Baking the Next Dream Cake

You were an electronic engineer at Infosys Technologies Limited and you started baking as a hobby and now it’s your profession, tell us how did this happen what changed your mind to change your profession?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- I have always been inclined towards any form of Art, craft and cooking. As a kid and even now, I would always jump at the opportunity to learn any new art form or enhance and go on to master any existing one as well. This is what got me to join a short cake decorating course at Wilton while in the USA. I enjoyed it and went on to do the next level. Then the masters course at their school and from many other experts around USA. Entering competitions and winning there was a huge boost to my confidence. That’s when I realised that I enjoyed this much more. It gave me immense satisfaction to bake a cake, decorate it with something new every time and keep learning latest trends. More of a Bake therapy you could say! That’s exactly the reason for me to switch professions.

What is the most rewarding part of being a Cake Designer?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- As a Cake Designer, we are fortunate to be a part of joyous moments in people’s lives. When we get a brilliant feedback from them, it only encourages further and gives me a satisfaction of bringing more joy in this world. 

At Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy you learnt the art of Chocolate Making how learning chocolate helped in cake decoration?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- Like I said earlier, I love to keep learning new techniques and mediums. Chocolates always fascinated me and they still do! Knowing the exact science behind it, did help me in a big way to understand the way it would behave and also how it would enhance the taste while using it to make ganache, in cake batters, cheese cakes, fillings, frostings etc. For most, a chocolate is just a chocolate, but learning the science behind it helped me understand that every brand and type would taste and behave differently. Correctly tempering it and using it to make garnishes and decorations was another helpful learning in the field of Cake Decoration. 

How would you describe your experience in Wilton Industries, Chicago?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- It was simply superb! I used to be ( I still am! ) in awe of the whole school, its instructors and the way the whole setup was and how professional they were but yet had a lovely personal touch with their students. We even got to take a tour at their headquarters and saw the way things worked there. 

As a brand ambassador for the International Cake Exploration Society. What valuable skills and experiences do you have that you would bring to this role?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- As a person who loves to learn new things, I have touched on most cake decorating techniques and aspects. Some of which I could master and some I realised had a better way of doing them. The experience of working with all these techniques, Knowledge gained from doing so many cakes over so many years and knowing how things worked across different countries, surely helped me get onto to this role. 

You use Shine Line in your cake, please tell us how does the product shine line enhance the beauty of the cake? When and why should baker use this product?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- ShineLine is a ready to use metallic piping gel. This product was developed with the foresight to make work easy for a regular baker. Be it writing messages on cakes, drips or stencilling, it was not easy to get a metallic shine to these without painting the artwork with gold paint on top. With ShineLine, this double step process is reduced and time and effort saved. You can directly use it from the ready tube to write or squeeze out some and use directly to stencil. It can be used on any medium like Fondant, buttercream, chocolate, modelling chocolate, whipped cream, etc.

What ingredient do you feel is underutilized?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- Salt. An extremely common and easily available ingredient. I feel it’s an ingredient which is taken for granted and many times not even used by folks while making desserts. Be it savoury or sweet dish, just a tiny bit of salt opens up the taste buds and enhances the flavour of your baked goods taking it to a totally different level. It also helps in cutting down the sweetness in too sweet a dish and balances it.

By far as a themed cake designer what has been your greatest accomplishment?

Ashwini Sarabhai:- An artist always strives for recognition and appreciation. I have been fortunate to have received the same from my family, well-wishers and friends throughout my initial phase as well as after I was well established. And then to get a recognition on the National and International stage is a boost! Difficult to keep it at just one, I would like to mention the following honours and recognition I received which kept pushing me to do better and get to the next level. Without either of these, I doubt I could have achieved the next levels! 

1. Appointed as the Ambassador for India for ICES (International Cake Exploration Society)

2. Selected to join the Elite list of Approved Teachers for the ICES(International Cake Exploration Society)

3. Awarded as India’s top 10 Cake Artist for 2 consecutive years 2017 and 2018

4. Selected as the finalist for 2 consecutive years 2018 and 2019 for the Cake Masters Awards,UK, aka Cake Oscars, in the Sugar Flowers Category.

5. Honoured to be the Judge at the first ever Indian Cake Awards in 2019

5. Honoured to be the Head Judge at The Great Indian Bake  Show 2019

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