In Conversation with Home Baker Meenal Agarwal

In Conversation with Meenal Agarwal, Founder-owner of The Bake Affair, Udaipur.

With a deep-rooted passion for baking and interest in exploring sophisticated recipes, she started her home-based baking business, The Bake Affair in 2015. With her handcrafted designs and innovative personalised cakes and cupcakes and an array of flavours, Meenal won over our hearts and tummies with her delicious baked goods. 

Read here to know more about Ms Meenal's journey as a Home Baker in the city and her likings, views, motivation and story of this successful young entrepreneur.

(and dont miss the recipe of Meenal's favourite cake at the end of this concersation!)

Gourmand's Diary (GD): Hello Meenal, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Tell us a little bit about yourself and How did Baking happen to you? 

Meenal Agarwal(MA): Thank you for having me here and Hi to all the readers! 

I’m born and brought up in Udaipur. Did my schooling from St.Mary’s Convent School, Udaipur and I hold an Engineering degree in Electronics and Communication.  

And let me confess that I have a huge craving for anything sweet! So, I would say that the idea of baking came very naturally to me, all thanks to my sweet tooth! 

GD: Where does the idea of considering Baking as profession stem from?

MA: I got married two years back, and before that also I used to bake for friends and families. And after marriage, I found that both my sister-in-laws are involved in baking, and they are doing pretty good in Surat, and gained a lot of knowledge and trained with professional skills from them. Started baking for friends and when I saw that all of them were praising the taste and my skills, it struck me why not start something more professionally. I can bake at home and serve people delicious varieties of cakes and pastries that are complete Eggless. In the city where we live in, there are many people, who do not prefer Eggs or any Animal product in their diet, so thought to serve them something that they can trust. And thus, it all started.

GD: Did you go to any Baking School?

MA: I've attended many Baking Workshops across the country and learnt from the experts. And most importantly I got hands-on training from my Sister-in-law who owns a very famous baker working in Surat. 

GD: And when did you start The Bake Affair?

MA: We have begun on 25th July 2015, and we are almost two years old now! 

GD: How were the initial days?

MA: Okay, so for first three to four months, we were mostly doing with friends as we did a soft launch of The Bake Affair. Then we put up a stall at a very popular exhibition in Udaipur, Eva in October 2015 and we got a tremendous response from the local people. They loved our cakes and pastries and surprised to find that we are from Udaipur. The overwhelming response from the event made us a popular name among the people, and I would say kind of put us on the map!

GD: What was the first cake you bake professionally at The Bake Affair?

MA: A Chocolate Truffle Cake! And since then it is one of our best-sellers.

GD: Tell us something more about your venture, The Bake Affair?

MA: First, I like to mention that we make a 100% authentic Eggless cakes and pastries at The Bake Affair (TBA). We do not use any gelatine or any other product which has any trace of any non-vegetarian ingredients in it. And I can challenge people to get it tasted anywhere they wish, any laboratories, if they have any doubt over my claim. 

We do a variety of products like Birthday and Wedding Cakes, Cupcakes, Pastries of almost twelve different flavours like Red Velvet, Chocolate Truffle, a range of tea time cakes, cookies and one of our best, Doughnuts, probably the best one you can find in the city! We also do a lot of experimental and trendy cakes like Rustic (my personal favourite), Anti-gravity (a kids favourite), Three tier cakes with fresh flowers or fresh fruits on order. We are trying to come up with some fusion desserts as well like shot glass pudding, cheesecakes and all. During Christmas and New year, we make a variety of winter cakes, Bundt cake with seasonal fruit sauce to pour over the top that are hugely popular among our regular customers.

However small or big the order, we always give our 100% whatever we bake!

I never imagined that TBA would be so successful being a home baker's venture. The amount of love and support people have given us has made us confident even in such a competitive market. The repetitive orders by most of our customers helped us reach a position that we have always dreamt. I would say TBA is one of my best dream that is now taking shape in front of my eyes!

A Three Tier Wedding Cake

GD: Who else is involved in the day to day activities of TBA?

MA: My family is very supportive of what I do! I would say that My Mother-in-law is my backbone! She takes care of all the household work and allows me to pursue my dream with TBA. And moreover, she always lends me her support by whatever means she can. My biggest strength, my husband looks after all the online activities and promotion of TBA. I have a team of pastry chefs and helpers in my bakery who are very supportive all the way. 

GD: Where do you get your inspiration for Creative Design and Concepts?

MA: We always first listen to the customer, what he/she requires. We do the discussion, and then we put everything on our planning table. I do a lot of research on the internet about the latest trends and styles, and then we come up with something creative, matching to the customer's requirement. You can see that on Instagram and Google, there are thousands of varieties of designs and style available, we study them carefully and create something more personalised with our creative inputs for the customer. Many times, the customer brings a picture or a reference, and we try to deliver it as best as we can.

One of their recent creation, A Bird Cake with Fresh Flowers

Kids favourite, the Minion Cake

GD: What are your signature items?

MA: I would say rather our signature flavours are the red velvet, the chocolate truffle, the tiramisu and we do them in both cakes and cupcakes. Our Blue Berry Cheese Cake is also very popular. And as I told you before, the Doughnuts. Also, Almond Cookies are one of our best sellers along with Garlic Butter Toast.

Assorted Doughnuts

Customised Cupcakes

A Chocolate Cake with Ferrero Rocher!

GD: Have you ever tried the vegetarian Gelatine, Agar Agar?

MA: Ohh, I don't like it at all, and I never use it. Initially, I tried a couple of times to use Agar Agar, but it causes a change in the actual flavour of the cake and creates something which I'm not at all comfortable to bake for my customers. 

GD: What is the one favourite cake, you wanted to have just after baking it fresh?

MA: A Vanilla flavoured Wheat Sponge Cake, I can gorge on it anytime during the day, It is a type of tea time cake that we bake, and it has no maida in it, so less spongy you may say. I just love it!

GD: What is your most challenging order till date?

MA: There was an order for a wedding cake from a person who is from overseas, he was in touch with me for over three months before the wedding, and we discussed a lot about the type of flavour, the designs, arrangements and all but he didn't confirm the order. On the day of the wedding, he called me around 4 p.m. saying that he forgot to place the order and he wanted the cake to be delivered by 8 pm at the venue at any cost! So we switched on our Superhero mode and finished the Three-tier Designer Wedding Cake and get it delivered by 8'o clock. That was the most challenging order I would say so far. 

GD: And what is the biggest or heaviest cake you ever baked?

MA: We go by kgs or pound. And so far, the heaviest cake we have done till date is a 10kg one! We did another 20 pounder which was based on the Animated film, RIO with a lot of colourful birds and a jungle theme cake where all the articles were made with edible ingredients. 

GD: What are a few unique recipes you’ve baked? And what is the unique ingredient you have ever used?

MA: Recently we have tried the Jamun cake. The fresh Jamun fruit is incorporated in the recipe, and the cake turned out pretty good. Also, we tried with Falsa fruit. Many times, customers come to us and ask what new you can bake, and we keep trying with fresh and innovative ingredients. 

And the unique ingredient I've ever used is Chili. The green chilli that is commonly available in the market on a customer's request. He wanted an element of hotness from chilli in his cake along with the sweetness of mango, and yes, that was really unique to me.

GD: How do you price a cake?

MA: As a home baker we face a lot of question why your pricing is this and lot of comparison. I like to say that we always try to give the best possible experience and product to a customer and for that we never do any compromises in the ingredients that we use. As we bake on order, not like the big bakeries mass producing their cakes, we calculate the price according to the ingredients used in it, and the labour goes into it. I can say, that the price is very competitive and the products we bake are worth every penny you pay. 

GD: We’ve all had a baking fail, or in my case, several. Can you describe your worst baking disaster?

MA: Once something went wrong with the recipe, or I forgot to put something in, and the cake came out, cooled down, and it was a stone. I could literally throw it off, and a wall could have broken. 

GD: Are there any new things on the horizon for The Bake Affair?

MA: Yes, we are planning something big and though it is in the very nascent stage, the amount of love and encouragement we receive every day from our customers, we are planning to take TBA to the next level soon.

GD: What was the greatest challenge you faced while starting a bakery in the city of Udaipur?

MA: One of the biggest challenges was to make people accept us! Establishing ourselves as a brand took a lot of effort as the concept of Home Baker or Personalised Cakes on Order were something new to the city at that time. The pricing, Our claim of 100% Eggless cakes all of those initially took the time to get accepted by the people. Now, fortunately, we have come out of all of these successfully, and we are well established in the market.

GD: And what is the most rewarding part of owning your own business in Udaipur?

MA: Being connected with my customers! Many times, it happened, that people come up to me in shops, mall or restaurants or even in social functions, recognising me and saying that Oh, you are the Bake Affair Lady, We loved your cake, We love what you bake and all the praises. I forgot what I was doing, and I just enjoy those moments, the acceptance, the loveAnd it just makes my day! Every day, in the morning, when I wake up, all those little recognition, encouragements come to my mind and are the most rewarding for me to head towards my bakery and start baking with all the love and passion I have towards baking! I know 90% of my customers by name as most of them keep ordering from me repetitively. Even some who’s who of Udaipur are also my regular client, I'm sorry, I cannot take their names though. But the love, the support and the encouragements are the most rewarding part of owning the business in my beautiful city!

GD: What are the trends you see in the market?

MA: Oh, there are many! Instagram is full of those trendy, artisan pictures of cakes and pastries. The Unicorn cake, the Rustic ones, The ones with fresh flowers, fresh fruits, The Vintage Cakes like the carriage, the jewellery boxes, The Rainbow Cake, The Galaxy are all trending big in the market nowadays. Also, a lot of desserts with exciting shape and flavours are trending now. Like there is a pear, you cut it, and inside there is a flavoured mousse. And fusion desserts like Ice Cream Doughnuts. We do most of them at TBA.  In Udaipur also people have started experimenting with new flavours and trends, though we do not get crazy ones, as I said, people are now trying new things.

Rustick Naked Cakes, one of the signature items of The Bake Affiar and a favourite of Meenal!

GD: What is your guilty food pleasure when no one else is around?

MA: Chocolate Truffle Cake!!! Nothing else! Always, All the time, Each Day!

GD: If someone invites you to their home for a high tea what should they bake? 

MA: Anything baked with a lot of love and passion. I have a big sweet tooth, and I cannot deny it. I love everything sweet!

GD: Is there a Baker whom you admire the most?

MA: I would say, I admire my mother and my mother-in-law the most! Both of them are an excellent cook, and they sometimes keep telling me that the chocolate should be layered like this or that. The small things, but their eye towards the details, inspire me most. And yes, of course, I follow a lot of people on the internet across the world who are doing excellent in the baking industry. Particularly, a guy named Shivesh, he is one of the youngest professional baker on Instagram  with a crazy amount of followers, I like his work. Also, I'm a big fan of Master Chef Australia; they bake amazing stuff.

GD: Who is your biggest critic?

MA: My Husband! He the biggest and the worst critic! :D But he is the one who always gives me the strength and love I need in my life! And both my families are super supportive and always come with their suggestion to help me do better. 

GD: What is the one dish you always like to order while eating out?

MA: I love Punjabi Food! Rajma Chawal, Dal Makhani are my favourites. And I'm a big jalebi fan! I love having Jalebis, and my mother-in-law makes the best Jalebi in the world!

GD: What was the most memorable meal you ever had?

MA: I would say that the simplest form of food that my Mom used to cook during my childhood days are the most memorable ones for me. My Mom makes amazing Pulav, and I can eat it all by myself without sharing with anybody! 

GD: What would be your ‘last request’ dish?

MA: Ohh, I'm too young to think that now! (Laughs)

GD: What are your favourite pastime outside bakery?

MA: Watching movies! I love watching movies from Bollywood, Hollywood, all. 

GD: What is your idea of Happiness?

MA: Love What You Do and Do What You Love! Whatever you're doing, however big or small just do it with the good feeling, have happiness inside you or else you won't be able to survive that. Make others Happy, and the Happiness will transmit into you, make you Happier. 

GD: How does a typical day look like for you?

MA: Every morning I wake up and thinking that I'm going to workout, but I never do it! My day starts around 7.30 in the morning, and then I enter my baking room by 9'o clock, and we finish working by 7 in the evening. After that deliveries are going off, sometimes a final touch is needed, and all and we complete everything by 9. I sometimes help my mother-in-law in preparing the dinner, and we make sure that howsoever everyone is busy, the Lunch and the Dinner are to be taken by everyone together in the family. 

GD: And how does a typical Off day look like for you?

MA: Just lazing around, all the day! Without doing anything. Or sometimes, scoring the brownie points by making breakfast or cooking lunch for everyone in the family. Going out, watching a movie and all.

GD: How do you balance your personal and professional life?

MA: I think the best way to balance is to do whatever you are doing in the best possible way. If you're with family give them the best, if you are working, do your best. Hard to maintain the balance but life is all about that! And there are no Sunday or Weekly off day in a home baker's life. You know, sometimes you get an order on Sunday or a cake to be delivered at a wedding, where I am also invited with the family! I had those instances many times, where I first made the cake, send it to the venue and then get dressed and attended the party! This, I've learnt from my husband that never to return a customer or cancel an order for taking off! He always tells me that if you're feeling tired, take some time off but then get back to work and finish it on time. And one thing I learned from my father is hard work. Work 24x7 if there is a requirement for you to work. It is not about money or for anything else; it's more about your commitment that you have made. 

GD: What is the one thing you like to bake for your love of life on a holiday?

MA: He loves to have Mushrooms! So may be Mushroom Tartlet or something like that. 

GD: What’s your opinion about the role of social media in the food business these days?

MA: I think that it's a boon for everyone. As a business owner, you can directly communicate with your customers and can reach up to a million people even seating at your home via useful social media handles like Facebook, Instagram, Google and all. At TBA, we do a lot of social media activities, we take orders via Instagram, WhatsApp and we keep communicating with our clients and fans over the medium. It has changed the way earlier businesses use to do promotion via traditional media like Newspaper, Magazine or Billboards. Now with social media, bloggers, reviewers everyone is connected with each other and word of mouth spreads at a tremendous speed for a business to do good.

GD: What advice do you have for people looking to get into the baking?

MA: Baking is not an easy job, so do it with a lot of patience, passion and love! A lot of hard work is required for a home baker to succeed. So if you're getting into this, be ready for long days of labour and time to get recognised. Love what you do and do not compromise with your forte! 

GD: What would you have done differently when starting out?

MA: We only learn from our mistakes, so two years back when I started out, If I look at myself, what I was doing two years back, I would have a laugh because I made some simplest of the mistakes that I was doing. And I feel that there is not happiness without sadness and no success without failure, so whatever I mistake I have done, only gave me an opportunity to rectify them in later days and achieve what I am today along with The Bake Affair.  

GD: How can our readers stay connected with you as well as the Bake Affairs?

MA:  TBA has its own Instagram account and Facebook page. Also if anyone is interested, he or she can come to meet me at my place to discuss the order. We take orders via Instagram, WhatsApp. 

Our Facebook and Instagram addresses are -

https://www.facebook.com/thebakeaffair

https://www.instagram.com/thebakeaffair

GD: And any quick recipe you want to share with our readers?

MA: One recipe that I would like to share is one of my favourites, an Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake. 

Very easy to make with simple ingredients you can find anywhere in the city. 

Following is the step by step guide along with the ingredients list. 

Maida – 1 and 1/2 cups (200 gms)

Plain Yoghurt or Hung Curd – 1 cup (250 ml)

Granulated Sugar – 3/4 cup (165 gms)

Baking soda – 1/2 tsp

Baking powder – 1 and 1/4 tsp

Cooking oil – 1/2 cup (125 ml)

Vanilla essence – 1 and 1/2 tsp

Milk – 1 tbsp (just for brushing the top of the sponge once baked)

Procedure:

1. Sieve all the dry ingredients together.

2. Mix the granulated sugar with curd, now pour the vegetable oil and essence in it as well.

3. Whisk the dry ingredients in small amounts into the wet mix bowl.

4. Do not overbeat it.

5. Preheat the oven at about 200℃ for around 7-10 minutes then bake the mixture at 180℃  for around 32-35 minutes.

And it is done!

Following are few points to remember while making this sponge cake. 

First, the pan used for baking should be nicely buttered so that once the sponge cools down, it comes out nice and clean. You can put a piece of butter paper at the bottom for the same.

Secondly, do not let the batter sit for long and use all the ingredients at room temp.

For variation, once the sponge cake is cooled down, you can de-mould it and pour some nice chocolate sauce or fresh fruit sauce of your choice also you can soak the sponge in mildly sweetened milk and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours and then enjoy the utterly moist cake! 

So get started and Happy Baking!!!

disclaimer: all the images used here, are exclusive property of The Bake Affair. A Gourmand's Diary doesnt claim any ownership or rights over any of the images in this post.