“Where to get good cream cheese?”, “Are chocolate compounds good for baking?”, “How many gelatin strips can be used?”, “If not gelatin, in what ratio is agar agar used?” These and more questions made the special bakery masterclass by Mon Petite at Yauatcha on April 1 a lively and interactive session. The class, mentored by entrepreneur duo Manila Nad and Radhika Kauntia, who run the Kolkata bakery Mon Petite, saw about 20 amateur and enthusiastic bakers gather at the popular Quest Mall restaurant. The audience was captivated throughout the evening with the live session where the duo baked a Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel and Honeycomb, served with Yauatcha’s artisanal Pecan and Coffee Ice Cream, and a Deconstructed Strawberry Tart.
(L-R) Manila Nad and Radhika Kauntia
Talking about Mon Petite, which specialises in baking tall, innovatively decorated cakes, Manila said, “We started in December 2019 and wanted to create something new and unique. We wanted to introduce a cake-decorating style without the use of fondant. There was a lot of trial and error in the starting years to bring about a unique style of cake decorating using acrylic and painting styles, and used them on tall cakes. Nowadays, cakes are really short, so we wanted to create more layers and structure in our cakes, that’s how our tall cakes came about.” Speaking about their cakes, Radhika added, “We played with textures. We didn’t want just a sponge cake or cream cake, so all our cakes come with a crunch, bite or ganache. We don’t soak our cakes, because we don’t want the water splattering into your mouth.”
About 20 amateur bakers attended the masterclass
Both the desserts for the evening had several elements in it. From whipping up a chocolate or cream-cheese ganache to making honeycomb, the little elements enhanced the taste of the desserts. The duo also shared tricks to make crunchy, golden honeycomb at home.
How to make honeycomb
Ingredients
- Honey: 60gm
- Sugar: 150gm
- Liquid glucose
- Baking Soda: 5gm
Also keep a food thermometer handy
Method
- Measure honey and sugar in a pot, turn on the heat and cook, stirring occasionally till it reaches 145 degrees
- Add baking soda and stir well to combine
- Place silicon mat in a bowl in the shape of a cone
- Pour the mixture and set aside to set
- Chop / break to desired size
Handy baking tips
Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel and Honeycomb, served with Yauatcha’s artisanal Pecan and Coffee Ice Cream
When My Kolkata asked the baker duo to suggest a tip for amateur bakers, Radhika instantly said, “Apart from the recipe, follow the hand movements of the chef making it, you will learn a lot. From finishing a cake to even picking it up and placing it somewhere, it is important to see how chefs handle the cakes rather than just following the recipe.” Manila added her tips on flavour saying, “I would talk about flavours and say a little salt goes a long way.”
When talking about flavours on cake, chocolate ganache is the go-to for most bakers. However, a cream cheese ganache also works very well for icing and in between cake layers.
How to make cream cheese ganache
Ingredients
- White chocolate, roughly chopped: 120gm
- Fresh cream: 60gm
- Cream cheese: 260gm
Method
- Heat the cream until it just starts bubbling, but do not boil
- Put the chocolate in bowl, pour the cream on the white chocolate and stir to create a smooth lump-free mix
- Whip the cream cheese and add it to white chocolate and cream mixture
- Keep it aside to set
Baker’s secrets
Participants also tried their hand at making some dessert elements
Radhika and Manila also shared their expert pointers so if you want to bake at home, here are five basic tips shared during the masterclass…
- Baking is technical, so go by the recipe. If you change the recipe, the texture of your final dish will change.
- The quality of ingredients matter a lot in baking. You may use cheaper quality products, but the texture won’t be the same in the end.
- In India, gelatin is available in two strengths — gold and silver. Gold is of a higher strength than silver.
- Glucose helps to keep the sugar from crystallising. Glucose can be substituted with corn syrup or honey, but the quantity used will be different.
- It is always easier to demould a bottomless mould.
How to make praline
Before signing off, Manila gave a bonus recipe for those wanting to experiment with elements and texture in baking — an easy two-ingredient praline.
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Nuts of your choice
Method
- Caramelise sugar and add in nuts
- Cook it for a while, stir gently occasionally
- Place it on greased tray and keep it aside to set
- Once set, chop it as desired and add it to your dessert.
Bonus Tip from Radhika: “Don’t chop it up too fine then it will become powder and you won’t get the nuts.”
Participant speaks
Anishka Bose, a Masters student in Journalism and Film Studies from St. Xavier’s University, took part in the masterclass, and shared her takeaways afterwards. “I have always been inclined towards patisserie and cooking so that’s why I was interested in today’s class. My biggest takeaway is you can make anything if you put your mind to it. Making desserts is not that difficult if you know the right tricks and cook the right thing at the right time. I loved both desserts, but if I had to choose one, the Deconstructed Strawberry Tart was really good. I will go home and make it again for sure.”
