With Christmas just around the corner, there is stardust everywhere. Bright string lights, jolly decorations and splashes of red, green and white herald the advent of festivities. Obviously there is an overdrive in the baking department as homemakers and restaurants, cafes and hotels plan and execute the best cakes nad desserts for the season.
There are traditional plum cakes and funky desserts, all begging to be photographed and shared on social media. Here’s to some bakers in the city who are working round the clock to make Christmas extra sweet.
Bake My Wish
It’s all bright and colourful at Bake My Wish, a bakery based in Lawson’s Bay. With a splash of reds, yellows, whites and greens, the bakery is ready for the festive season. Walk in and you will be spoilt for choice as there are a whole lot of cookies, the baker offer you a variety of cookies, brownies and entremets to choose from. Decorated with edible snowflakes, mistletoe and Santa, the brightly coloured goodies beg to be Instagrammed. colours would force you to Instagram them.
And who can have Christmas without a rum-soaked fruit cake or an apple pie of carrot cake. No Christmas treat is ever complete without an apple pie or a carrot cake. Catering to various tastes and preferences, the bakery also lays out the festive needs, the bakery is also serving lemon meringue tart, chocolate salted caramel tart, rum ganache slice and the opera cake.
To place your order 95817 38528
Radisa
Merry Christmas! Radisa, a cakes and confectionery unit is hosting a brownie chocolate festival.
Located off the bustling Siripuram circle, this quaint little outlet is all about chocolates this time. From brownies to burritos, everything on the menu will be brushed, dipped or topped with chocolate. Apart from the regular chocolate brownie and waffles, the outlet also has chocolate pani puris, chocolate crepes, chocolate.
To place your order 666 7899
Fresh Choice
In keeping with its name, Fresh Choice offers you fun options to the conventional cookies and cakes. How do ginger cookies shaped like Santa sound? Or cupcakes that look remarkably like Christmas trees? Th e desserts are all dressed up for your Christmas party. Choose from their wide range of cookies that either come dipped in dark chocolate or filled with melted chocolate. And remember to check out the dignified Plum Cake that continues to be a classic favourite and inseparable from the season’s flavours.
Ravel Confectionery
For those who like the good old conventional cakes, Jeni Angel is your person. She is a home baker who has decided to scale up her operations. What began as baking brownies for friends is now an enterprise and she is busy with orders for plum cakes for Christmas. The soft spongy cake has generous additions of dry fruits, nuts and spices, giving it that perfect Christmas flavour.
To place your order 94944 85515
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If you are one of those who prefers to bake your own cake , here is a recipe of a healthy multi-grain carrot cake. City-based chef Sonia Vadlamani shares it with you. She recently hosted a Christmas cooking workshop at Starlite Nutrition and Wellness Centre.
Ingredients
For the Cake
1 cup jowar flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1.5 cups grated carrot
½ cup walnuts, roasted & chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
ginger powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup palm sugar
1 cup yogurt/ dahi
¼ cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
Salt, to taste
For the frosting
2 tablespoons cream cheese/ cashew butter (healthier option)
1 tablespoon palm sugar (if the dark chocolate is unsweetened)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon grated carrots
Method
Pre-heat the oven at 180°C. Grease the pan.
In a bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients— flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Sift and mix well with a spatula. Add cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg powder.
In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients— oil, palm sugar, vanilla essence, yoghurt, water in a separate bowl. Whisk everything together until the palm sugar melts.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with wet ingredients, followed by grated carrots and chopped nuts.
Whisk everything together while scraping the sides with a spatula. Take care not to over mix.
Pour the batter into the greased pan.
Bake at 180°C for about 3 to 40 minutes, until it has risen firm.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely. Run a knife along the rim of the pan and remove gently on a plate.
Set aside for frosting.
For frosting, whisk the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Spread on the cake with a spatula.
