Cakes have become an integral part of every celebration, be it birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, the list goes on. But, it’s also a nerve-wracking task for any baker to make an identity through their works. With cut-throat competition in this field, a baker who has a passion for baking and a mind to evolve every day by practicing and innovating one’s art thrives.
One such artisan baker is Kerala-based Elizabeth Njavally, who has carved her own niche in this fast-growing baking business circle.
Theme-based cakes and hyper-realistic illusion cakes are Njavally’s forte, which has also got her clients from the Malayalam cinema industry.
Speaking to Soho Deck, Njavally explained that she designs her cakes incorporating the vision of her clients. She mentioned how recently she had an opportunity to bake for her friend and Malayalam film celebrity Reshma Sebastian’s daughter and how she was happy about the cake.
“I wanted unique and heavenly, you gave me much more than that @artisan_by_elizabeth_njavally
Whatever the function, be it her baptism , our birthdays or any celebration, you are the only person I trust with my visions ! And this time the first reaction of our people (die hard fans who wipe clean even the last tiny crumble of ur cake), was ‘Elizabeth aano cake aakune ?’ (Is Elizabeth making the cake?) ” Sebastian wrote on her Instagram profile appreciating Njavally’s cake.
She got her big break, when Creattio, an event and wedding planner company approached her to bake her sweet pieces of art for Producer and actor Antony Perambavoor, and actor Adil Ibrahim.
Engineer-turned-baker, Njavally, has had her interest in baking, and more importantly designing simple to realistic cakes, since childhood by watching her mother and aunt.
“I was introduced to baking by my aunt, Ceilia Alex. During vacations, I use to assist her and get some serious cake tutorials. My mom, Reethamma Jossy also plays an important role in my journey and she also enjoys baking. I remember her making flowers with fondant (edible molds) to embellish the cakes she used to make then,” Njavally said.
It was after working as an engineer for two years that she decided to follow her passion. She began by baking cakes for family functions in 2017, after completing a diploma in Baking Science and Pastry Arts from Lavonne academy.
“Lessons taught by my tutor Joonie Tan, a cake genius, will always remain etched in my mind,” Njavally said.
Assisting her aunt coupled with her education from Lavonne academy and two-day figurine class from Parrejat Boraah has helped Njavally prove her mettle in each order she shoulders.
Some of her many designs include cakes resembling a banker’s desk, Nike Air Jordan shoe, a birdhouse, burger, and human figures, among others.
“Nike Jordan Shoe cake was the most challenging of all. It took me about 10 hours to complete it. I have also sat for 2 days to finish 3 wedding cakes when I got back-to-back orders. But, it was all worth the patience,”
Njavally said.
A full-time baker now, Njavally has set up a small cake studio “Artisan by Elizabeth Njavally,” in her own house in Kakkanad, Ernakulam district.
Njavally emphasized “I think it was a right decision to start my business from home. A cake shop would have been very hard to manage in this pandemic time.”
Njavally mentioned that she sources all her chocolate-based raw materials from her family-owned chocolate factory, which produces Cacao Brown Premium Converture chocolates.
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