On December 25, 1955, the Times of India (ToI) reported that Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India, would cut a special, 40-pound Christmas cake that day: “Slices of the cake and sweets will be distributed among the staff and their children.”
This was a relatively rare mention, at that time, of a cake in a formal context. ToI was, of course, full of advertisements for cakes from well-known Bombay bakers like Bosotto, and tips for making Christmas cake at home. But this was restricted to large cities, or hill stations and towns where the British presence had been strong.
Christmas cakes at least had a traditional presence on the calendar. Other formal cakes, like wedding cakes, were much rarer. Traditional Indian weddings simply weren’t structured to feature a climactic cake-cutting moment. They were seen as too Western for the occasion, and there was also the concern about guests who were strictly vegetarian refusing a cake that might contain eggs. Cakes were for children’s birthday parties or events like office celebrations, where they were usually bought from bakeries.
People are willing to take the challenge of making increasingly complicated cakes, even those usually left to professional bakers. “We are selling lots of tiers and figures to top the cakes for people who want to make their wedding cakes at home,” she says. And December now sees even more demand from the Christmas cakes market. “I know a family who has taken a week off just to make Christmas cakes in the old way, everyone doing it together
An even more dramatic sign of the cake boom was provided by Cakeology, a baking trade show that had its second event in Mumbai in September this year. Cakeology was started by Khushi Malani and Farzana Gandhi, who had noted the increasing interest in home baking and felt the time was ripe for a show focused on it. “The interest in the event has grown tremendously over the past year. There was a 30-35% increase in both exhibitor as well as visitor footfall,” says Gandhi.
Companies sold cooking chocolate and fruit pastes for macaroons alongside others demonstrating ovens and mixers. Visitors eagerly reached for free samples of food colours in vivid shades, and signed up for classes in making sugar flowers and other elaborate edible decorations. Muffin pre-mixes were sold alongside cake moulds in fanciful shapes and chemical additives for professional bakers.
But the centre of attention at the show was a gigantic cake in the life-size shape of an Indian bride in a flowing lehnga and groom in ornate kurta and turban. Forget bride and groom choosing a wedding cake — here they were the cake, in a prospect of symbolic celebratory cannibalism which had visitors queuing up to take selfies with it.
Growing Up Eating 