It is time to enjoy a cuppa (hot chocolate for the season, perhaps?) with a slice of cake or a serve of pudding on a chilly winter evening. Bakeries and confectioners in Kolkata are all stocked up with Christmas treats. From moist and boozy plum cakes to melt-in-the-mouth chocolates, this holiday season, pamper yourself and your loved ones with some Christmas specials. My Kolkata brings to you a list of old and new confectioneries and bakeries from across the city that are offering a range of decadent Christmas treats.
Flurys
Christmas fruit cake and (right) Yule Log
Flurys has been satiating the city’s cravings for Christmas cakes for more than five decades, and possibly even before Mr Flury sold the tearoom to Jit Paul in 1965. The confectionery today offers more than ten variants of Christmas cakes ranging from rich plum cakes to eggless fruit cakes. They also have a Yule Log, which is a dry cake covered with buttercream in the shape of a log. The Almond Iced Plum Cake, which is a rich traditional plum cake covered with a layer of marzipan, also looks delicious. You can visit any outlet or order online to get your hands on these Christmas specials!
Pop picks: Almond Iced Plum Cake, Yule Log Cake, Rich Plum Cake
Pocket pinch: Rs 800 to 2,000
Address: 18A, Mother Teresa Sarani, Park Street area (flagship branch). The items are available across Flurys outlets
Nahoum & Sons
There is a queue outside Nahoum's every year for their Christmas cakes
My KolkataNahoum’s, founded by a Baghdadi Jew resident of Calcutta in 1902, has become synonymous with Christmas in Kolkata. The never-ending queues outside the confectionery in Hogg Market speaks volumes about the craze for Nahoum’s plum cakes. The cakes come in three variants — rich fruit cake, special rich fruit cake, and light plum cake. To get your hands on them, you will need to queue up early at the shop in Hogg Market. No home delivery is available.
PS: Try their special triangle samosas, available in the evening during the season’s rush hours.
Pop picks: Special Rich Fruit Cake
Pocket pinch: Rs 250 upwards
Address: New Market Area, Dharmatala
Saldanha Bakery
Special Rich Fruit Cake, Choco Walnut Cake, Coconut Macaroons are the pop picks of the season
Tucked away in Wellesley is this iconic family-run bakery that turned 93 this year. All round the year, the bakery sells baked goodies like cupcakes, tarts, puffs and more. Around Christmas, the bakery introduces a special menu that consists of plum cakes and other treats like Walnut Cakes, Almond Iced Log, Coconut Macaroons etc. “Around Christmas, the items on the Christmas menu are only available at the bakery. Special rich fruit cake and rich fruit cake are the ones in demand,” said Debra Alexander, the third-generation owner of the bakery. Only pickup is available at Saldanha Bakery.
Pop picks: Special Rich Fruit Cake, Choco Walnut Cake, Coconut Macaroons
Pocket pinch: Rs 35 to Rs 700
Address: 19, Nawab Aetfbdur Rahman St, Haji Md. Mohsin Square, Esplanade, Taltala
Kookie Jar
The Christmas offerings from 1985-established Kookie Jar are not just delicious — they’re adorable! The confectionery has a holiday line-up that ranges from pastries and cakes to cookies and chocolates. Try their traditional Mince Pies, which are traditional British pies popular during Christmas, filled with rum-soaked raisins and spiced to a perfection. Don't miss their Linzer Cookies, named after Linz, Austria, topped with fruity jam, and the Yule Logs that continue a centuries-old tradition. Swing by your nearest Kookie Jar outlet and enjoy all the Christmas goodies.
Pop picks: Christmas Pudding with brandy butter, Linzer Cookies, Mince Pies, Christmas-themed Chocolate Pastries
Pocket pinch: Rs 125 upwards
Address: Outlets in Rawson Street, Alipore, Hindustan Park, City Centre, Salt Lake and Rene Tower, Kasba
The Bakery at The Lalit Great Eastern
The Bakery at The Lalit Great Eastern has all the Christmas cakes Yule, er, you’ll need. Until December 30, they're offering a range from classics to special festive cakes at the Great Eastern Cake sale. Dating back to the 1830s and founded by English Baker David Wilson, The Bakery at Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata has been baking fresh loaves and tea cakes ever since. Their Christmas cakes are rich, moist, and packed with rum and brandy-soaked dry fruits. Grab them at The Bakery or order online via Swiggy or Zomato.
Pop picks: Plum cake and Fruit Cake
Pocket pinch: Rs 250 onwards
Address: Waterloo Street, Chowringhee North
Kathleen Confectioners
Kathleen Confectioners have been offering cakes, pastries, puffs and more in eastern India since 1978. During Christmas, it offers a varied range of Christmas cakes like the classic fruit cake, rich plum cake, Dundee cake and more. You can get them from the nearest Kathleen outlet or order online from Swiggy or Zomato.
Pop picks: Butter Fruit Cake, Dundee Cake
Pocket pinch: Rs 150 upwards
Address: Outlets across Kolkata
