Christmas is around the corner! Already the festive spirit is seen with Christmas-ey accessories coming up in stores. Some places also have put up trees, though traditionally it comes up at the beginning of December.
One of the trademark items for Christmas is the CAKE! But did you know that preparations for it are started as much as 45-50 days in advance? The fruits and nuts that are used in the cake need to be soaked for well over a month in rum and wine to get the right flavors. The prep in itself is a big event. I had seen pictures of such events held in hotels but had never been to one. Thanks to my friend Ekta Ahuja, who is an amazing baker too, I got to experience a smaller & more intimate version of this for just 15 of us!
This was designed to be a fun 2-hr event in the evening for friends, where we helped cut dry fruits and nuts into small pieces. Armed with chopping boards and knives, we identified an empty space in our apartment to meet. Since this was a Christmas event, we chose to come dressed in Red. The chopping took us around one hour, with a lot of banter and selfie breaks (but, of course!). The cut dry fruits were then put in a big pan and rum and homemade wine were poured over it. Then came the fun part of making sure that they were mixed well. While Ekta showed us how it was to be done initially, a lot of us also tried our hand at mixing.
The heady smell of the mix and our loud laughter brought in some visitors too, who came in to check what we girls were up to! It was an evening well spent and we wound up after enjoying the cupcakes baked by Ekta and puffs from our newly-opened apartment bakery. (We called in for pizza, but it never turned up because firstly we apparently gave the wrong address and then didn’t pick up the call as we didn’t hear the phone because of all the laughter!)
There is still a second round of wine and rum to be added to the mix before it is ready for use to bake the cake! Looking forward to tasting the yummy cake on Christmas and to more such fun cooking sessions with Ekta & My Little Kitchen!
Ekta Ahuja is a home baker and chef. You can visit her Instagram Page mylittlekitchen07 to check out her creations and to place your order if you are in Bangalore!
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
Wow! I have always wanted to take part in the Christmas cake-baking session. You are indeed very lucky to have such a group of friends who are like-minded and try out exotic stuff like this.
Yum Yum! What a great way to spend time with friends and promote women as small business owners.
I love baking and these days I am developing more interest towards it and this post now gave a super kick to my belly to gear up for preparing some fresh baked item this year for my little ones first Christmas.
Wow, such a fun and intimate way to enjoy cake-mixing! Hope you guys had enough wine and rum left over to indulge then and there. Did you get to eat anything at all?
I have also seen a lot of pics from Radisson and other hotels. This is such a lovely way to celebrate. Looks like a lot of fun. Kudos to your community it always finds unique ways to celebrate.
soooo nice to read about it Vasu… it was a lovely evening. You didn’t forget even the tiny details😊
btw, for me too it was first time attending such an event… thanks to Ekta.
Wow – I had to go back and find you in the pictures. (Alcohol + creativity + sweet treats) * the company of friends = gala time.
Wowww!! So much fun ! You are so lucky to have this event. It is really fun way to celebrate and witness the Christmas cake preparation. Beautiful pictures and look you have so much fun.
This looks like so much fun. The cupcakes would have surely been the cherry on top. Cake mixing has been all the rage this year. I was looking forward to your post on what your community was planning for Christmas.
This is super cute, I love the way ull get together to experience different things. After all me time spent well is worth it all.
This looks like so much fun. You’re fortunate to have friends who share your interests and are willing to try out experiences as unique as this one. I always look forward to reading your blog for the next festive.
Ohhhh….Such a great idea to get together! I’m sure there had been tons of laughter and memories created during this time and what could one ask for after but a delicious dessert after! I love seeing get togethers especially after the Pandemic happening! It’s really a time to reconnect!
Christmas is meant to bless us with love, laughter, joy and gifts. It’s started a little early for u all. stayed blessed.
Merry Christmas.
Apart from the requisite ingredients, i believe love and laughter are the most important parts in making something delicious.
ohh wow! I am so envious of you. This is a perfect way to celebrating the spirit of Christmas. Preping the Christmas cake the hardest yet the most satisfying part. Even I bake the cake an dhave already soaked my fruits. Loved the pictures.
It looks so lovely and fun. Even I as your reader enjoyed it.
I am a fan of Christmas and the lights. I have always wanted to take part in the Christmas cake-baking session. Anyday, I would love to take participate in any cake baking session.
Wow, never knew so much goes into making a Christmas cake.
Seems like such fun! I enjoy reading your diary-like blog posts!