French chef Govinda Maria vouches for the Pain d’épices cake as something that will suit the Indian palate

For Govinda Maria, a French chef from Paris, cooking is like daily meditation. She arrived in Chandigarh a couple of months ago to practise her passion for food with the Alliance Française Chandigarh Café.

“I believe you have to taste a culture to understand it and I am so glad to contribute to this mission by sharing the exquisite flavours and culinary traditions of France with people here. Sharing a meal is a profound way to connect people and food is a cornerstone of French heritage,” she says.

Govinda shares Pain d’épices (Winter Spices Cake) recipe with us. “The spices used in this Pain d’épices cake are really the symbol of winter, especially Christmas. Once the cake starts baking, the house is filled with the comforting smell of all the spices used and it feels like a celebration of winter. Though it is cold outside, the aroma of the cake in the oven really brings warmth to the heart and soul. In France, we rarely use these spices and it marks the winter festive season when we start making Pain d’épices. Having a bite of it is a moment of joy.”

This one her father’s favourite cake and it is a tradition to make it for the festive season. “We always like to make it around Christmas because it uses winter spices and unlike most of French cakes the recipe doesn’t contain eggs, so everybody can enjoy it without hesitation.” Pain d’épices is surely a people-pleaser, believes Govinda. “Back home in France, I always thought that Pain d’épices cake is something that would satisfy the Indian taste-buds.”

Slice of happiness

What’s Christmas without cakes? Bakery shops in Ludhiana have come up with a range of mouth-watering plum cakes. At Bellfrance, special cakes are made for the occasion. Christmas cake is a British tradition that began as plum porridge.

The traditional Christmas cakes are made with moist zante currants, sultanas (golden raisins) and raisins, which have been soaked in brandy, rum, whisky or sherry. The cakes are prepared in the shapes like Christmas tree, Santa Clause, cradle, Christmas socks etc. Cakes are being prepared in many households for which mixing started 2-3 days back. — Shivani Bhakoo

Merry vibes...

A Christmas tradition of sorts, plum cake and mulled wine are festive staples, and several bakeries and cafes offer these in Amritsar. Plum cake, traditionally prepared by mixing dry fruits, such as apricots, figs, cashew nuts, raisins and black currants with wine, rum, brandy and whisky, a month before Christmas, is for the taking on the go at Grab N Go, with home delivery right on your doorstep. One can find the best plum cake in city at the Popular Bakery, one of the oldest here, apart from dessert line up at Taj, Hyatt and Le Meridien. For that perfect warm Christmas night drink, Elgin Cafe and The Bagh, two premium bar lounges and restaurants, offer mulled wine and hot Toddy. Mulled wine, with its gentle spice, is a true Christmas experience. Hot Toddy, also called hot whiskey, too is a favourite with non-wine lovers. — Neha Saini

Plum share

As the festive season fills the air, bakeries in Chandigarh are drawing in locals with the rich aroma of traditional Christmas plum cakes. This year, two bakeries are at the forefront of bringing this age-old tradition to life—Rum Genies, a cosy family-run business by Deepak Malhotra and Apurva Oberoi, and Sweettalk, a solo venture by passionate baker Anhad Pannu. Moreover, two brothers running the Singla Store established by their father, are catering to the taste of families hailing from Southern India by selling plum cakes procured all the way from Kerala.“We soak the dried fruits in rum for a month. It’s a slow process, but that’s how you get the rich flavours,” says Deepak from Rum Genies.

In the bustling Jubilee Walk market of Sector 70 in Mohali, Sweettalk is another gem that has garnered a loyal following for its rich, moist Christmas plum cakes. Run by Anhad Pannu, a former pastry chef-turned-entrepreneur, Sweetalks, was set up by him at his home in 2019. He opened the first store in 2020 in Sector 10.

Located in Sector 47, Chandigarh, Singla Store is a favourite among the South Indian community in tricity. The store, which has been catering to the region since 1969, offers a unique selection of cakes that are a staple in South Indian households during Christmas. — Akashdeep Virk