While the rest of India gears up to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights in a few days from now. In Mussoorie, the grand Savoy Hotel is bringing in the spirit of Christmas, weeks early with the customary cake mixing ceremony being held in its Grand Ballroom, today.
Keeping its hundred and seventeen year tradition alive the hotel staff; guests along with Author Bill Aitken, Author Ganesh Saili, Actor Pooja Bhatt, Director Mahesh Bhatt, SP Chamoli and other dignitaries from town got together for the customary cake mixing followed by hi-tea.
Christmas is no fun without the traditional cake and making this is no easy task, as those present at the event, found out. Keeping alive the age-old custom of the English, preparations for the delectable Christmas cake begin months in advance, and that is what this head start to the Cake Mixing event at the Savoy was all about.
During the half an hour ceremony, Sabyasachi Dasmahapatra, Executive Chef enthusiastically guided the guests of all ages, to mix an array of twenty five kilograms of ingredients including dry fruits, black currant, apricot, almonds, figs, resins, dates, tutti-frutti soaked in eight and a half litre of spirit such as orange juice, cranberry juice, red wine, dark rum and brandy. The batter will be soaked until the 17th of December when it is set to and be baked, closer to Xmas Day.
For those who haven’t got their hands (wearing gloves, of course) into the traditional cake mixing pot, it is time to gear yourself up to enjoy the fruits of labour and take part in the winter festivities during the holiday season, this December.
