KOCHI: Junaina Vilsadh’s cooking experiments began when she shifted base to Aluva. Born and brought up in the Gulf, she couldn’t find her comfort food in Kerala. To satisfy her craving for middle eastern treats, she started recreating them at home.
Soon, Junaina decided to wear the baker’s hat. “I was not a baker. But when I realised how much my family, especially my kids craved cakes and sweet treats, I didn’t want to buy them treats filled with preservatives, so I decided to give baking a shot,” says Junaina. Now, her brand Bakelicious by Junaina makes sweet treats for many families.
Her pastel-shaded, minimally styled cakes are a treat to the eyes and tastebuds. She has over 12 plus flavours but her chocolate-based cakes have a separate fanbase — especially Chocolate Hazel Nut. The cakes made from coverture chocolate will melt in one’s mouth. “Visually, my cakes are simple. I focus more on flavours, as people don’t forget what they eat. I try to use only high-quality ingredients and no artificial essence is added. I wouldn’t sell anything I wouldn’t feed my family,” she adds.
Apart from cakes, Junaina’s macarons are also bestsellers. By curating a method of her own, her macarons are one of a kind. “For a baker, macarons are bliss. But hardly a few of them bake perfect macarons. It took me many trials and errors to curate a technique, which I believe is the first-of-the-kind in Kochi,” beams Junaina.
Macarons are hard to bake in a humid environment. “To cope with humidity, one has to depend on air conditioners and dehumidifiers. With my method, you don’t need any of them. Macarons can be baked in an hour,” adds Junaina.
Macarons, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside come in seven-plus flavours including, chocolate, blueberry, raspberry, lemon curd, passion fruits, strawberries, and toffee. The latter is the best seller.
“Macarons are sweet cookies. The filling inside is used to cut down its sweetness, so it is usually something tart, sour or bitter,” says Junaina. She has also brought in authentic Arab treats like Kunafas and Baklavas. Fresh fruit Gazo and Neapolitan cakes, flavours from her childhood are also top picks at Bakelicious.
Pan-Kerala delivery
Price starts from I900
Instagram : @bakelicious.by.junaina