Baking for the rich and the famous

With their hyper-customized offerings, these Mumbai-based bakers are becoming just as famous as their celebrity clientele

- Shilpi Madan

Can it truly be the season to be jolly without some decadent desserts? December not only brings with it elegant soirees and outdoor parties, but also a sense of guilt at binging on sweet treats. However, a clutch of bakers from Mumbai, who cater to the rich and famous, are whipping up delicacies that are both decadent and healthy. They customize each creation to match the fitness needs of their celebrated clientele, and are becoming just as feted and popular as the people they cater to.

This set is rustling up healthy alternatives to cakes—both classic and contemporary—to add guilt-free cheer to the festive season. Divya Ranglani, founder, Healthy Treats, Mumbai, recently baked a quinoa, zucchini and roasted almond cake for actor Arjun Kapoor and his sister Anshula. When they mentioned the ingredients at dinner, there was a collective groan about why dessert needed to be healthy as well. "But the entire cake was wiped out in minutes," says the 54-year-old baker.

She has just hit gold with an increasing number of customers wanting her latest creation—a moist granola cake made with yogurt, cranberry and nuts. This was part of the birthday hamper actor Alia Bhatt got as a gift from her mother Soni Razdan.

It is not just parties that these celebrity bakers cater to but weddings as well. Delicacies by Bunty Mahajan, for instance, was the choice of the Ambani family for the multi-tiered, 100kg engagement cake for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant last year.

Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt chose Pooja Dhingra of Le15 Patisserie to create their towering wedding cake in 2022 in exotic Swiss cream with dried-pressed flowers. Katrina Kaif loves the jowar dark chocolate cake and off-the-menu pancakes that Juhi Pahwa of The Better Binge is known for.

PATISSERIE GOING VIRAL