It’s that time of the year again! December brings with itself a merrymaking vibe unmatched by any other time of the year, Christmas and NYE giving everyone an excuse to celebrate all month long. Deactivate those calorie counters and warm up for cake-eating marathons- the winner gets a box of macarons as the prize!
Plum cakes, carrot cakes, Baileys cupcakes, or tarts, whichever way you like to spread happiness this season (or any other, for that matter), our favourite five home bakers have your back. Whipping up some ace baked goods across Delhi NCR, they’re your Batman whether it’s a last-minute present or stocking up for that midnight sweet tooth calls.
Smitten Bakery & Patisserie
Trading a career as a Senior TV Journalist and pouring her heart and soul into her baking baby, Mandakini Gupta gifted Delhi the Smitten Bakery & Patisserie. From an unpaid intern at The Park hotel to working with Michelin starred WD 50 in New York, this French Culinary Institute (New York) trained lady has come a long way, developing her own baking style- a mix of French classical & American influences. This hidden gem in the lanes of Asiad Village sure has the city smitten with its cakes & bakes! Our team’s December babies love ringing in their birthdays with her Boozy Chocolate Cake, and as it’s a no brainer that we don’t stop at one, the Lemon Poppy Cake and Blueberry Tarts pay us regular visits too. If classic flavours done just right is your thing, then Smitten Bakery & Patisserie is where your search ends.
Order here: Send an email to smittenbakery1@gmail.com or call 9810010735.
Miam
Miam, which means yummy in French, is not your everyday bakery. Rolled out by Bani Nanda last year, it consciously steers clear of Delhi’s current fondant trend, and offers offbeat neoclassical French delights. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Bani specialises in French entremets, using unique flavour combinations, such as Almond, Raspberry & Vanilla Bavarian Cream or Passion Fruit, Kaffir Lime & Coconut. Her creations are a treat not only for your taste buds, but for your eyes too. Miam’s Choux Buns often accompany us for late work nights, and we love receiving her macaron boxes as gifts (subtle hint there). Though her dark chocolate and salted caramel cakes are next level, when going to Miam, exploring her experimental flavours will do you some major good!
Order here: Call 09871441164 or visit C-2/33, Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi.
Wake and Bake
Wake and Bake by Caelisa Appleton is Delhi’s own cupcake heaven. This home bakery specialises in gourmet cupcakes, and their alcohol infused ones happen to be the bestsellers. With an aim to ‘please and tease your taste buds’, they take care to keep their products preservatives-free and use the finest ingredients from across the world. With hazelnuts from Turkey, cocoa from Holland, organic indigenous coffee from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and chocolate from Belgium, Germany and France- they sure fit the whole world into these tiny superheroes! When not devouring their Lime Tequila cupcakes, we love a bite of their pavlovas and cake pops. If you’re a boozy dessert enthusiast, you can’t give Wake and Bake a miss!
Order here: Send an email to wake.bake.delhi@gmail.com or call 9899866514.
Cravings
Cravings by Arshi Dhupia is the capital’s designer cakes heaven. From graduations to weddings, if you’re celebrating any special occasion with a cake then this home baker is your knight in shining armour. One of the city’s pioneer home bakers, Arshi creates the finest fondant cakes which are a vision yet top-notch when it comes to taste. Giving them company are the equally sublime are her pastries and muffins. When in doubt we go with her Baked New York Cheesecake, and with Christmas round the corner the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting sounds about right.
Order here: Send an email to arshidhupia@yahoo.com or call 9811296858.
The Mellow Yellow Co.
Sana Nair’s The Mellow Yellow Co. has Delhi baked with her indulgent brownies. Yet another Le Cordon Bleu trained home baker, she makes mean choux pastries, truffles, cakes, and cupcakes. Her palate pleaser concoctions follow the rock solid formula of quintessential desserts made with ace quality ingredients. We hear her Salted Caramel brownies’ baking cycle never ends, with a new batch being put in the oven before the freshly baked one leaves the premises. This winter we’re keeping our cuppa joes company with her Apple & Cinnamon Tea Cake and Nutella & Sea Salt cookies.
Order here: Send an email to themellowyellowco@gmail.com or call 9811633444.
These leading ladies of Delhi’s patisserie scene not only make your dessert dreams come true, they happily customise their desserts in sync with your preferences. Get ready to make a list and place your order before that drool reaches your screen!
Featured Image Courtesy: travelguidelondon.co.uk