Ever eaten ethnic cake?

Last month Lower Parelbased cake artist Zankhana Makwana was in the limelight Her Indiathemed cakemdasha fivefoot 11layer creation that featured the Taj Mahal brightlycoloured peacocks elephants flanking a golden temple and lotus sugar flowersmdashwas the showstopper at Cakeology 2023 The cake fest shines a spotlight on the creative confections of home bakers and chefs A baker by passion and not just profession Makwana also holds the title of Indiarsquos Top 10 Cake Master of the year 2023 awarded by the Cakemaster MagazineSketch of the handpainted cake that manifested into icing realitySunday midday invited Makwana to our suburban office to reveal the secret to crafting such creative cakes that take inspiration from home ldquoThe secret ingredient is passionrdquo she tells us as she painstakingly works on the intricate design of the Diwalithemed cake almost like a mehendi or rangoli artist Makwana who suffers from cervical issues in her wrist doesnrsquot let her condition come in the way of her art She bends at the waist for hours supporting her right wrist with the left one to fill in the details Making a cake with two or more layers takes hours of work starting with a sketch conceptualising the design and its detailed elements The base a chocolate sponge has been prepared and kept in the fridge overnight Then comes the layer of fondant which requires precise measurements to appear seamlessMakwana says that the fondant which is a sugar dough can make or break the taste of a cake ldquoThink of the commercial cakes that you buyrdquo she explains ldquoWe usually remove the fondant while eating those because theyrsquore hard and donrsquot taste like anythingrdquo The firmness of the fondant depends on how long itrsquos been exposed to air which is why commercial cakes prepared weeks in advance usually taste unpalatable ldquoFondant at its best should taste moist like bubblegumrdquo she says ldquoNot dryrdquoWhat may seem surprising but is a dealbreaker is the temperature you work in Contrary to popular belief fondant cakes should not be kept in the fridge if you want them to be moist and soft from the inside as well as the outside Ideally they have to be stored in a 247 airconditioned room While she worked on our confectionary creation she was particular that the air conditioner was set between 16 to 18 degrees centigrade Thatrsquos how Makwana ensures her creations are firm but malleableWhile decorating the cake by crafting fondant seems exciting the tedious process reveals itself in the hours and concentration required to first shape out each element with a mould stick it to the cake and then paint individually with edible oilbased colours At this juncture temperature is crucial as Mumbairsquos weather Makwana laments is not conducive to surface artApart from baking the base layers individually shaping them and stacking them on top of each other painting each decorative element takes the most time Makwana has dabbled in many forms of art including ceramics painting glass painting and sketching before making cakes her canvas in 2009It requires patience and steady hands Like any painting it starts with a rough sketch of the intended design Special edible markers and pigment pens are used to draw on the fondant But first a wash of colour in layers as with watercolours on paper The challenge is spreading the paint smoothly and evenly but quickly because paint dries up faster on fondant than it does on paper And you canrsquot use watermdashit will moisten the fondant The paints have to be heated up with a lighter to melt and spread them over the surfaceThe diyas lining the cake are painted with gold dust powder mixed with an alcohol compound called Evapourex When the alcohol evaporates the powder sticks to the fondant ldquoI used a flower mould to cut out the diyas because I couldnrsquot find a diya mouldrdquo the cake artist explainsThe cherry on the cake pun intended is the bouquet on top These realisticlooking lotuses and twines are made of sugar paste and dried overnight before being painted with petal powder Each takes roughly three to four days to finish Theyrsquore edible as well except for the twine which is covered in edible paper before being stuck into the cakeHow to craft a handpainted Diwali cakePrepreparation stageBake a round vanilla or chocolate sponge cake and layer it with ganache This will form the base and has to be refrigerated before being frosted the next dayStep 1The fondant is prepared from sugar water butter and corn syrup and layered thinly over the cake A thick layer will weigh the cake down andharden easilyStep 2Individual moulds are used to shape each element Generic shapes can lead to innovative designs such as turning a leaf into the flame of a diyaStep 3Each design need to be stuck to the cake with edible glue before they can be painted with edible colours and sparkleStep 4The final stage includes handpainting the creation First comes a sketch using edible pencil leads then a light wash of colour and finally the finer details just as you would paint on a canvas