Pune: World Record Holder Prachi Dhabal Deb Awes International Audience With Her Banarasi Saree-Themed Cake
Ketaki Latkar-Mahajan
Pimpri-Chinchwad, 15th December 2022: Prachi Dhabal Deb, an internationally renowned and world record-holder cake artist from Pune, was invited to an international cake collaboration representing the country’s fashion.
She chose a traditional Banarasi saree and jewellery as an inspiration for her cake for Italy’s ‘International Cake Project’.
The design of the 32-inches cake depicts the Kumkum/Sindoor daani ( vermilion box), an auspicious element for many of the traditional weddings in India.
The colour and the floral design are inspired by the Banarasi saree. The other ornamental elements on the cake tiers are inspired by the jewellery that comprises fine filigree goldwork and gemstones. The beauty of a traditional Banarasi silk saree lies in the finest quality silk contrasted with hand-weaved patterns and motifs using vibrant gold and silver zari work.
To incorporate the same essence of the hand weave look, the floral elements were piped using thousands of individual dots and then painted with edible gold dust. The entire cake is made using hand-piped edible elements with egg-free/vegan royal icing.
Speaking about why she chose the Banarasi saree, the financial analyst turned cake artist shared, “I wanted to showcase Indian heritage and culture internationally. At the same time, I wanted to create something close to my heart, something I could resonate with. There couldn’t have been a better choice than the vibrant fuchsia Banarasi masterpiece. It was handed over to me by my mother – so it had more value and an element of legacy.”
This Banarasi saree-inspired cake, Shubh Shringaar, is displayed at Prachi’s cake studio in Pune. Enter the studio, and you are transported into a world of fantasy, almost as if entering Roald Dahl’s magnificent setting of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And just as Charlie ambles along the factory and is spellbound looking at the bursts of chocolate, one tends to be awestruck, witnessing Prachi’s larger-than-life, involvedly designed, thoughtfully embellished cakes, with her signature vegan royal icing. No wonder, this cake genius has been christened “the queen of royal icing.”
In her 30s, Prachi has set two world records – the Biggest Vegan Royal icing structure by the World book of records London and the Maximum number of Vegan Royal icing structures by the World book of Records ls London.
Born in Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), Prachi completed her school education in Dehradun (Uttarakhand). She completed her college degree in Kolkata. She is married to an IT professional from West Bengal and resides in the Rahatani area of Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune.
