamy firecracker to a pull-up cake. And for extra impact, opt for chocolate and butterscotch macaron.
Though trained in culinary management from New Zealand, Ashmeet bakes out of his interest and spent a considerable amount of time, teaching and practising before launching his brand Xocolatl during the lockdown last year. As a baker who enjoys creating eye-popping cakes and desserts, he is constantly experimenting. His latest project is a baklava cake (made with filo pastry sheets).
Xocolatl also claims to have brought the globally trending ‘pull-up’ cake to Hyderabad. Ashmeet says it is a hit as a children's birthday cake. Except for the macaroon, most of the cakes at Xocolatl are eggless. They have close to 16 varieties of flavours to offer and the price for a basic cake starts at ₹1800. Since the cakes come with a lot of frills, Xocolatl also makes sure they take care of delivery.
Contact: @xocolatl_hyd on Instagram / 9966622449
Doh Raising Inc
Doh Raising Inc. is all about the classics: tea cakes, cookies and brownies. This brand of a self-taught home bakers from Sainikpuri is popular for wedding cakes, birthday cakes, cheesecakes, cookies and bread as well. For special orders they also make custard-filled donuts.
What makes them popular are Dolly Welcome and Gwen Taylor’s insistence on delivering only perfect orders. The duo have been running the business for over a decade.
Try the lemon and mango (seasonal) cheesecake (they do not use cookie crust for the base, they use short-bread for their crust making the cheesecakes stand out. The chocolate cake with pink butter frosting and coffee cake topped with butter toffee frosting is a popular order with them. They also make a mean bitter caramel cake with salted caramel. They also cater to vegan orders. Teacakes are priced at ₹600 (500 grams) and layered cakes are priced at ₹1350 (double layer).
Contact: @dohraisinginchyd on Instagram / 6363640062
Crème Cristaux
The chiffon frosting on Sumaiyah Syed’s cake is the proverbial icing on the cake: her portfolio under the brand name Crème Cristaux is a happy fusion of ‘classic meets the trending bakes’. Sumaiyah’s bakes are a hit at children's birthday parties. She also makes pop cakes for children’s get-togethers.
Her cherry and dark chocolate cake, a seasonal delight, is a must-order during the cherry season. For special orders, she also makes a trifle with creamy vanilla custard and pound cakes with blueberry jam and exotic fruits. A no-occasion treat is the lemon vanilla cake roll with cherry filling.
Sumaiyah is a self-taught baker who runs the business by herself, and was pleasantly delighted when family and close friends started coaxing to cater to orders. With the strawberry on its way do make sure to try the strawberry rush. Sumaiyah prefers a heads-up of at least four days for her orders. If the order is large a week in advance will make her happier. Crème Cristaux takes both individual orders and custom-made hamper orders on Instagram.
Contact: @cremecristaux on Instagram
