Not all plum cakes are created equal—some are flavored with warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, some have a touch of honey, and some contain dried fruits from around the world. Travel with us through iconic bakeries across India to sample time-tested, local Christmas cake recipes. And yes, they do.
Pandhal Cake Shop, Cafe & Deli, Kochi
Pandal Cake Shop in Kochi was originally established in 1984 as Pandal Restaurant at MG Road, Kochi. If you’re looking for more variety in the Kerala style, or a spice for Christmas cakes, the Mattanchere Spice Ripe Plum Cake (₹1290) /900g tin) exudes the aroma of an intoxicating spice blend Which flies in the air as soon as it hits the tin. Jose Alex Mathew, Cluster Head, Pandal Cafe & Deli and Pandal Cake Shops explains, “Ours is a ripe plum cake as we start our process around January, adding dry fruits including prunes, different types of raisins , contains candied orange peel, figs. Dates and the iconic Mattancherre (ancient center of the spice trade) spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, soaked in honey for almost 9 months, to make this moist Christmas cake that is shipped across India and abroad, lasting 5 months Is.
The Cake Shop also offers a Christmas Hamper (₹4500) which includes Mattancherry Spice Ripe Plum Cake, Plum Pudding (steamed), Minced Fruit Pie Tarts (a mix of dried fruits with almond slices, candied ginger and citrus in a shortcrust base) are) included. , Almond and Hemp Trail Mix and Cashew Sable Cookies while the Holiday Hamper (₹8000) includes most of the Christmas Hamper items with Noix de Mascade (Nutmeg), Pistachio Biscotti and an Apple Cinnamon Preserve. Individual items are also available for purchase. 0484 405 2172, 92880 22120
Cake at Mumbly’s Bakery | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mambly’s Bakery, Thalassery, Kerala
The Mambly family is credited with making the first Christmas cake in India. Mambali Bapu started the ‘Royal Biscuit Factory of Mambali’ at Thalassery in 1880, selling over 100 varieties of biscuits, breads and buns. In 1883, he made the first cake based on a sample handed over to him by Murdoch Brown, a British estate owner living in Thalassery (formerly Tellicherry). When Murdoch tasted the cake, he ordered a dozen more, and as they say, the rest is history. Today, Mambli Bakery, run by Prakash Mambli, the fourth generation of the family, says preparations begin during the last quarter of the year. “We use dry fruits like raisins, sultanas, candied peel, dates, figs and walnuts that are soaked in rum for about two months and then the cake is made using ghee. The cakes are sold for ₹700 per kg and the bakery churns out over 500 kgs during the season. This year we are setting up a system for home delivery through couriers,” said Prakash. 9895012578/04902344578
Vaas Bakery, Mangaluru
Vas Bakery on Bendore Church Road in Mangaluru, Karnataka has seen generations of families celebrate Christmas since it was established in 1905 by Emmanuel Vas. Now managed by Lester Vass and the third and fourth generation of his family, the bakery has a selection of the finest Mangalorean kuswars (Christmas sweets and savouries). “We start our Christmas preparations around mid-November, soaking fruits like sultanas, raisins, candied fruit peels, ginger flakes and sweet pumpkin or pitha. We also use many of these ingredients for our Christmas Pudding. Our bestseller is the rich plum cake (₹800/kg) and the regular plum cake is half the price,” explain Lester Wass and his wife, Joyce Marie Wass.
Plum and Tart Tart at Vaas Bakery | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The bakery sells over 1,000 kg of cakes during the season with local staples such as roce cookies and kedio, The former are fried cookies made from flour, coconut milk, eggs, and sugar, and the latter are small balls of dough pressed onto a comb using flour, sugar, butter, and coconut milk, which can be eaten by small insects. are similar ( kedis, in Konkani). Navario, like the Diwali favorite gujiya, is made in Mangalore in half-moon dough pockets stuffed with dry fruits and fried, while many of our old customers are nostalgic for gulios, which are dough made from rice flour and sugar. There are balls of And it is difficult to chew. For our younger customers, my son Len has curated items like yule logs, chocolates and some cookies, so we have a good mix of kvass for everyone. Vaas Bakery offers its range of sweet and savory kusvar boxes in small, medium and large sizes, available for between ₹100-₹1,000 and ships across India. 7259022925/9482478967
Joseph’s Bakery, Mapusa, Goa
Started in 1938 by Jose Braganca, Joseph’s Bakery is filled with customers who love their Christmas specials. Jesuinha Mónica Bragança and her husband Antonio Bragança diversified their menu from breads and buns in the mid-1980s to now offering a variety of sweets and snacks. “Our bestsellers are Batika, a variety of Goan Christmas cake made with semolina, sugar and coconut; Doce de Grao, made with a Goan fudge Gram lentils, sugar and coconut; bolinha, Goan cookies made from semolina and coconut; dodol, a rich sweet made from Goan rice flour, coconut jaggery and coconut milk; And we also have pinagre, made of roasted Goan rice flour and coconut jaggery, which is shaped like croquettes,” explains Monica.
Cake at Joseph’s Bakery | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Like the Kedios of Mangaluru, Goans make altogether And kormolas flour, sugar, butter and coconut milk, as well as Nevrio, both with dry fruits and coconut filling. “Our marzipan is made from Goan cashews and is a big hit at Christmas too,” says Monica. Since most Goan sweets are made with coconut, “fluctuations in prices mean rates change every year. We take orders on request for different weights,” he concludes. 9823522132
Baker Street, Puducherry
Founded in 1788, Klugescherz, a family business in Soltz-les-Bains in the north eastern part of France, was run by Jean-Luc Klugescherz and his wife Véronique, the eighth generation of bakers carrying on their Alsatian tradition. During his travels in India, he discovered new flavors and combined them with the original cuisine. In 2008 he teamed up with Ellen Phan and Lutz Bergerhoff to open a shop in Baker Street, Puducherry.
Chocolate on Baker Street | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Today, the company is owned by Francopondicherienne Ejilmady Ramaradja, who worked as a baker-pastry chef in France for two decades, and brought a conscious fusion of French techniques and Indian flavor profiles to the bakery. At Christmas they bring a cornucopia of French items at varying rates such as penne d’épées (a cinnamon, almond cookie), eggless cookies, macarons, cashew chocolate and almond cookies, as well as local favorite rava cake, dried fruit Carrot Cake, Marble Cake, and Carrot Cake are all available for delivery. 9944850001
Bushi’s Bakery, Prayagraj
A Christmas Cake with Agra Petha (Gourd soaked in sugar)? If you’re wondering where you can find this unique combination, Bushi’s Bakery on Kanpur Road, Civil Lines is a neighborhood favorite on Christmas. Started in 1963 by Mohd. Haji Jumerati is now managed by Aslam Khan, and everything in the quaint bakery is done the old fashioned way. “The USP of our Christmas cake is the homemade caramel, which gives the cake its rich colour. we do our source Petha Marmalade from a vendor across the street, as well as from a store in the neighborhood. all cakes are made with one Garam Masala Using nutmeg, mace, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, we made our cake with ghee, which is cooked in a wood-fired oven,” explains Khan. Sold in two sizes – half a kg for ₹350 and 1 kg for ₹700, the cakes are made to order and shipping charges are borne by the customer. “Our cakes can last for months without losing their moisture,” says Aslam. The Christmas spirit is kept alive in Bushey as bakeries in the area make cakes for families, “Everyone marks their dishes with their names and brings ingredients to us. We mix and bake them and they give the baking charge,” concluded Khan. Ribbon cakes, walnut cakes, coconut cookies, and muffins are also popular at the bakery. 8840244988