Meet Mumbai’s OG Christmas bakers

Bandrarsquos boss ladyDesiree Attari began her baking journey from home in 1991 moving to a bakery storefront at Bandra Reclamation in 1997 For Attari a staple rum plum cake is essential in every household ldquoI developed the recipe myself and believe what sets our cakes apart is the signature sugarcraft the cake tastes homemade but has a professional finishrdquo she explains Beyond traditional plum cakes she creates Christmasthemed cakesDesiree AttarildquoWe serve plum cream cakes in festive and regular themes to cater to all palatesrdquo she shares Fruits nuts and peels are soaked in rum three months prior Preferring orders via the phone Attari advises against couriering cakes with sugarcraft ldquoWe stick to manual methods and prepare everything inhouse from scratch including marzipan fondantrdquo she says Known for marzipan fruit baskets and chocolates her bakes are favourites and available till February ldquoA customer once said lsquoPlace a piece of this cake in my mouth before Irsquom buriedrsquo That kind of love keeps me goingrdquo she smilesLast Date Until stocks lastAT Desiree 19 Santhal ONGC Colony beside Candies Nityanand Nagar Reclamation Bandra WestCall 9820086932Cost Revealed upon requestMummy and meVashibased motherdaughter duo of Martha and Belinda Lewis are known for their festive treats that include jujubes marzipan kulkuls and more Baking together for over 25 years their signature rum fruit cake remains a favourite Fruits nuts and peels have been soaking in pure rum since October and the batter is baked a few hours before delivery to ensure freshness and moisture ldquoChristmas is about coming together As a child I helped my mum peel and mix and now with support from friends and family we keep the tradition aliverdquo shares BelindaMarzipanTheir household also cherishes a wine tradition ldquoMy father made grape wine at the start of every year and as kids we eagerly waited for a taste during festivitiesrdquo she reCalls For 91yearold Martha Christmas remains a grand affair ldquoWe would participate in church competitions and cook in large quantities for the church feastrdquo she reminiscesBelinda Lewis and Martha LewisLast Date December 12Call 7666659690Cost R1000 onwards delivery across Mumbai via courierEarly ChristmasAt Naomi Paisrsquos home in Vakola Christmas arrives early with the aroma of rich fruit cakes wafting through her kitchen nearly 15 days before the festivities Pais who began her sweetmaking journey 15 years ago has been conducting workshops for the past decade ldquoI specialise in customised Christmasthemed rich fruit cakes topped with marzipan and fondant decorationsrdquo the sugar craft connoisseur explainsChristmaspatterned mini fruit cakes topped with marzipan and fondantShe adds rum postbaking to give the cakes a boozy essence without overpowering the flavours Sticking to her East Indian roots Pais continues to use copper vessels that are retinned annually and wooden spoons alongside a stand mixer for larger batches Her festive offerings also include guava cheese jujubes fudge and date rolls ldquoAs kids wersquod lick the batter bowl clean Now I bake at such a large scale the memories are mostly the burnsrdquo she laughsNaomi PaisLast Date December 15Call 9967652731Cost Rs 1700 onwardsA slice of traditionFor Goretti Ann Rosario continuing her familyrsquos legacy and keeping traditions alive has always felt natural ldquoMy family has been baking Christmas cakes for about 50 years now My grandmother ran a small neighbourhood bakery catering mainly to friends and family Soon my mother took over and included East Indian sweets to the menurdquo she reCalls Rosario now 58 took over the rolling pin and has been working from her Prabhadevi home kitchen since 1999The seasonal cake of the Rosario family has been the Christmas rum fruit cake which is a 70yearold family recipeRumsoaked fruit cakeldquoThe candied mixed peel cashew nuts plums dry fruits and nuts are soaked in pure rum for a minimum of 15 days allowing the flavours to mature and deepen before the cake is baked and then topped with an optional layer of rich marzipanrdquo she explains Each cake is baked to order with ingredients sourced and prepared based on the delivery date Although Rosario has seen the transition from mud pots to box ovens and now a cooking range oven she still uses handmixing for the final knead and treasures the traditional wooden stick with a ball at the endChristmas treats plateShe reCalls her childhood Christmases ldquoI remember celebrating Christmas in our cottage with the whole family where carollers would drop byrdquo Despite setting a clear last order date she is flooded with Calls and messages until Christmas Day ldquoItrsquos amusing and sad when people order at the last minute mdash some even reach out during midnight mass But itrsquos heartwarming that they return year after yearrdquo she smilesLast Date December 10 Call 9820501655 Cost R900onwards delivery across Mumbai via courierA family affairThe Mascarenhas family in Orlem Malad has turned their love for Christmas baking into a family affair transforming Lloyd Mascarenhasrsquo passion into a thriving homebaking business eight years ago Among their bestsellers is a date and walnut cake a treasured family recipe ldquoItrsquos a bar cake packed and garnished with tuttifrutti chopped dates and walnuts The honey and maple syrup glaze adds sweetness while warm spices like nutmeg cinnamon complement the flavoursrdquo he sharesSlices of date and walnut cakeMascarenhas also whips up Goan treats like bebinca and date rolls recipes hersquos learnt from friends He is a traditionalist ldquoI know the taste of my customers and they love this menu so I stick to it without following trends Finding cakes with the same taste is rare I still remember my grandmother giving us R2 for pastries from the local bakery which was better than most todayrdquoR MascarenhasLast Date December 14Call 7021453356Cost Rs 500 onwards delivery across Mumbai via courierGoan goodnessSince 1987 Josephine Fernandes has brought treasured Goan recipes to Dadar with her signature baath taking centre stage Made with coconut and rava her baath is renowned for its soft moist texture ldquoWe use only the white flesh of coconuts that is usually sourced from our family trees in Arambol Goardquo reveals Josephinersquos daughterinlaw Genevieve Passed down from Josephinersquos mother the family recipe remains a cherished traditionA batch of Goan sannasThe batter is prepared a day in advance resting overnight before being freshly baked just hours before delivery ldquoOur Goan sannas are the best in the area made with fresh toddy from Manorirdquo Genevieve adds Alongside Goan classics Josephine also bakes a special chocolate cake adorned with Christmasthemed meringue decorations ldquoAt 70 she never says no to an order unless absolutely necessary Shersquos happiest when her regulars get their favourite sweetsrdquo Genevieve says with prideJosephine FernandesLast Date December 15Call 9930964533Cost R1100 pickup onlySweet slice of historySt Anthonyrsquos Bakery has seen preIndependence times but its customers have rarely seen an empty carousel during the festive season Located in the heart ofThane the bakery is now managed by four brothers Ajit Nilesh Pravin and Dilip DrsquoSouza Renowned for its rich plum and Dundee cakes orders for these festive favourites begin on December 15Rich plum cakeldquoThe fruit peels and nuts are soaked in pure rum for one and a half months Our plum cake is packed with fruits offering a rich bittersweet flavourrdquo explains Dilip DrsquoSouza Developed by their mother 45 years ago the recipe has been updated by the brothers for the ideal balance of rumsoaked fruitsA plate of kulkulsTheir Dundee cake made with dry fruits semolina and pure Amul butter is another crowdpleaser The bakery also provides savoury Christmas specials like stuffed turkey and sorpotel ldquoWersquove introduced more seasonal sweets snacks and gifting hampers to meet modern demandsrdquoDilip sharesDilip DrsquoSouzaLast Date Until stocks last AT St Anthonyrsquos Bakery Shop no 1 Anthony Annex Kolbad Uthalsar Thane WestCall 9167045526Cost Rs 230 onwards delivery across Mumbai via courierAlso Check outBanana date and walnut cakegtgt Old favourite Run by the third generation of the Ramakrishnan family this bakery is a gem Their egg and eggless plum cakes alongside the banana date and walnut cake are beloved favouritesLast Date December 18At Vienna Bakery 125 Vakola Pipe Lane behind Saint Anthony Road Siddharath Nagar Santacruz EastCall 8369459055Cost Rs 1100 pickup onlyA loaf of Battenberg cakegtgt We loave it Based in Mulund Fay Almeida is known for her Battenberg cake a pinkandwhite ribbon cake with a marzipancovered checkerboard loaf as well as her fruit cake which is topped with marzipan and fondantLast Date December 16 at Indulge Custom Bakes Udyog Premises MM Malaviya Marg opposite Park Royale Nahur Mulund WestCall 8422993535Cost Rs 125 onwards