Simply gorgeous

By Uditha Jayasinghe

Gooey marshmallows nestled with peanuts on a layer of chocolate; this was our introduction to Vyomi Latiff of Gorgeous Cakes & Desserts. As the slices vanished within minutes it was obvious that another culinary favourite had been unearthed.

Vyomi has been used to baking from a very young age. Her mother, who initially introduced Vyomi to baking and dessert making, ran a small home based business when she was just a toddler. “So it was nothing new,” she recalls telling Daily FT how her mother used to whip up goodies for birthdays and even tea time treats. Years later Vyomi and her siblings got used to baking treats and this remained a hobby until well after her marriage.

Initially working as a teacher it was Vyomi’s husband that encouraged establishing a business at home. “At first it was the occasional anniversary and birthday cakes then I started taking in small orders but since I still worked it was not frequent. Then six years ago I decided that I wanted to do this more professionally.” This was the beginning of Gorgeous Cakes and Desserts.

From doing an order every two days or so Vyomi now has her hands full juggling her business and taking care of her family. “After I had my son I wanted to stay at home. So starting a home based baking business seemed like the best option. So I decided to follow the one year diploma course at Prima and after completing it last December I registered my business.”

This resulted in an interesting turn of events. Vyomi’s mom who started her on her baking path ended up being hired by her daughter. “We were getting a lot of orders so I was thinking of hiring someone to help out. But I couldn’t find anyone who could work to the standards that I want so I ended up employing my mother,” she said laughing adding that there is also a daily helper for hectic days. Vyomi’s mother also takes on finger food for parties including mandatory rolls, patties and pastries. They are a favourite at children’s parties.    

Personalised care

Emphasising on the need to make orders personalised and of high quality Vyomi embodies one of the main reasons that people are increasingly turning to home based cooks to provide their food. “You have to understand your customers very well. Many people love to bake but they don’t really try to understand the technical aspects behind what they are doing.”  

 Once Vyomi had completed her diploma she understood the basic techniques behind her craft and felt confident in experimenting. Nonetheless she still uses local products and ensures that they are cost effective. “I use basic ingredients such as Astra for my goodies because I want to make sure that the quality and cost effectiveness is there for both parties. Unless it is something specific like cheese cake, in which case I will buy imported cream cheese, I try to keep my ingredients very basic.”

Spinning wonders from these basic elements Vyomi has steadily increased her menu. From chocolate and fudge cakes that are every chocoholics dream she offers lemon bars, meringues, cup cakes and even individually decorated miniature cakes as the perfect ending to elegant dinners.

As far as future expectations are concerned Vyomi insists that they have to move around her son. “I love to bake but my priority in life is my son. So I don’t want my business to expand to the point that I have no time for him or it takes away attention from him.” This “something special” in terms of having a deeper connection with cooking is also the reason behind delicious food. Perhaps it is just inborn talent but Vyomi acknowledges that it is an important part of putting together the perfect dish.

“What one must understand is that to execute a dish well it must be understood well. For example if I am making chocolate mousse then I would spend time looking up several recipes before putting them all together and making my own version. It is something that comes from within and is intrinsically linked to what you love doing.” Having to sometimes spend 15 hours a day baking for orders Vyomi certainly proves she loves her art.  Adapting recipes is also an important part of the trade. Understanding what people like, seeing the trends and being able to adapt dishes from other parts of the world to fit the palate of local customers is a key component of the trade. This capacity to innovate also sets Gorgeous Cakes and Desserts apart from other enterprises.

“Ask yourself, “would I eat this?” before serving anything to a customer.”             

It is perhaps this innate love and care that has made her goodies what they are – gorgeous.  For more information log onto the Gorgeous Cakes & Desserts page on Facebook.