close_game
close_game

Baker Shivesh Bhatia reveals how to replace sugar in desserts, top baking hacks, easy recipes and more | Interview

Jan 18, 2025 05:01 PM IST

In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, Shivesh Bhatia talks about his baking journey, passion for desserts, top baking hacks, easy recipes and more.

Shivesh Bhatia, popularly known as Bake with Shivesh, is a self-taught baker who has captured the hearts of millions with his delectable dessert creations. With a massive Instagram following of 3.2 million, his social media platforms have become a haven for those with a sweet tooth, offering simple yet irresistible recipes that anyone can recreate at home.

Shivesh Bhatia shares tips on healthy baking, creative desserts and more.(Instagram)
Shivesh Bhatia shares tips on healthy baking, creative desserts and more.(Instagram)

In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, Shivesh opened up about his culinary journey, from discovering his passion for baking to revealing his favourite dishes and go-to kitchen hacks. (Also read: Chef adds rice paper to pani puri for a crunchy twist you’ve never tasted before. Check recipe inside )

Excerpts from the interview:

Can you please tell us about your journey? What really inspired you to start cooking? How did this passion come to life?

So, I was actually studying political science at Hindu College. I wasn't doing anything related to food at all, but luckily, Delhi University classes had an extremely simple schedule. So, there was a lot of time on my hands. I remember in the first year, after classes would get over at 12 or 1, I would go out with my friends and explore possibly every single cafe that existed in North Campus. But in the second year, I realized that I needed to make better use of my time. That's when I started taking my blog and baking a little more seriously. I started focusing a lot on food styling, food photography, and began posting recipes on my blog.

Do you remember the very first recipe you cooked and how it turned out?

The first thing I made wasn't even a proper recipe. We got Betty Crocker mixes and ready-made frosting, and I remember we tried making chocolate cupcakes. I was baking with my cousins, and everything was ready-made. All we had to do was add water and oil into the pre-mix and bake it. I remember we ended up burning an entire batch of the first one. It definitely didn't turn out well. Even the subsequent few recipes I tried over the next few months were honestly one disaster after the other.

What are some recent trends in desserts and baking that you find really interesting or exciting?

I think one trend that I'm really trying to adopt in a big way this year is swapping refined sugar and refined flour. It's something that's been around for a while, and people are becoming more conscious about it, but I feel like it's becoming bigger every year. So, I'm incorporating this into a lot of my recipes, where I'm working more with flours like ragi, jowar, or even buckwheat. I'm also using refined sugar-free alternatives, like dates and jaggery.

Making these little switches has been really exciting for me as a baker, especially because I've always baked with refined flour and sugar. It's a challenge, though, to use these alternative flours and ingredients while still maintaining the right texture—getting it fluffy and, of course, just as tasty. It's been an interesting challenge, and I've been working on a lot of these recipes, and it's been extremely fun so far.

For someone with a sweet tooth but also health-conscious, what guilt-free dessert ideas or healthier alternatives would you suggest?

Replacing sugar with healthier alternatives can be challenging, but it's so rewarding when the results are positive. I recently made a hot chocolate recipe with dates instead of sugar, cornstarch, or cream. It turned out thick, indulgent, and chocolaty, and many people recreated it, tagging me in their stories, which was amazing to see.

I've also been making date cakes with no refined sugar, sweetened entirely by dates, and they've been well-received. Another hit was a ragi chocolate mug cake, which is gluten-free and quick to make. It became a favourite among moms, who loved how easy it was to prepare for their kids' sweet cravings. The small portion size and quick prep made it a perfect guilt-free treat.

What is the simplest or easiest dessert someone who's lazy or new to baking can quickly whip up?

For someone new to baking or feeling lazy, chia seed pudding is a perfect dessert and breakfast option. It's super easy to prepare the night before, and once it chills in the fridge overnight, you have a simple, on-the-go meal the next morning. The best part is it's incredibly versatile. You can experiment with endless flavours, and even if you stick to the same base recipe, switching up the flavours keeps it feeling fresh every time.

I'm the kind of person who loves working with base recipes. Once I have my base sorted, I really enjoy experimenting with different flavors. That's why I love baking so much—there's so much you can do, and it keeps things exciting. So, that's one aspect I really enjoy.

If you had to choose one dessert to eat every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That's an interesting question! There are so many desserts to choose from, but I think I would probably pick a éclair. It's really versatile, and you can switch up the flavours, so it could taste completely different each time. If I had to pick a favourite flavour, it would either be pistachio or passion fruit.

Can you share some of your top cooking or baking hacks that would make life easier for home bakers?

For anyone starting with baking, I'd definitely recommend investing in a kitchen scale or measuring cups. Precise measurements are key to a perfect result, and without them, it's easy to mess up. It's a one-time investment that will save time and ingredients in the long run.

Another tip is to understand what each ingredient does to your dessert. Baking is a science, and knowing the role of each ingredient will help you experiment and improve your recipes. Lastly, get to know your oven. Every oven works differently, so pay attention to how your oven behaves with each recipe. If something cooks faster or slower than expected, adjust accordingly. Once you have these basics down, baking becomes a lot more fun and intuitive.

Every baker has that one dessert they find particularly challenging. Which dessert do you find the most difficult to make?

For me, it has to be macarons. I think they're extremely unforgiving as a recipe. The only way to truly get them right is by practising a lot. Unfortunately, I don't get the time to repeat the same recipe over and over again because my focus is always on creating new recipes for people. So, I don't get the opportunity to practice the same one constantly. But I think macarons are very technical, and they really require a lot of practice to perfect.

How do you incorporate traditional flavours into your baking? Any fusion recipes that you've created out of traditional sweets?

I love incorporating traditional Indian flavours into my baking. Some of my fusion creations include a rasmalai cake, which is a sponge cake with cardamom, saffron, and a creamy liquid base reminiscent of rasmalai. I've also made a gulab jamun cheesecake and gulab jamun churros, where I add milk powder and cardamom to the dough, fry the churros, and dip them in a cardamom-saffron syrup. The result is a crispy, sweet, and delicious treat!

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
See More
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On