It is undeniable that the young population of Chennai has wrapped itself around the Pinterest aesthetic with all its might. From the drip of her clothes to café-hopping, aesthetic consumption is at her core. And that’s when the cake-for-one enters the scene with a bow decoration, Garamond font, and pastel frosting that looks more like a painting than a dessert. Bingo, this is the same bento cake that first made waves in 2021 and is still attracting people.
Home-baker Al Huda, who runs The Glaze in Nungambakkam, gets 90-100 bento cake orders every month, most of which come from nearby college students. “When it comes to cakes, I get more orders for bento cakes,” she says. As Valentine’s Day passes, the storm of bento cakes is increasing.
Ms Al Huda says not many stores or bakeries in the city offer bento cakes. Therefore, home-bakers have become the preferred experts, ready to personalize every detail according to the customer’s wishes. “I made a lot of heart-shaped bentos for Valentine’s Day and a lot of ribbon cakes, which we call ‘pookie-coded,’ which are part of Gen Z lingo,” she says. For this home-baker, beauty and affordability both go together to make the Chennai crowd love these little bentos.
workshop also
“Everything coming from South Korea has a huge fan base among the young crowd of Chennai,” says Jannatul Firdous, a home-baker who runs The Gaiety Corner in Chennai. Apart from selling cakes, she is also known for her bento cake workshops in the city, where participants learn how to make bento cakes from scratch. “I started with cupcake workshops, but when bento cakes became a trend, I couldn’t stop. I was planning to conduct other pastry workshops as well, but bento cake workshops are the most in demand,” says Ms Firdous.
Bento cakes were born as more nuclear families in South Korea needed smaller, individual portions. The name ‘bento’ itself means convenience and comes from Japan. It is becoming famous all over the world. It is bought not only to celebrate birthdays but also for breakfast.
Home-baking newbie Amrita Muthuramasamy says she plans to switch from her MNC job to a full-time baker. Ms. Amrita says, “I took up baking to relieve the stress from my day job and all the baked goods. I love making bento cakes the most. It’s my specialty because I can even paint Monet-style art on them.” “I’ve been making bento cakes and getting orders from people I know, but I plan on working full-time once I make some concrete plans.”
Style and Customization
No two bento cakes look alike due to customization and the baker’s style. Ms. Firdous has also kept her artistic process separate. “Bento cakes with pastel, soothing colors are my style,” she says. “From choosing the right color palette, which are usually soothing pastel colors, to making sure the cakes are moist and giving them the perfect round shape, every little detail counts,” she says.
