I have always been curious about food, and especially about the science of baking and that led me into it and organically I fell in love with the art. I have always been an artistic kid with a lot of love for food. Coming from a regular middle-class family, academics were always the first preference, and baking was considered to be a hobby. After scoring well in my 12th board, I got through one of the most prestigious law schools in India (ILS Law College, Pune).
1. Tell us about your background and your journey from a lawyer to a baker.
On Sundays, my mom used to bake for us sisters. That was our favourite activity. She is a wonderful cook and has a lot of love and passion for food. My sister is a chef and my biggest inspiration. She has always inspired me to create out-of-the-box desserts and to follow my passion. Cooking with both of them has always been a stress buster and so much fun.
I have always been curious about food, and especially about the science of baking and that led me into it and organically I fell in love with the art. I have always been an artistic kid with a lot of love for food. Coming from a regular middle-class family, academics were always the first preference, and baking was considered to be a hobby. After scoring well in my 12th board, I got through one of the most prestigious law schools in India (ILS Law College, Pune).
My parents were the happiest and I decided to take it up. I studied hard, worked sincerely, and tried my best to embrace it. But soon realised that I was missing out on the colours of creativity. With a double grad degree in law, my passion for baking and desserts. I was considered stupid, crazy, and insane! I had a lot to prove. I worked day in and day out like a maniac. I couldn’t waste a day. I wanted my dream so badly as a baker. And here I am…all smiles now.
2. What are your favourite techniques that you use as a baker?
In India, whipped cream cakes are usually bakery-style black forest and pineapple cakes. I like to use my creativity and upgrade simple whipped cream cakes with some international techniques like sharp edges, piping techniques, faultlines, etc.
As a baker, I feel that we have to keep testing our creativity in order to produce the best results!
3. Tell us more about your workshops that you conduct for aspiring bakers.
My vision is to take baking into every household of India and to inspire housewives/ homemakers/ women to be on their own physically, mentally, and financially. I have had the privilege of reaching my students with the help of online workshops. Baking empowers me and I’m sure baking will empower thousands of students across the country.
My main motive in classes is to not only impart useful baking and cake decoration techniques but also to include a well-rounded approach to the field of baking. I try to include life lessons as well as realistic business tips to kickstart my fellow home bakers. I wish to start a baking institute where I can train baking enthusiasts and help them achieve their dreams.
4. Given the recent trend towards home baking, how do you think the role of culinary schools has changed?
After the recent pandemic, the field of baking has changed drastically. A lot of new home bakers have entered the field and have started successful businesses. However, I feel that studying in a baking/culinary school can always help you expand your horizons and enable you to achieve certain exposures.
Working under/with professional and industry-trained chefs always has its benefits! Nowadays social media has really stepped up its game and lots of content is available to students for free. However, if you have the chance to attend a culinary school, please do :)
5. How do you deal with missteps or bake fails while preparing an order?
I deal with them with a smile. Bake fails are nothing but experiments that teach you a lot. You learn from them and keep that in mind and don’t make the same mistake again. If you don’t make mistakes, you will never learn.
While preparing an order and a mishap occurs, I always try to stay calm and see if the cake can be saved in any other way. If not, I talk it out with the client and have some buffer time ready.
Baking is a precise art, so even if you make mistakes, be sure to keep trying!
6. What professional bakers have influenced you, and how do you apply their methods to your own baking?
In the field of baking, my biggest inspiration is Chef Pooja Dhingra, who is a superwoman and has fought all the odds to achieve her dreams. She is a chef par excellence and has always broken barriers to bring India to the international stage. She has inspired so many women like me to dream big.
In the field of cake decoration, Yolanda Gampp has been an inspiration for all the cakes that I prepare. She is an award-winning YouTuber and a cake artist.
On a side note, I have been referred to as the Yolanda Gampp of India by many of my Instagram followers and there can be no higher honor for me!
7. What is your favourite cake style to bake?
As a kid, I used to watch a lot of cake shows on the television that featured humongous cakes and the entire process behind them. I used to be intrigued by these shows, and the technique and method used by the cake artists would fascinate me. I used to always wonder why we don’t have such cakes available in the Indian market. The artist in me would always make me more and more curious about gravity-defying cakes and the science behind them.
When I took my career plunge as a baker, I knew that I would be doing something unique and would introduce not just cakes but edible pieces of art to my city, to my country. I trained with a lot of international chefs to learn this coveted art and practiced hard to nail it. It wasn’t easy as no one initially would order such whimsical cakes from me. But I kept creating anti-gravity structured cakes and never gave up!
A few years ago, my Candy land topsy-turvy cake was appreciated so much by the audience that it became the face of my brand. I never ever thought that it would absolutely change my career course and give a new dimension to my cake artistry. Since then, there is no looking back and I have gone on creating award-winning anti-gravity cakes.
8. What advice would you like to give to amateur bakers?
My first and foremost advice to amateur bakers is to work very hard to achieve your dreams. Don't be scared to dream big and make sure to work hard and relentlessly towards your goal. Instagram can be glamorous but there's a lot of work that goes on behind it, so don't compare yourselves to other bakers on Instagram. Keep doing what you do best!
Also, make sure to enjoy your work and put 100% of your creativity and dedication in it, and you'll surely succeed.
9. 3 quick Aditi's tips for baking :
A lot of students have asked me for tips and tricks, so these are my top 3 most useful pointers-
• Always preheat your oven before baking any product. Preheating will always ensure even baking.
• Sift your dry ingredients for good aeration and to avoid lumps in the batter.
• If you're folding chocolate chips, berries, or nuts, in the liquid batter, dust them with a little flour first to avoid having them sink to the bottom.
Interviewed by - Nimisha Dutta
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