Utterly, butterly, delicious Mawa Cake of Pune

The best Mawa Cakes come from Pune. Of this I am convinced. Mumbai, with its old Irani and Catholic bakeries in Fort, Grant Road, Byculla and Bandra, is second best. Yes, our Yazdani, Bastani and B. Merwan notwithstanding. The cakes in this picture are from Pune’s Empire Bakery in Camp. They came to me via an e-pass over the Khandala Ghats. Like Caju Feni is legally brought out of Goa with a permit. I don’t need to tell you they are utterly yum!

Most of Pune’s bakeries are between 80 and 100 years old. They are owned by Irani. Several by their ancient and rattling first generations. I understand the Mawa Cake, soft, moist, and delicious, was invented so that toothless Iranis in their dotage might enjoy them. Another story I heard was that some crafty Irani bakers of the Deccan ingeniously created the Mawa Cake before Independence to feed homesick English soldiers who were missing their Cup Cakes at tea.

I don’t know which story is true. Just as I don’t know the difference between a Cup Cake and a Muffin. Or both from a Mawa Cake. But I can blindfold taste and tell a Mawa Cake from the other two. Particularly the cardamom-scented Pune variety with its tender buttery crumb and caramelized milk flavor. Its ingredients are flour, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, cardamom, and Mawa or Khoya or milk solids. The trick is in mixing and baking it in little molds with butter paper.

Baker in Pune

Pune has some legendary bakeries. Like Kayani is known far and wide for its Shrewsbury biscuits, Persian Bakery where the Whole-wheat Burger Bun is to die for, Imperial Bakery whose Raisin Cake and Khari are bestsellers, Ramsar Bakery that is famous for its Twisted Khari, Royal Bakery for its Milk Bread, as well as Husseny for its Bun and Brun. Half a dozen of my Mawa Cakes – dense, golden brown, as well as flavorsome – came from Empire Bakery. I couldn’t stop at one.

About Mark Manuel

The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, as well as columnist.

With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.

Further

His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. He has interviewed almost every famous person. In the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.

Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. In a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work, Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward.

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