A little over four years ago, Mogan Rodrigues decided to start his own cake-mixing tradition. While it wasn't a family tradition, he had tasted a really good rich plum cake just before that and that immediately inspired him to make his own cake for Christmas. Photo Courtesy: Mogan Rodrigues

This year, Rodrigues started by soaking the fruits in the first week of December with dry fruits and fruit peels in rum. He will be feeding it with alcohol every four-five days till Christmas day to get the rich flavour in the cake. Photo Courtesy: Mogan Rodrigues

More than any other aspect of the festival, Rodrigues believes this is a time when the whole family gets together to make the cake and sweets and enjoy the process along the way before finally feasting on them on Christmas day. Photo: Mogan Rodrigues

Elsewhere in the city, in Thane, Valerie Gomes is in the middle of renovating her home for Christmas so she will be starting her cake mixing only a few days before Christmas. Gomes, who has been doing it for the last 19 years, has soaked her dry fruits six months ago. For her rich plum cake, she adds cashew, almonds, kismis (dried grapes), black raisins, walnuts and tutti fruity. Photo Courtesy: Valerie Gomes

In Malad, Deenize Kunder is yet to start her cake mixing, which she usually does a few days before Christmas. Like Rodrigues, it wasn't a family tradition but she learned from her grandmother who taught her the various aspects of the art of baking. Now, she has been doing it for the last 20 years, and even makes other cakes like Apple Walnut Cake, Light Fruit Cake and Rawa Cake too. Photo Courtesy: Mogan Rodrigues