Rich Cakes by Bavany

Are you ready for a sweet feature? Read below to find out about the delectable treat you receive at the end of a Sri Lankan Wedding!!

The Whos . . .

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to introduce more about our business. The beautiful lady behind this business is actually my mother in law – Bavany. She has been making these delicious cakes for around 10 years now for weddings, puberty ceremony and all other special occasions.

After witnessing her love for rich cakes – the effort and care she invests just to make sure that she delivers nothing but perfection. I asked her – ‘Why don’t we turn your passion in to a business?’ (This type of rich cake is rarely made in the UK and possibly outside of Sri Lanka. I’ve heard people say they have their cakes imported from Sri Lanka for occasions).

Of course, she was hesitant and wasn’t sure if she could do it all by herself and that is when you understand the importance of family. Start ups are hard, and you must be sure that everyone is with you, everyone is supporting you, and everyone understands what you are doing.

My sister in law, Nish plays a very important role in our business. Though, she lives a few hours away from us and has two daughters (they are definitely a handful) – she has never failed to be there for her mother and has kept pushing her to be where she is now. I do the marketing/advertising part – I speak with customers and ‘try’ to make her social pages look pretty and informative for potential customers.

The Whats . . .

The Rich Cake is really Sri Lanka’s version of the Western fruit cake – believed to be influenced by the Portuguese and Dutch who eventually colonised Sri Lanka. But our cakes are decorated with marzipan made from ground cashew nuts instead of icing. It is usually served during Christmas time – it is cut into squares, wrapped in a layer of grease-proof paper and then a layer of pretty decorative foil with ribbons tied on each end. It is served to family, guests and also shared with neighbours to celebrate Christmas. However, rich cakes are commonly served during weddings – it is the cake that is gifted by the bride and groom in a small personalised box as a favor.

The How . . .

Fruit cake is easily the most hated cake in the existence of baking , I definitely hated it myself. Especially, when you bite in to it and you think – ‘what the hell is that?’

Though this cake has a lot of ingredients, it is finely minced so that there are no fruit chunks. There is no right or wrong when it comes to making these cakes as it is tailored specifically to your taste.

We mince all the fruit and cashew nuts into small bits – definitely time consuming but worth it. All the minced fruits and candied peel are mixed with the nuts, brandy/rum, rose water, honey/golden syrup, vanilla extract and spices. We then keep aside our mixture for minimum 3 weeks for the flavours to combine- It gets better as it ages.

Similar to making a fluffy sponge cake – you add the required ingredients and mix it with the aged mixture. We love our cakes when it is rich and moist – so we leave the cake to bake in the oven for around 2-3 hours on a reduced heat. If you prefer it dark and drier then you can leave it in for a little bit longer.

The History . . .

My mother in law got into making these from a young age, 16 years old she said. The interest grew on her because of an aunt who lived next door to her in Jaffna, Eelam. After witnessing her make these cakes for occasions, my mother in law asked her for her recipe – that’s how her journey started.

As the years have passed, she’s adapted the recipe to her taste and preferences and most importantly, feedback received from her loved ones.

The Why . . .

We have made these cakes as favours for many weddings and puberty ceremonies. We take any order sizes – from fifty to a thousand (and more). One thing I definitely encourage all the bride/groom to be is to make time for is a food/cake tasting. This is important as it will allow us to build a relationship with you and also to listen to your valuable feedback – our tasting sessions are free.

We know how stressful planning, organising and hosting a wedding can be, that’s why we offer to pack the wrapped cakes in your personalised boxes (no matter how complicated they are). This way, you don’t have to worry about them until your big day and this is also our way of saying thank you for trusting us.