JOIN USCakes are no longer the most crucial part of just birthdays.
Nowadays for almost every occasion, be it weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, farewells or even baby showers, cakes are a must. In fact, more and more people are opting for customised cakes, which come in many shapes, flavours, sizes, colours and designs.
Bakers in the City, some of who work out of home or have small set-ups or a chain of dessert shops, say that customised cake industry has grown extensively over the years. Heena Awasthi, who makes customised cakes, has seen a growth in the popularity of these cakes. “Over the years, people have not only started ordering cakes for every small occasion, but even given thought to the details of the cake,” she says.
Gone are the simple teddy bear or Cinderella cakes. Of late, many are going for more specific cakes like Angry Bird cakes, animal farm cakes and even Ferrari cakes. And these cakes take close to four or five days to make, depending on the design, with costs starting from Rs 1000.
And it’s not just cakes. Some people like to gift customised cupcakes as well. For his birthday, Roshan, a professional, got personalised cupcakes from his wife. “It was really nice as each cupcake had the shape of something that I liked. It was different and a lot of thought had gone into it. And I know I will remember it for a long time to come,” he says.
Ankita, a stay-at-home mother, ensures that every year for her son’s birthday, she gets a cake in the shape of something he likes. “Last year, it was Angry Birds and this year, it was cricket. It’s fun to have a customised cake as it speaks of one’s personality and now that the City has so many places that offer this service, it’s all the more easy,” she notes.
Cake-making shows and cooking competitions on television have also been influential for this popularity. Joonie Tan of ‘180 Degree Celsius’ teaches how to bake cakes. “Many of my students and customers bring pictures of the cakes made on these shows and ask me to teach them or bake it for them. The trend is really catching on among Bangaloreans, especially mothers, who are very particular about the smallest details,” she says.