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Have your cake, eat it too

Bakers in the city are doing a roaring business thanks to the unusual swell in the demand for cakes, says HARJEET KAUR ALLAGH

ALL-TIME FAVOURITE Cakes are liked by children and elders alike

The air is full of excitement and people are in a mood to celebrate arrival of the New Year. But any celebration is incomplete without a cake. All the bakeries in the city are geared up to meet an onslaught of cake orders and are working round-the-clock to meet the demand. Cakes were baked by the most primitive people soon after flour was discovered.

They were baked for special occasions with the most expensive ingredients available. The advent of technology has made the baking process so simple that even an amateur cook can dish out a mouth-watering cake in minutes.

The evolution from hot stones, coals or baked earth stoves to gas, ovens and now, micro ovens, we have indeed come a long way.

Soft food items

Pallavi is a housewife who is gearing up to celebrate her first wedding anniversary soon. She plans a tiered cake for the Big Day. "I just love the creamy texture of cakes and can't imagine letting any occasion pass without digging into them," she says. Sunny finds a Black Forest cake irresistible.

"Basically all cakes are good to eat but if I am asked to spell my preferencec, then it is certainly Black Forest," he makes an honest confession.

With the New Year approaching, bakers are doing a roaring business. All the bakeries wear a festive look with their stores decorated with twinkling lights.

Theglass freezers kindle the taste buds with the array of mushy cakes in myriad shapes embellished with creamy roses, ruffles, chocolate curls, a glossy smooth or rustic finish. V. Pattabhi Ram of Baker's Inn says production of pastry has been increased to almost 50% more than the usual orders the hot selling flavours being the ubiquitous Vanilla but chocolate, pineapple, or nougats.

However, orders have also been placed for exotic flavours like Rich Truffle, Mousse, Licchee, Strawberry or even Black Currant. "We are having to push the workers a bit too far to meet the heavy demand for cakes. But this trend will subside after the first two days of the New Year," says Pattabhi.

Other bakeries like Modern Foods, Sweet Magic, Nilgiris and many more dotting the town, are busy baking exotic flavours for the affluent lot while the common masses prefer plain cakes without any frills or cream.

The plum cake along with vanilla, rum and raisin is yet another favourite variety. Seeking to shatter the myth that only children love cakes, 12-year- old Ritashana says they are liked more by the elders who find it easy to gulp the soft and sweet cakes.

Here's a recipe for a low calorie sponge cake anyone can try out at home:

Ingredients:-

1 cup Maida
3 eggs
1 cup powdered sugar
1 level tablespoon baking powder
2 table spoons chocolate powder

Sift the flour with the baking and chocolate powder. Beat the eggs over a bowl of warm water till they are light and fluffy.

Add powdered sugar slowly to the eggs and keep beating till frothy.

Then fold the flour into the eggs. If the batter is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk. Line a cake tin with butter paper and grease it and pour the batter into it.

Cover the tin with foil and steam it in a cooker without the whistle for 45 minutes. No fancy ovens are needed and your cake is ready.

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