Smitten by Mandakini Gupta - 4.5

Photo courtesy: Mandakini Gupta

Once in a blue moon you discover something fabulous and you best hold on. That has been my sentiment towards the amazing dessert maker Mandakini, who bakes out of her home under the name of Smitten. Dessert, after dessert she hasn't failed to deliver a high standard of confectionary. She uses top quality ingredients that allow for a top notch dessert. She needs at least 24 hours notice on all orders.

I have also upgraded her score from 4.25 to 4.5. Simply because of the relentless excellence - dish after dish has shown. Such dedication to the art of pastry making and fine attention to detail that she comes close to perfection every time. And for every carnival my mouth has been to with every bite, the score is but only well deserved.

I love her packaging, it's simple and tasteful . While on the subject of facades, the presentation of each dessert is good enough to serve at any dinner party. They look clean and well finished, unlike a lot of desserts that may taste good, but lack the finesse to make it presentable enough.

• Chocolate Eclairs  - I am just going to start by saying Mandakini is a genius - and her latest eclairs are perfection! Perfect little bite sized nibbles. The choux pastry is thin, with needed bit of chew to it, while maintaing its lightness. The velvety chocolate cream, is generous and absolutely divine. You will need at least two back to back - trust me. She is also starting two new flavours; salted caramel and coffee. Rs. 80 per piece (min. 6)

Photo Credit: Mandakini Gupta - We ate my lot so fast the camera didn't stand a chance.!

• Passion Fruit Tart - My first encounter with Smitten, came in the form of this heavenly passion fruit tart, I ordered for a friends birthday. It took a little coaxing from Mandakini's end to order it, and I could not thank her enough. It's a beautiful dessert, and a good change from all the usual choc/caramel this and red velvet (which she apparently makes very well too) that. I loved how the dessert was bursting with flavour, with just the right amount of tartness. It wasn't too heavy either nor too sweet. Check, check and check. Rs. 1400

•  Salted Caramel Cupcakes - I know, I know, but somethings are popular for good reason. Mandakini makes this as a cake too, but suggested I avoid it during the hot/humid months as the carmel tends to drip away. These are probably the best cupcakes I have eaten in the city. The chocolate was rich and luscious. The cake moist and fluffy. The icing - smooth, chocolatey, buttercream - without that heaviness or that awful graininess. The salted caramel, was stuffed in the centre of the cake itself, and popped out at you like a naughty jack-in-the-box. Oh, how I love surprises! Rs. 105 each (6 minimum)

• Boozy Chocolate Cake - No complaints again. I wish had this sort of a success rate more often with places, but I best not be greedy for now. More like a truffle torte than a cake, which does mean it is a very rich dessert, and one cake goes a long way, despite it not being very big in size. Comes with mascarpone cream cheese. Rs. 1400 (sans mascarpone). 

• Carrot Cake - The cake had that wonderful wholesomeness, that any good carrot cake should. It was moist no doubt, and I wish I could have had more of those caramelized walnuts on top! My only complaint here is that layer of icing in the center, which could have been thinner, it got a bit too sweet and heavy for me. Though, still delicious, I will ask her to ease up on that layer next time for me. Rs.1600 (8 inches)

• Cloud Cookies - What may look like a dry chocolate cookie in the picture, is actually a little bite of heaven. They are called cloud cookies because they are just that light, without compromising on that chocolatey decadence . Word won't do it justice,but let me try. Think the light airiness of a macaron, paired with the fudginess of a brownie, and walnuts for crunch. Finally, you can get a maximum dose of chocolate without being weighed down. I promise one bite and you will be hooked. Rs. 500 (per dozen)

• Essential Chocolate -  A rich decadent chocolate cake, yet it has that warm comfort only something home-made and baked with love can give you. Her chocolate raspberry cake is delicious too - (same thing but with layers of raspberry coulis included) Rs. 1400 (8 inches)

• Chocolate Banana Cake - Love chocolate? Love Banana? Well you cannot go wrong with this one. For a dear friend's birthday I asked Mandakini to create a cake that happily sat in my imagination. I wouldn't have trusted anyone else with my thoughts and she did it justice. It is now on her menu for you all to try. Two layers of moist banana cake with dark chocolate chips, that sandwich a scrumptious layer of custard and banana (high time people remembered custard!) . Made even more decadent with chocolate ganache icing all around the cake. And trust me that picture does not do it justice. Rs. 1600 (8 inches)

• Bacon Ham & Cheese Bread - Nice country style crusty bread on the outside - not exactly fluffy on the inside - but has substance texturally. Which means a slice can go a long way, all on its own too. I loved eating a toasted slice with some good whole grain mustard - Mmmm! Two sizes Rs. 325 and Rs. 650

• Pull Apart Garlic Bread - Besides the fact that any kind of pull apart bread is plain genius, one that is as soft and tasty as this one is plain joy. Great one to have for dinner parties . Try it. Rs. 200

Photo courtesy: Mandakini Gupta

• Dog Treats - She sent some of these for my dogs to try. Honestly, they did gobble it up but I haven't raised my dogs to be Persian princesses, so I really do not know if they were that good or whether my dogs were just being dogs! She also makes doggie cupcakes - but thats a bit beyond me to investigate further.

Photo courtesy: Mandakini Gupta