What’s Christmas without a cake? And what could be better than one made at home? Not just fruit cakes for Christmas, but cakes for every season and reason, customised to choice and taste, are being baked by women from their homes in Howrah. The young entrepreneurs either juggle profession and passion or have quit full-time jobs to put their hearts into a hobby.
The Creations
Jiya Mondal has been running her bakery, The Creations, from her Tikiapara home since March last year. She makes customised cream, fondant or plain cakes for all occasions.
“When I first started the bakery, I depended heavily on close friends and relatives to sell. Now I get regular orders even from new customers,” said Jiya, who also runs tuition classes at home.
Orders are taken over phone from clients in Howrah and Calcutta and delivered against a minimum charge of Rs 150. The prices are competitive, ranging from Rs 350 to Rs 500 per pound. Jiya hopes to start her own website soon. Themed fondant cakes with chocolate ganache are the most popular but Jiya also makes fruit cakes loaded with cashew nuts, raisins, almonds, walnuts, cherries and tutti-fruti.
Sweet Sensations
Sweet Sensations started seven months ago at Puja Daga’s Kings Road home near Howrah AC Market. Earlier, Puja would bake at home for friends, but having attended a three-day workshop by Manju Sethia, she decided to go professional. With an MBA degree in finance, Puja gave up her bank job to start her venture. “I wanted to start a bakery of my own and the best place to start is home,” said Puja.
“I make dry fruit cake with cherries and raisins. I also make strawberry cupcakes and some cupcakes with Christmas decorations,” said Puja, who is helped by her sister-in-law. She does free home delivery within four kilometres. “I hope to spread out beyond Howrah. I have a Facebook page where I upload pictures of my cakes, but I will start a website soon,” she said.
The pocket pinch ranges from Rs 25 to 45 per cupcake and Rs 300 to Rs 450 per pound for cakes.
Bake Free-Patisserie
When spinal tuberculosis rendered Ankita Agarwal immobile two years ago, it was baking that kept her going.
“For a year, I was confined to the house, my best friend advised me to start baking, something that I loved to do and since then, it has become my passion,” said Ankita, who now has a job in Calcutta and runs her bakery from her Dobson Road home.
Ankita’s motto is to bake healthy. “I make eggless cakes and prefer to use good quality vegetable oil instead of butter. I also make them less sweet,” she said.
She also posts recipes on her Facebook page to encourage baking. For Christmas, Ankita makes three types of fruit cakes. The mixed fruit cake, rum fruit cake and tutti-fruti cake. She also bakes gingerbread cookies. “I only bake on order because eggless cakes cannot be preserved,” said Ankita.
Le Cakes at 24x7
If anyone wants to spring a birthday surprise on a friend at midnight, Titas Sarkar of Dasnagar is ready to help. Her bakery is called Le Cakes at 24x7. Titas, who started it this April, is a one-woman army, taking orders over phone, baking and delivering them at her customers’ doorstep. “I cannot employ people now. So, I do everything myself,” she smiled.
For Christmas this year, Titas has made cupcakes with nuts and dry fruits. With an MBA degree in her kitty, Titas juggles her bakery and a full-time job. “I usually deliver orders early in the morning, before going to office in Sector V. However, I have delivered surprise birthday cake orders at midnight at no extra charge,” she said.
Her professional networks have helped Titas. Corporate orders come from time to time. A website is also on her mind.
