Dateline Mussoorie: The Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, The Savoy, Mussoorie brought in the spirit of Christmas with its annual cake mixing ceremony, a symbol of ushering in good tidings and happiness all around.
In its sprawling Central Lawn, keeping in tune with the Christmas theme of green, red and gold, the hotel picked the ideal spot on an early autumn evening to hold its customary ceremony. The annual cake-mixing has over the years, become an inseparable part of Savoy’s Christmas celebrations.
Keeping the timeless tradition alive, the hotel staff, guests along with special invitees from town armed with their gloves and ladles collected around a large tub to mix the perfect blend of dry fruits, liqueurs, candies and spices all laid out on a table to work a scrumptious traditional cake batter.
The ceremony began under the watchful eyes of Head Chef Rajeev Badola who guided the guests every step of the way, “We have used close to 50 kgs of fruits, black currant, apricot, ginger peels, prunes, figs, resins, dates, tutti-frutti, spices, mace, soaked in choicest of spirits such as wine, rum and brandy and stirred. 2023 is Year of the Millet, so we shall also try to use millet in this traditional blend closer to when we bake.”
After being soaked for weeks, this perfect blended fruity mixture will then be baked into traditional festive indulgences which in turn sets the tone for the onset of Christmas in the hill-station.
The ceremony was followed by High Tea with an array of tea and delectable finger food to choose from. The magical evening came to an end with the magnificent winterline sprawling across the horizon and the aroma of the freshly mixed cake batter lingering in the air.
