WelcomHotel Dwarka:Where Bells Jingle

These jingling bells are the peals of laughter I heard at the recent Cake Mixing ceremony at WelcomHotel Dwarka. When kids gather that’s the kind of noise one hears  a noise that makes you happy and perhaps realize that all good things come in small packages.

 

Kids all excited with Santa Claus around

 

The beautiful autumn season brings with itself a lot of celebrations for everyone. From Dushhera to New year who has any time to rest? While the autumn leaves change their color and pick and choose their shades from the different palettes of nature, one such colorful ceremony that I attend every year is the cake mixing ceremony.

This year was a bit different, though. No! No! I did not miss the ceremony but I was accompanied by my little girls as the invite specially mentioned that it was an activity planned for kids.

 

Waiting for the kids to do the mixing

 

Cake Mixing is actually an age old tradition in Europe and dates back to around 17^th century and is believed to bring good tidings and happiness. Celebrated around the harvest season when lots of fruits and nuts are harvested and are used for making of the traditional plum cake.

You’d agree when I say that tea and cake is a traditional affair in England and no tea drinking ceremony is complete without the plum cake.

 

Spices and liquor were mixed by grown-ups

 

For the uninitiated, cake mixing doesn’t really mean mixing ingredients for the cake (usually, one would think the mixing of flour and other stuff and then baking it) in fact it is only a prelude to the actual baking of the plum cake which would be baked before Christmas. Here, one mixes nuts like cashews, almonds and pistachios and dry fruits like raisins, black currants, dates,prunes, cherries, candied orange, lemon rinds first with freshly ground spices like cinnamon and then it is soaked and mixed with liquor. The nuts and the dry fruits are carefully tossed and mixed together till well mixed and then it is stored in large containers for a few weeks so that the dry fruits and nuts swell up and absorb the flavor of the spices and the liquor and wine and are then used to bake the cake.

Kids writing their names on the slip before planting a sapling

Go Green: Kids planting a sapling

This being the basic concept, we were invited for  a cake mixing ceremony and plantation drive by WelcomHotel Dwarka on 12^th November. A specially curated event for adults and kids alike, this event again showcased what the brand actually stands for – ‘Responsible Luxury’. The tree plantation drive was specially added with the mixing ceremony so that the tiny tots learn and respect Nature, something that we adults are not doing very well at, rather far from it. In fact today, my daughter had an impromptu speech in her class and her topic was pollution and she mentioned about planting a tree with her friends at this drive at WH Dwarka. Small gestures, big impressions. It is always learning by doing. Commenting on responsible luxury Rishi Raj Singh, general manager, WelcomHotel Dwarka said, “The credo of Responsible Luxury: Luxury without compromising the Earth and sustainability without compromising luxury is manifested in various aspects at WelcomHotel Dwarka. At WelcomHotel Dwarka, we have initiated a small step towards improving the environment”.

 

Dwarkaites enjoying the ceremony

 

Organized at their lawn the event saw a happy and enthusiastic bunch of kids with their family. At the behest of their captain, Pastry Chef Sanjay Bahadur the kids were quick to don the hats, sport the gloves and the chef’s hat with their cute green aprons and dug into the mixing pot to mix the ingredients. Afterward, the grown ups mixed the spices and the liquor which would now be maturing in air tight jars which would later be blended with the cake batter and baked. Mmm…Can’t wait to try those baked beauties?

Selfie corner

WelcomHotel Dwarka: Responsible Luxury

The fun did not stop at that, there were many more activities like the magic show, drawing competition and selfie with Santa. There was also a pair of geese that kept the kids busy every now and then. Kids also enjoyed the munchies in the sun like cute little sandwiches which had a smiley face and the kids’ favorite forever – candy floss, they could also dress their own cupcakes. No kids’ party is ever complete without a return gift and all the kids got a sapling to plant at their homes.

 

Kids all happy and proud after the plantation drive

 

What a fun start to the weekend it was? It was followed by the Sunday Brunch  at the Pavilion 75 but that’s a different story.

And am wondering if cake mixing was so much fun with family what would Christmas be like?

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