Young bakers share their journey and their special menu for the New Year

With Christmas just over and the New Years knocking on the door, cakes and baked goods are selling like hot cakes. Only this time, we didn’t queue in front of Nahoum’s or Saldanha Bakery. Here are five student-run bakeries in Calcutta that are all ready to deliver cakes and pastries to your doorstep.

Cakealicious by Mofazia and Zainab Akhtar

Mofazia, a first year interior design student at the JD Birla Institute, and her sister, Zainab, a class XI student at BSS School, have been cooking together for a long time. Earlier this year, the duo professionally baked their first cake under the startup name Cakealicious. “We watch MasterChef India a lot and follow the YouTube channels of Kirti Bhoutika, winner of MasterChef India Season 5, and pastry chef Jeyadra Vijayselvan. Our role model is Shivesh Bhatia. We religiously follow its recipes, ”Mofazia said.

After buying pastry accessories with their pocket money, the two sisters made 250 orders. Their menu includes brownies, cupcakes, muffins, party cakes, donuts, sliced ​​cakes, pinatas, cookies, truffle balls, cake pots and jars. Their New Years specials include gingerbread cookies, bread cakes in different flavors, hot chocolate spoons, muffins, and chocolate bars.

“There were times when we got orders in the middle of exams and we both had back-to-back online courses. We stayed up until 4 am to finish our orders, ”recalls Mofazia, 18, who learned time management last year.

Find them on Instagram @ cake_a_licious._

Cured by Cakes by Stuti Chakravarty

Stuti, a sophomore psychology student at Bethune College, started cooking at the age of 12 with the help of her grandmother. After honing her skills by watching YouTube videos and using her creativity, she launched Cured by Cakes on December 24, 2020. “Building something from scratch is extremely fascinating. I learned to combine work and studies. In addition, my communication skills have improved. I want to grow my business and open a small outlet later, ”said Stuti, who initially used his savings to source the raw material.

Its regular items include traditional cakes, fusion flavored cakes, cheesecakes, bread cakes and brownies. She’s baking butter fruit cake, blueberry muffins, hot chocolate mix, butter cookies and rum balls for the New Years special.

The 20-year-old has completed more than 170 orders to date. “I generally plan and divide the time between my academics and the startup. I avoid taking too many orders during my exams as academics are always a priority and I don’t like to compromise on the quality of the cake, ”added Stuti.

Find her on Instagram @cured_by_cakes

KrazyCrunch by Oishanee Bhattacharjee

Oishanee is a self-taught baker who learned the basics of baking from her mother, Sudatta, then explored social media to improve her skills and learn a variety of baked goods. The second-year journalism and mass communication student at Asutosh College started KrazyCrunch in August 2020 after borrowing money from her mother. After placing more than 600 orders, she not only reimbursed her mother, but she now also runs the startup herself.

KrazyCrunch’s menu includes cookies, brownies, tea cakes, cream cakes, muffins, and cake pots. Special New Year’s cakes are loaded with dried fruits and plums. Also an Odissi dancer by training, the 19-year-old combines leisure, studies and startups.

“Creating things on my own and making people happy gave me another boost. The hard times are always there and you have solutions. I put my heart in the pastry. I have made mistakes and still make mistakes but experience is a great teacher. I do my best not to repeat them, ”said Oishanee, who wants to continue her baking alongside her dancing and studying.

Find her on Instagram @krazy_crunch

Sugarbaby Dessert Co. by Marium Javed

Marium started cooking when she was a child and at the age of 13 she started baking cakes for all of her friends. After completing a baking degree at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School in Thailand, Marium opened her Sugarbaby Dessert Co. bakery. The 23-year-old follows Cupcake Jemma, pastry chef Masayoshi Ishikawa and Matt Adlard on YouTube.

“After my training in a French culinary institute, I mainly focus on classic French desserts. Other than that, I make tea cakes, ice creams, sorbets, mousses, pies, pies, party cakes. My signature dishes are the chocolate mud pie and the baked cheesecake. Sugarbaby Dessert Co. is registered with the FSSAI with a professional kitchen setup, ”said Marium, who follows pastry chefs and chefs like Cedric Grolet, Pooja Dhingra, Amaury Guichon, Gaggan Anand and Frederic Legras. After placing more than 500 orders, she learned to manage logistics and marketing. For New Years, she bakes tea cakes, plum cakes, Belgian chocolate pies and New York style cheesecakes.

Find her on Instagram @sugarbabydessertco

Or.g.anik by Aheli Paul

Aheli, a Class XII student of Patha Bhavan, started Or.g.anik with a special Christmas menu on December 10, 2021. Having placed 40 orders in the past two weeks, she is now preparing for the New Year. Its menu consists of a variety of cakes like fruits and nuts, orange, apple, chocolate, lime, dates and nuts and blueberries. She also sells flavored cookies as well as hot milk cakes, coconut cakes and marble cakes.

“I don’t use artificial flavors in my articles. I wanted to become independent so I started this new bakery. Home bakeries are all the rage. I have a strong passion for experimenting with flavors and ingredients. I’m learning to manage my time, balancing both my studies and my new bakery, ”said the 18-year-old.

Find her on Instagram @ or.g.ani