Cakes, the beauty of the new age

Tell us the inspiration behind your fond of baking?

Sayantani Mukherjee:- After quitting my decade long career in Banking & Finance, I decided to delve deeper into a few things I loved since childhood but was deprived of, due to lack of time. Cakes always fascinated me because I felt it is the beauty of the new age fancy designer cakes that attracted people, apart from of course the flavours which were also taking a whole new approach. People were more widely travelled and wanted to experiment with flavours and look of their cakes. Hence my inspiration to create flavourful cakes combined with art, which would be appreciated by a set of people who wanted something unique in terms of look and flavour and would not like to compromise on the same.

What first led you to open your boutique Sayantani’s Culinary Delights and what have been the most exciting Workshop you have ever organised?

Sayantani Mukherjee:- Initially, I started receiving orders from friends and known circles and started sharing my work on my personal FB profile. It wasn’t very long before the volume started increasing and I opened my own Business page by the name Sayantani’s Culinary Delights and then there was no looking back. Without even realising, baking happened to be my new profession and I was enjoying it thoroughly. 

Initially, I started receiving orders from friends and known circles and started sharing my work on my personal FB profile. It wasn’t very long before the volume started increasing and I opened my own Business page by the name Sayantani’s Culinary Delights and then there was no looking back. Without even realising, baking happened to be my new profession and I was enjoying it thoroughly. 

I have organised varied Workshops of all kinds and a huge number of students who have attended my Workshops has grown professionally  and I am proud of them. My students mostly repeat students and references and also my clients who love to come and attend my Workshops. All my students keep coming back for more workshops on advanced levels and of course, new students come who come across my Workshop details on my page, last workshop images and the like.

 Some of the most unique workshops I have conducted are my Exotic Cakes Workshops, Cute Sugar Figurines Workshops of mine which is quite a craze with students, my popular Basic to Advanced Fondant Sessions, Confectionery Cakes Workshops, Wedding Cakes Workshops to name a few. Some very exciting and unique Workshops are coming up this year on huge popular demand and touchwood people would hopefully love them. 

The look or the style of a dessert is a consideration according to you how much importance do you give to make cake fancy ?

Sayantani Mukherjee:- Today, a cake is the centre of attraction in any celebration big or small. People want to express their emotions through cakes and convey their feelings to their loved ones. What they want to create is a memory and hence as a baker, I have to understand their needs totally before agreeing to execute on a particular order. The cake is an art today and people are very particular on what they exactly want from you. It is of primary importance to brush your skills and knowledge as much as possible and of course  justify yourself totally through the work you produce. 

Most of the times it is an exact replica of a downloaded image a client wants or a picture they have in their mind and want you to work on the basis of a sketch you try to create from what the client has communicated to you. That is where your expertise and experience matters. I like to have a detailed discussion with each client and their expectations out of that particular piece of art they expect you to deliver and like to speak to them an innumerable number of times if I feel there is a gap in my understanding. I work with the same intensity on each of my cakes, however big or small and give more than 200% each time to deliver the exact replica of what the client wants. It is of primary importance to me, and like all others in this profession, I do have sleepless nights quite often, as perfection is the key here. There is no shortcut to this but practise practice and a lot of practice. Only a picture-perfect cake can make your work stand out from the rest and most importantly give you a huge satisfaction, apart from a lot of appreciation and great reviews. Most importantly each cake is an opportunity so each time all you have in mind is to deliver the best.

Did u ever want to be anything apart from a homebaker ?

Sayantani Mukherjee:- I have been in the Banking and Finance world for over a decade of course before coming into this whole new world of baking. However, I always wanted to be an Air Hostess or a hotelier all my life.

What is the single most advice can you give to amateur homebakers? 

Sayantani Mukherjee:- I would say keep updating your skills and knowledge through practice and learning. Patience is the key and never think the word impossible exists in your dictionary. Focus on your own work and work towards your own goals. Everybody’s goal may not be the same as yours. Be your own competitor and work towards your vision. If you are doing good work sooner or later recognition will come your way. So do good work and do not worry about immediate results. Things will happen at the right time when you expect the least. Never let go.

By far as a themed cake designer what has been your greatest accomplishment?

Sayantani Mukherjee:- The love and recognition I never even knew existed has been my greatest accomplishments as a cake artist. When you deliver a cake and see tears of emotion and joy in the eyes of your client, you know how much you have accomplished. When you see the joy in the eyes of the little client who wanted you to make his most loved characters and denies cutting the cake, you know what you achieved. When that little client of yours denied cutting his car cake and cried all evening because his car was cut, and his parents call you the next day narrating the story, you know what you have earned. When you get an instant call from the client as soon as they see the cake, and they are all praises about the cake you have created and don’t know how to cut that piece of art, you know what you have accomplished as a theme cake artist.

What is your take on fusion cake with Indian mithai flavour ? Do u see more Indian flavours other than rasmalai coming into the market?

Sayantani Mukherjee:- Fusion cakes are one of the greatest innovations. Apart from ras malai a lot of other fusion cakes are being experimented with, and are adored by the clients. The nolan gur Icecreams and cakes are a hit in Bengal and also boondi, gulab jamun, rose flavours, thandai and so on and so forth. There is a huge scope of innovation in this sphere and a lot of surprises are in store. 

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