Nitika's Bakery

I never run out of reasons to bake. I vividly remember making my best friend’s birthday cake when we were 12. I doused the two-tier Chocolate Cake in colorful smarties and hoisted a small paper flag that said Happy Birthday in the middle. It continues to be my favorite cake, as it connects me to many happy memories of my life growing up. My mother’s friends have persuaded me to make an Eggless version of my Classic Chocolate Cake so that it can become a tradition in their homes as well.

My family’s favorite cake is the moist Carrot Cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. I am cajoled into making this earthy cake for most family events. My sister relishes the light, airy, citrusy Lemon Cake that is doused in two special lemon glazes. It makes her feel like she is eating a lemon cloud.

My older cousin and I have bonded over our soft spot for baking Red Velvet Cupcakes together. It has quickly become a tradition that we partake in often. We usually end up with homemade cream cheese frosting on our noses, holding a cupcake in each hand, hoping that our lives will then seem more balanced.

My best friend invariably comes over when I make my Chocolate Brownies, and always ends up eating the gooey crumbs stuck to the baking dish. My friends love my Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea-Salt, but my younger cousin tends to pick the Sea-Salt out of the cookies. He has encouraged me to make it without Sea-Salt for him. Different strokes for different folks! Since I usually eat more than half of the cookie dough straight from the bowl, my mother has encouraged me to make it with cooked flour and without eggs so as to avoid an upset tummy. A tub of my homemade cookie dough with a side of ice cream makes for the perfect treat when I host movie nights. Joy!

My extended family loves the warm Apple Crumble and the Sticky Toffee Pudding, as it brings back nostalgic memories of their parents making these classic desserts to brighten up a regular day.

It was very important to me that my menu is a representation of everyone that I love, so I tried to incorporate our favorite desserts. I hope that my desserts can soon become a part of your family’s story and that they a hold a special place in your home.