Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Cakes = Love + passion

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Nadiya Hasan Abdullah loves cakes. Baking and decorating customised cakes is something this young girl is passionate about. “I always liked the idea of drawing, painting, and wanted to excel at it. However I found this through baking cakes and consider it as my art in a special way.” Baking is my hobby and I would like to see it grow further,” she says.


How did it all begin? She once happened to make chocolate buttons and chocolate cake from her own recipe. It turned so good that her parents who tasted it really loved her baking. She tried a couple of stuff and began to enjoy more than she thought she would. That’s how her passion towards baking kept growing and got her to where she is today.


Nadiya keeps herself updated from Wilton on YouTube for decorating tips and techniques on cakes. She reads from different books, websites and obtains information and learns to churn out her own recipes.


It was a struggle to understand customers’ needs and to compete in the existing market. Introducing new products to impress customers was hard as she was a relatively new comer. Marketing her products and pleasing customers was the biggest struggle, Nadiya says.


Pursuing her interest for more than a year, she says “business is getting better and I am able to develop my own loyal customers.”


She uses 3D art for the topping and designs. But she is yet to make an entire cake on 3D.


“I need to be more creative and use my imagination. If it is for a specific theme, I get to know more details about the person for whom I am preparing the cake; their likes, dislikes and what their preferences are. Then I picture how the cake will look and sketch it out. After obtaining final approval from the customer, I proceed and follow up regarding corrections to make my customers happy.”


She makes different types of cakes for various occasions. Mostly these are cakes for birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, and other occasions. Basic cake flavours used include chocolate, vanilla, berry, strawberry and different types of chocolates like Twix, Snickers, sweets, biscuits, lotus and Oreos. These include cheesecake which comes with many flavours namely berries, pistachios, Nutella, Snickers, Lotus and Kit Kat.

“I try making new flavours; mixing new ingredients and coming out with novelty. The basic ingredient is passion and love. Loving what I do and being passionate makes me creative, tasty and loved by everyone who tastes it.”


She uses social media to sell ‘Nads Delights’. Nawal, her sister, helps with decorating ceremonial cakes, and backs her with ideas being part of the brainstorming sessions.


As an amateur Nadiya admits she is taking baby steps and plans to open an outlet at an upscale location in Muscat. “I am aiming to have more than an outlet and increase my options on menu!”


Presently working from North Al Hail, Nadiya targets most age groups and also has something for kids and adults.


Nadiya takes baking each cake as a challenge and every time she tries out something new it gets tougher. “There is no cake that is toughest but I can say the cakes with more details are the ones that take more effort.” She has set out a passion for herself and furthering horizons.


A graduate of Process Operations and Maintenance Engineering from Caledonian College of Engineering, she is on the look-out for a full-time job. “I need a job related to my major and would like to progress higher in my field of study and expand my passion to further levels.”


For Nadiya, managing job and business is not a daunting task. “Many successful people mange two jobs and are successful. I will be able to manage myself and being an engineer who can also bake is something which I am proud of,” she says confidently.


Liju Cherian


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