It was viewing cake shows on TLC combined with her penchant for creativity that pushed Ajitha into exploring if she too could do something of this sort. But her actual baking journey started a couple of years ago when she decided to carve a career for herself and was dead-sure that an archetypical desk job was not something up her sleeve! And out of the blue came the thought that why couldn’t she convert her passion into her profession? Moreover with two children one thing she knew for sure was how to satisfy the desert cravings of a demanding stomach and heart! Gradually she built the ‘Gateau by Ajitha’ brand focusingon providing the best in terms of quality, design, innovativeness and hygienic ingredients.

Unique selling point

Ajitha’s USP lies in the simple philosophy that if the final product turns out to be something which she wouldn’t like to feed to her kids then she won’t offer it to her patrons too. It is precisely this ethos which reflects in her bakes and has helped her build a strong base of loyal customers which has substantially increased through word-of-mouth referrals thereby shaping the brand which two years down the line is one of the best in Hyderabad and has bagged three food awards in such a short span too!

Self-learner

Ajitha shares “I have learnt all I know from the internet and by trying things out on my own. I haven't done any courses. Agreed that self-learning is time consuming and one incurs a lot of wastage also but honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way as I learnt all what should NOT be done first. And the best part is that as my learning journey has been exploratory and practical my learnings shall remain with me forever!”

Other interests

Apart from selling customized cakes and desserts at ‘Gateau by Ajitha’ Ajitha also culls out time to teach under the brand ‘ABCD with Ajitha’; besides taking up interesting interior design assignments in between.

 

About her products at ‘Gateau by Ajitha’

Elaborating on the rich product spread, Ajitha says “We have a huge variety of products ranging from simple tea cakes to intricate wedding cakes and gourmet bakesor even luxury chocolates. With best ingredients and creative presentation, I offer the best of both worlds. As I firmly believe that everyone has a right to enjoy sweet treats so we have an extensive menu to cater all kinds of needs. So while for our diabetic clientele we have on offer tea time cakes, cookies,brownies et al; for our gluten-sensitive clients we go a step forward to customize almost all the items on our menu; and we also have allergy-friendly cakes and perhaps one of the widest range of vegan bakes in Hyderabad.”

 

While from the professional perspective, the hot selling products of ‘Gateau by Ajitha’ are themed cakes and the entire range of cookies; when it comes to Ajitha’s personal favourites then it’s simple and rustic stuff like a good old pound cake or a brownie which she enjoys indulging in with her family.

 

Festive season offerings

This Diwali Ajitha and her team are planning on curating around five to six types of hampers comprising of varied items like - exotic chocolate bonbons, moist cakes et al; and some fancy themed dessert range as well. Apart from these they would also be catering for some corporate hampers too.

Future plans

Ajitha aspires to set up her own outlet of gourmet bakes where everything is baked from quality ingredients and is prepared from the scratch so that ‘one can smile from cheek-to-cheek when they taste it’!

Ajitha ends with a lovely message for Foodism readers “Being part of your celebrations is what makes my day special, so keep the party alive and let me sweeten it up for you!”

Best Seller Recipe: Pink Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

 

Flour – 165 Gram

Sugar – 150 Gram

Salt – A Pinch

Baking Powder - One Tablespoon

Egg Whites of 3 Eggs – Around 72 Gram

Oil - 60 Gram

Buttermilk – 138 Gram

Butter - 82 Gram

Vanilla Bean Paste – Half Tablespoon

Red Food Colour – Three Drops

 

Method:

1. Bring all the ingredients to room temperature … a little warm if possible 
2. Put flour, baking powder andsalt in a bowl and mix it thoroughly; then slowly add butter so that it forms a crumbly mixture 
3. Add half of the buttermilk to the egg whites mix
4. Add the other half of the buttermilk to the oil
5. Add the oil and milk mixture to the flour and whisk it for one minute 
6. Then addthe eggs and milk mixture, vanilla and the red foodcolourand beat it till it gets mixed properly 
7. Bake at 160 degree centigrade till the skewer comes out clean
8. Enjoy your Pink Velvet Cake!