Idukki woman's special Christmas cakes find market in 10 countries

Idukki: Christmas cakes baked by 70-year-old Suseela Stephen of Kakkuzhi in Vandiperiyar, Idukki, have found their way to customers in 10 countries this festive season. Prepared only in December each year, her cakes have earned a loyal following both in India and abroad.

Locally brewed wine and a blend of fruits form the core ingredients of Suseela’s cakes. To enhance flavour, she adds a few closely guarded ingredients and ferments the fruits in traditional Chinese jars for a year. The cakes are baked in bormas using firewood, which, she says, lends a distinct taste to the delicacy.

This year, Suseela baked 2,000 cakes, half of which were shipped to countries including Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. She markets the cakes primarily through social media platforms.

What began as a family tradition—baking cakes for the birthdays of her children and grandchildren—soon turned into a small enterprise after repeated requests from those who sampled her creations. Suseela's dedication has earned her wide recognition, including an entrepreneurship award presented at a function in Mumbai.

Suseela is married to Raju Kakkuzhi, owner of Amana Plantations and Resorts. Their son Didi Punnen left an engineering job to establish and run resorts in Munnar and Kumali. The couple also has a daughter, Dr Shera, who works as a dentist in Dubai.

Suseela prepares her cakes at a bakery owned by John, a family friend, in Vandiperiyar.