A behind-the-scenes look at this iconic Mumbai bakery and their Christmas delicacies

The elves at American Express Bakeryrsquos AEB Byculla kitchen have been working in overdrive for the past three months The sweet smell of cinnamon clove and nutmeg quite truly the smell of Christmas wafts through the doors of the 114yearold bakery which stands its ground in a wrought iron building called AEB House People passing on the busy Mirza Ghalib Marg stop to catch the heavenly whiff The air is heavy with the aroma of traditional cakes and puddingsHandpicked dry fruits and fresh fruits are marinated in a special house blend of ground spices and rum for three months allowing them to mature and absorb the flavours for that lasting delicious first bite These are now being added to the cake batter every day as small batches of the traditional plum cake and pudding are prepared to stack on the shelvesFounded in 1908 on Grant Road AEB expanded to branches in Byculla Bandra Santa Cruz and Colaba the last of which shut down PicShadab KhanldquoBoth recipes have passed down five generationsrdquo says Nicholas Ross 21 the oldest grandson of 80yearold Ross and Lilia Carvalho who have been helming AEB for decades ldquoThe recipe has not been altered because we donrsquot want to mess with perfectionrdquo he adds cheekily Ross has worked at AEB during Christmas for a decade and shares his grandfatherrsquos passion for cooking They both leave the cleaning up for his avo grandmother and mother he saysThe first advertisement that AEB published and which still flanks the old walls of the structure dates back to 1908 making it a milestone year for the family Started by Francesco Carvalho at Falkland Road Grant Road it was called American Express owing to the speedy delivery of its goods to American cruise ships docking in Bombay It was renamed AEB later and relocated to Byculla in 1935 ldquoWe are fortunate that our forefathers spent years perfecting the recipe and handed it down to usrdquo he adds Their alltime hit is the traditional plum cake which although a Christmas specialty is also on offer around the year because customers canrsquot get enough of it A kilo of the cake is priced at R1060 and the plum pudding for R550 ldquoCustomers say we make them nostalgic with every bite If we can give them this joy all year round why notrdquoAmerican Express Bakeryrsquos Christmas plum cakes and plum puddings are pieces of art made using an over 100yearold unchanged recipe passed down generations Preparations for Yuletide season begin months in advanceIt takes a team of five to prepare the cakes all of them trained by the Carvalhos Handheld at every step of the process some days it takes the bakers up to 10 hours to ready a batch The minimum is five hoursBut comparisons of their plum pudding to the one available at Londonrsquos Harrods makes it worth the hard work Ross says ldquoThe proof is in the pudding All our Christmas goodies sell out every year Customers tell us that our Christmas fares are lsquotraditionrsquo gracing the tables of Mumbaikars for five generations For the past few years they order and arrange for couriers to be delivered to various parts of India Our announcement of the plum cake and plum pudding hitting the shelves marks the start of Christmas celebrations for many We have loyal old time customers who still reminisce about their childhood by buying our plum cake every year itrsquos a family traditionrdquo This the young man calls privilege ldquoIt is why we still lsquoknead your needsrsquordquo he smiles referring to the brandrsquos taglineHappiness however comes with its own trials and tribulations Ross recalls a time when Ross Carvalho had to maintain AEB quality even at a time when ingredients in the market were affected due to conditions out of his control ldquoAll our ingredients are locally sourced There was a year when the quality of flour was not too good due to excessive rain and poor pest control Yet he offered a quality loaf to the customerrsquos table This is not something you can learn from a textbook It comes with experience All of us in the family have learnt from himrdquo he saysIn addition to regular fare AEB launches a specially curated Christmas menu during the busiest time of the year ldquoItrsquos meticulously executed and itrsquos a joy for everyone in the family to help including the sevenyearold sitting around the table moulding marzipan shapes while listening to Christmas carolsrdquo Ross says that although exhausted from all that goes into the bakery during this time Christmas dinner at the Carvalho home is still served with all the bells and whistles of a Goan feast ldquoMy avo Lilia Carvalho is in her 80s but she makes sure all our workers at the bakery are fed well during this busy time by cooking dinner for them the week leading up to Christmas She continues to do this at her age and we all struggle to keep up with herrdquoA Carvalho family tradition of setting alight their Christmas pudding It takes only a dollop of brandy one warm plum pudding and a match making it a piece de resistance at the familyrsquos Christmas tableThe motto Ross says has been to serve the community He remembers offering bread to anyone who walked in during the Mumbai riots of 19921993 ldquoEven today we donate over 3000 loaves a month to those in need Our staff comes from all over India and we try to help their children get to school My grandparents rarely talk about this in public Itrsquos from them that we have all learnt to make a difference big and smallrdquoAEBrsquos Xrsquomas menu Dundee cake Fruit mince pie Marzipan Coconut toffee Guava cheese Pawn pattice Lemon cake Apple pie Stollen bread with marzipan Portuguese sweet bread Christmas cookies box Stuffed roast chicken