The frost is here

As she talks about smells, flavours and textures, Gauthami Shankar’s voice fills with excitement and a smile lingers on every word that escapes her mouth. “I just finished my first order!” she says. A rush order, the rich dark chocolate truffle cake covered with rosettes and a lovely chocolate cigar fence looks mouth-watering. Barely two weeks old, ‘Sprinkled’ — Gauthami’s baby — is catching eyes for its tasty baked goods.

“I launched the brand on my birthday this year (December 18) but ‘Sprinkled’ has been around for the past three years as an unofficial out-of-my-kitchen venture,” she explains, adding, “I took my first order five years ago but none of it was official, until now.” She has been baking for over a decade now and says, “I did my graduate studies in hotel management at Christ University where I fine-tuned my baking skills. Initially, I used social media as a base for my orders but now, I have plans of opening a Parisian themed boutique bakery in Yelahanka.”

Miniatures desserts, bottled desserts and naked cakes are her specialities but she does cater to fondant lovers as well. Expressing her dislike for fondant cakes, which are the rage these days, she says, “I don’t like fondant because it’s just a layer of sugar that ruins the flavour of the cake. And people add so many flavours and colours that it confuses the palate. With naked cakes, which have frosting in between the layers, you can see what you are eating. Also, the flavours are clean as only seasonal ingredients are used. They are simple for the tongue to understand.” Right now, berries are found in plenty so Gauthami is making best use of that.

She is all for minimalism and keeping it simple. “Instead of having a five feet wedding cake, where two of the layers are thermocol, you can have miniature cakes that people can take home. This way, the cake isn’t wasted or forgotten.” Bottled desserts is also something she is working on. “A bottled dessert has a longer shelf-life and can be eaten without creating a mess.” Ask Gauthami what her favourite ingredient is and she’ll quickly say, “Chocolate! I worship chocolate. And vanilla.”

And to be as inclusive as possible, she makes delicious vegan, eggless and gluten-free desserts. “But I don’t understand eggless cakes. Without eggs, you won’t get the same texture, richness or fluffiness.”

She also makes macarons and was titled ‘Macaron Chef’ in college. “Macarons have made me cry in college. I couldn’t get them right and after a lot of crying and drama, I got it.

After that, I became so good at it that people call me the ‘Macaron Chef’,” she says with a laugh. But she culinary skills don’t end with desserts — Gauthami is also a partner and co-founder of The Spitfire BBQ Truck. A talented young chef, she puts her heart into all her dishes and comes out with tantalisingly good food.

‘Sprinkled’ takes retail and wholesale orders of a wide variety of desserts and quick eats. For more details, visit their Facebook page.