Ho..Ho..Ho! Hotel Ocean Pearl Ushers Christmas Spirit with ‘CAKE MIXING’ Ceremony
Mangaluru: What is cake mixing and the history of the tradition? You might have seen several hotels hosting cake-mixing ceremonies before, where a large number of people participate in mixing cake ingredients. Cake mixing is super fun to do as it is usually done in large quantities. People from all walks of life come together to ring in the joy of the Christmas season and celebrate it along with the Christian community. Cake mixing is not a contemporary practice but rather an old one which started back in the 17th century.
What goes into the cake mix? For cake mixing, almonds, cashews, raisins, dates, figs, dried cherries, pistachios, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, dried ginger, candied fruits, prunes, walnuts, sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour are mixed in the right ratio. Once combined well, this mixture is then soaked in rum, brandy, wine or a combination of fruit juices and alcohol, like Whiskey, Rum, Vodka, Wine, Brandy etc. The cake mix is filled in airtight containers and is allowed to soak for at least 20 days, and around 22 or 23 December, the mix is ready to prepare delicious varieties of cakes.
Having said that, one of the star and luxurious hotels in the City, the HOTEL OCEAN PEARL, Kodialbail, Mangaluru was the FIRST hotel in the City, to usher the Christmas Spirit of 2023 with the CAKE MIXING ceremony on Monday, 27 November 2023 held at the Pacific Hall. It was an unusual invitation for many guests participating in the cake mixing ceremony, being clad in a chef apron and a cap. Truly nice and colourful in the spirit of true Christmas. Kilos of assorted dry fruits, dates, plums etc mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg and generous amounts of liquor like Rum, Brandy, Whiskey, and red and white wine, and stored in a container until the festive season.
The traditional cake-mixing ceremony conducted every year by the Hotel over the last few years saw the Chefs/bakers, managers, guests equipped with gloves, and engaging themselves adding varied alcoholic beverages to a generous quantity of dry fruits, tossing and coating the entire mixture in a massive vessel. Wine, rum, vodka, and whisky, along with mounds of black raisins, brown dates, red cherries, cashews, cardamom and other exotic spices went in the cake-mixing ceremony. The more to mix, the merrier the feat.
As they say “Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth”- but in this case”, Too Many Bakers/hotel staff/guests wouldn’t Spoil the Cake Mixing”, instead they will be creating some fantastic and delicious cakes come Christmas time.
Wouldn’t it be fun to mix lots of colourful cherries, dates, plums and dry fruits with your favourite drinks? However, the treat is not to savour immediately but to keep ready for the festive season. With around 27 plus days left for Christmas and New Year, the city’s premier Hotel Ocean Pearl had this event which guests of honor graced, special invitees executive and in-house staff of the hotel and media personnel- and the best part was that they were all geared up with aprons, caps and gloves to take part in the fun-filled ceremony.
To name a few of the people who involved themselves in the Cake Mixing ceremony were G N Girish-Vice President of Hotel Ocean Pearl; Fr Michael Santhumayor- Principal, of Milagres Degree College, Mangaluru; Fr Robert D’Souza- Principal, of Lourdes Central CBSE School, Mangaluru; Milan Samuel- GM of Hotel Ocean Pearl; Kapil Sahai- F & B Manager; Dewarath Mandal- Executive Chef; Vinod Pinto- President, CREDAI, Mangaluru; Dr Shishir Shetty- Professor at AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Medical sciences; Violet & Joseph Pereira- Proprietors, Mangalorean.com; among others. Fr Robert D’Souza said a short prayer, following which the cake mixing began full of action and fun. Yes, Christmas is no fun without the traditional Christmas cake; and making this cake is not a quick, easy simple step. Preparations begin days in advance.
That done, Executive Chef Dewarath Mandal, having 23 years of experience in India and abroad, and eight years at Hotel Ocean Pearl got his merry band of men in to complete the mixing as it was now all down to muscle power! A load of fun and a load of work, all amidst great cheer and fervour. The holiday season was rung in under the watchful eye of the Chef, summoned in by the top executives of the Hotel, each time before any culinary move was made! It should be noted that be it representing the harvest season or being a reason for family gatherings, the cake-mixing ceremony successfully marks the onset of the Christmas season. While the cake-mixing ritual has now acquired a social face, it has not diluted its religious importance, and it remains one of the most awaited events in the Christian household, which marks the onset of the Christmas season.
While the Cake mixing ceremony is a sort of warming up to Christmas time, it surely does more than just that. Addressing the gathering, BN Girish-Vice President of Ocean Pearl group said, ”This ceremony brings in the rhythm of Christmas, not only here at the Hotel, but all over the world. The efforts put in by the chefs and bakers behind this cake-mixing will make the cakes yummy. As Fr Robert D”Souza said, “Christmas is a festival of Love, Peace and Happiness, and at our Hotel, we too believe this and want to make Christmas, which is the biggest festival in the world, come alive at Hotel Ocean Pearl”.
“The punchline of Ocean Pearl is to celebrate life, and we always try to put smiles on people’s faces. During the Christmas season, our chefs in the kitchen are busy creating a bunch of yummy goodies for your sweet tooth. This ceremony is basically to bring in the Christmas festive mood and make merry. People who will get these cakes during the festive season will be in for a pleasant surprise too. We have planned lots of activities and other goodies/dining specials during December. So if you want to celebrate Christmas in a joyous and fun ambience come to Hotel Ocean Pearl this Christmas season and New Year”, added Girish.
General Manager of Ocean Pearl, Milan Samuel speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Though history talks about it as a harvest ceremony, however, today cake-mixing is seen more in the modern-day context. And celebrating it as an occasion of social gathering and celebration is more relevant. It is in itself very old and so it can too be called the history of the ceremony. This ritual marks the beginning of a very busy year for the baking industry. Hotels and bakeries celebrate it in a big way. The cake-mixing ceremony at our Hotel has become an event, on the calendar when the staff bond with each other. Donning gloves and red aprons, the ritual of pouring and mixing the wine into the chopped fruit is performed with much enthusiasm and gaiety. And the flavour of dry fruits mixing with wine is an experience in itself.”
Food & Beverage Manager Kapil Sahai said, “The entire mixture would be sealed in airtight containers and left to mature around Christmas. Around 20 December or so, the cake baking will start. This practice is followed in several Western countries and it has become an annual celebratory ritual for us at the Ocean Pearl Hotel. After the specified duration, the entire mixture is blended with cake batter and baked to unveil the traditional cake for the people. I cherish this celebration because it sets the festive mood. Though it doesn’t have any religious connotation, it continued as it is the first gathering “.
Executive Chef Dewarath Mandal said, “The entire mixture would be sealed in airtight containers and left to mature around Christmas. Around 20th December or so, the cake baking will start. This practice is followed in several Western countries and it has become an annual celebratory ritual for us at Ocean Pearl. After the specified duration, the entire mixture is blended with cake batter and baked to unveil the traditional cake for the people. Nearly a dozen assistant chefs/bakers will join me in creating the best cakes, which you will find nowhere. I cherish this celebration because it sets the festive mood. Though it doesn’t have any religious connotation, it continued as it is the first gathering”.
The ceremony was meticulously and eloquently compered by Ms Lavita Menezes. Now that the cake-mixing is ready, and delicious and yummy Christmas cakes will be created ten days before Christmas, Hotel Ocean Pearl requests all you cake lovers to stop by the Hotel, and take home one of their cakes meticulously prepared by the in-house chefs and bakers. Christmas has already come early at Hotel Ocean Pearl! And remember that fun never stops during the Christmas & New Year season at Hotel Ocean Pearl. Ho…Ho…Ho…..
