Cake Queens of Kashmir

With flour on their hands and a dream in their hearts, three young Kashmiri women created a bakery that is winning fans across the Valley.

- Syed Mohammad Burhan

On Shab-e-Qadr, the sacred night Muslims believe destinies are written, three Kashmiri women were not in prayer or rest.

In a modest kitchen with flour-dusted hands and tired eyes, they were racing against time to fulfill their biggest cake order yet.

For Ahtisam Majeed Bhat from Rawalpora, Farheena Bashir Lone from Sopore, and Syed Rafia Lateef from Kupwara, that night was not a sacrifice—it was a beginning.

“We were physically exhausted,” Ahtisam says, “but there was this energy that carried us. We felt like we were baking our future into those cakes.”

That future took the shape of Bake O'Clock, a bakery brand born from resilience, friendship, and an unshakable work ethic. What started as a college stall is today a celebrated name among Valley's food circles and an emerging symbol of women-led enterprise in Kashmir.

The trio met during their Diploma in Food Technology at Bemina College. Toward the end of their course, they began thinking aloud about starting a venture. The idea of a bakery sparked something in all three, and they approached the college authorities. With support from their mentor, Hakim Mohammad Ilyas, and internships at Just Baked and IHM Srinagar, their plan slowly turned into something real.

“We learned how things actually run in a professional setup—how to scale, maintain consistency, manage supplies,” recalls Farheena. “It changed our thinking from passion to profession.”