Islamabad: In Pakistan, Eid Al Fitr is also known as Meethi Eid because of the variety of delicious desserts prepared at home to savour and celebrate the festival. The sweet aroma of sawaiyyan (vermicelli) and kheer wafting through homes on Eid day invokes a nostalgic warmth and cherished memories of family gatherings.
While these remain the go-to desserts for most Pakistanis, cakes have gained popularity over the years, becoming an essential part of celebrations. But, these cakes are no longer plain and boring as the rise of social media and home bakers has brought a decorative, and delightful cake revolution.
Home bakers are pushing the boundaries of creativity and culinary skills to create visually stunning and flavourful cakes. From classic chocolate and vanilla to more exotic flavours like matcha and strawberry, there is no limit to variety. The increasing demand for personalised cakes and a wide range of delectables has encouraged many home bakers to turn their passion into a successful business.
Bento cakes - the ultimate Eid hit
Aqsa Khalid is a rising star in the Eid cake scene. She started baking as a hobby in 2019 and has since turned it into a successful business with her online bakery, ‘Yum Prum’. Khalid, who has a bachelor’s degree in computer science, left her job as a software engineer to pursue baking as her full-time career after falling in love with the craft.
Yum Prum’s colourful and trendy bento cakes have become a favourite among her customers on Instagram, filling the gap in the market for these Korean delicacies that have become a global sensation. “The response has been overwhelming. Customers love the small, cute, and chocolatey treats,” the 26-year-old baker told Gulf News. Bento cakes offer a creative twist on traditional cakes, as these are small-sized, quirky yet minimalist.
Yum Prum, which has 12,000 followers on Instagram, has launched its own line of Eid bento cakes from pastels to an elegant show-stopping snowy white cake with a palette design. The cakes are double-layered and weigh 0.5lb, making them perfect for 1-2 servings.
Each bento box is priced at Rs1,350. It comes in unique designs and three delicious flavours: chocolate with malt, vanilla with lotus, and carrot with cream cheese. Emphasizing the power of social media for small businesses, Khalid said that “content creation is a crucial tool for bakery owners to learn,” adding that she loved the entire journey from baking to creating content and making it available to cake lovers.
Colourful and creative cupcakes
Another home baker Maham Ali is taking the traditional cake to new heights with her vibrant array of cupcakes - a delightful burst of colours and creativity.
While chocolate fudge remains an “all-time favourite of Pakistanis”, the 22-year-old baker behind ‘The Cupcake Corner’, says that creativity is the essential ingredient that transforms ordinary cakes into culinary works of art. From mini cupcake platters to delicately designed Eid trays with cakes, cupcakes, brownies, and chocolate-coated dates, home-based bakers put in a lot of effort to provide a magical experience for customers, she says.
The talented baker has been whipping up delicious treats since she baked her first cake at the age of 10. She has relied on online learning and experimentation to perfect her craft, all while balancing her studies as a 4th-year medical student. And her passion shines through in her vibrant assortment of cupcakes.
“Meetha (sweets) has always been very close to my heart. I love experimenting with different flavours and ingredients”, she said while talking to Gulf News about her inspiration to start the online bakery business. At the age of 15, she created the online bakery account, which she entirely runs herself, from taking orders to preparing them and updating social media. Despite the long hours spent in the kitchen on Chand Raat (Eid eve), Ali finds it all worth it. “It’s crazy, fun, and I love it,” she says.
With her passion and hard work, she is grateful for the opportunity to share her love of baking with others. Her small online bakery, ‘The Cupcake Corner’, has amassed 10,000 followers on Instagram. Ali says social media has been a huge driving force in her success. “I never intended to advertise, but once I started sharing my creations with close family and friends, the reach expanded and the orders started pouring in.”
Bright, pastels and gold
In the bustling city of Lahore, a home baker named Aqsa Zia is whipping up dozens of orders for Eid cakes, just a day before the holiday. She is the creator behind ‘Holy Wholesome’, a one-year-old online bakery that has quickly become a favourite among locals. So, which Eid cake is popular this year? “Our chocolate malt cake has been a best-seller for Ramadan and also Eid. A combination of both bright and pastel colours with a hint of gold is trending for Eid cakes”, she replied.
The playful designs and rich flavours of her cakes are a celebration of creativity and joy. One of Holy Wholesome’s popular Eid desserts is a mint green cake, delicately decorated with rose petals, with a tastefully crafted Eid Mubarak fondant topper, which adds a touch of festivity. Other than Eid cakes, the baker’s unique Ramadan box filled with a variety of treats including almond date loaf, lovingly decorated crescent moon cookies and cupcakes, and stuffed dates, was a popular gift during the holy month.
Refreshing wave of creativity in Pakistan
Home bakers in Pakistan are bringing a refreshing new wave of creativity and authenticity to traditional cakes and treats, revolutionizing the dessert industry. There’s no better time to witness their artistry than Eid, one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year for home-based bakers.
One of these passionate bakers is Mahwish Aziz, the expert behind the ‘Sugaries’ bakery in Karachi. She developed a love for baking at an early age, inspired by her grandmother’s amazing tarts, pies, and unique samosas. “Her chocolate cake was one I could never seem to recreate perfectly,” she shared with Gulf News. Moreover, “My mother always baked at home, and we never had store-bought cakes in our house” she added.
After graduating from the Indus Valley School of Art in 2012 with a degree in communications and advertising, her passion led her to the International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) in Dubai where she completed an extensive baking course. What started as a passion soon turned into a full-time career in 2015, and now she teaches baking as well as runs her own bakery, and also manages customized online orders on her Instagram page “Sugaries” which now has 46,000 followers.
With great attention to detail and a dedication to perfection, Aziz’s Eid cakes are a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Each cake is a masterpiece, with layers of moist sponge and luscious frosting, adorned with whimsical decorations.
Sugaries offers a wide range of hand-crafted delicacies, including their standout offerings, the 30-piece assorted silver platter, which includes a variety of treats such as pistachio, almond, walnut, and coconut truffles, stuffed dry fruit dates, Belgian chocolate brownies, making it a perfect gift. “One of our most unique desserts for Eid 2023 is ‘the nest’, a tart kind of fusion desert mix of east and west.”
Every year, she pushes herself to be more creative, especially during Eid and Ramadan. This year, keeping inflation in mind, the bakery offered desserts that were not too expensive yet distinctive enough to entice people to spend a little extra.
Experimenting with new flavours, combinations, and intricate designs, these home bakers are not just transforming the way Eid cakes look but also making Eid celebrations more special and memorable.
