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Christmas is once again upon us! Streets will be lit up, Christmas trees will be decorated in homes, and the sound of carols will permeate the air. This time of joyous celebration is known to bring joy, laughter, and love in every soul, and what better accompaniment to this happy time than plum cakes, rose cookies, kulkuls, etc.?
Christmas is incomplete without some really delish plum cake made from candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices that are soaked in rum. It’s also called Christmas cake and is loved by people of all ages. If you want to taste the best Christmas cake in India, you need to visit these places.
Mambally’s Royal Biscuit Factory, Kerala
In Thalassery, North Kerala, there is a bakery where the first plum cake was made in India. Mambally Bapu started Mambally Royal Biscuit in the 1880s after he successfully created India's first Christmas cake. No Indian had ever baked a Christmas cake before that time. Now Thalassery has become a place for Christmas cake lovers. The story goes that the British governed the Malabar region during the Madras Presidency period, and Bapu produced biscuits after he went to Burma to learn how to make bread, biscuits, and buns. He started with 140 different kinds of biscuits. Three years later, Mr. Brown, who owned one of the nearby estates, brought a cake to Bapu and told him it was made with French brandy. Bapu took it as a challenge and made the cake with Malabar beer, and the taste pleased the British person so much that he ordered 12 more. Today they make different assortments of pastries, biscuits, and cakes, but the best-selling cake is still their special Christmas cake.
Saldanha Bakery, Taltala, Kolkata
If your quest for rich plum cake brings you to Kolkata, then you must visit Saldanha’s Bakery. Spiced, rich, and laden with fruit, their plum cakes are everything to make you fall in love with them. The cakes are always fresh as they are made to order, and you can even get a whiff of them while far off in the lane. The Saldanha family runs the business out of their kitchen on their own property. From preparing the eggs to separating the dried fruit, they do all the work by hand. The cakes are made using no machines. Instead, they use their ancient ovens to make them "properly hot."
This Goan family has been baking cakes for generations and passing down the traditional recipes. They make thousands of cakes every day leading up to Christmas for everyone and also make French macarons and exquisite wedding cakes. To reach Saldanha's, you’ll need to go to the lane next to BC Sen Jewellery on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. You can ask anyone in the neighborhood for directions to Saldanha’s house, and you will be guided.
Naidu Bakery, Bengaluru
PV Kuppuswamy Naidu established the PV Kuppuswamy Naidu Bakery in Shivajinagar, Bengaluru, in 1888. Their butter and spice biscuits, honey cakes, and spectacular wedding cakes were some of their best-known items. They survived three generations and a hundred years before closing down and reopening in 2018, under PV Kuppuswamy Naidu, who learned to make Cordon Bleu meals. The new bakery, which is known as Bangalore Connection 1888, serves a selection of cakes, including their famous Christmas cake, and pastries that include cheesecakes and mousse.
Nahoum & Sons, Kolkata
If you're in the mood for a special plum cake for Christmas, then we recommend checking out Nahoum’s bakery in Kolkata. This famous Jewish store has been around since 1902 in Hoggs Market (New Market) and has been baking delicious cakes and pastries ever since. Not only are their cakes delicious, but their display cases are filled with beautiful old-world charm. They've been around for a long time and are known for their delicious chocolate, marzipan, and fudge cakes. Once there, you can also enjoy their garlic bread, fish pantras, mutton samosas, pizza pockets, egg chops (available only on weekdays), tuna sandwiches (available only on Saturdays), jam rings, and lemon puffs at economic prices. During Christmas, their macaroons, peppermints, and fudge are crowd pullers, and there is always a long line for their Christmas cake (there are several varieties). Their wedding cakes are legendary too.
Thom’s Bakery, Bengaluru
When you see Thom's Bakery getting ready for Christmas, it's time to start baking your favorite plum cake. The family bakery has been baking bread for the Indian Army, Air Force, and ITI for more than 40 years, but the wood-fired oven retains its original glory. Every year, 5,000 to 6,000 kilograms of plum cake are baked, packed, and shipped to homes all over the world.
After the demise of CI Thomas and his wife Ammini, the bakery has been run by Abraham CT, Thomas' son. Abraham was pretty much raised at the bakery along with his brother George. During the Christmas season, when volumes peak, George comes down from Singapore to help manage production. The bakery hires a few extra hands to help with plum cakes and kalkals, two other popular festive treats. Three months before baking, Thom's plum cakes are soaked in a potent mixture of spices and booze, resulting in cakes that have a delicious, age-old flavor. It's no surprise that the family bakery is well known for its plum cakes.
