On July 24, Siliguri-based home baker Rinchen Wangmo Yolmo landed at the Bagdogra airport with a shining Oscar in hand. But this Oscar wasn’t the black lady, but a golden lady with wings. It felt like a dream for the 46-year-old, who won the Asia Cake Oscars 2024, the most prestigious award for baking in Asia, on July 20. It was hosted by SLICCA in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Cake Awards and the Home Bakers Association of Sri Lanka, where more than 400 bakers across Asia participated. Rinchen was nominated for the ‘Novelty Cakes’ category, where she emerged as the winner. And it was far from what she imagined back in 2012, the year she started her journey with cakes. My Kolkata caught up with the home baker to know more about her cakelicious journey.
Rinchen with her Asia Cake Oscars award
A humble beginning
Rinchen Yolmo was born in Darjeeling and studied in Dow Hill School in Kurseong. For a brief period, she joined Loreto College in Darjeeling (now Southfield College) before joining an airline as a flight attendant. After her marriage, she left her job and decided to nurture her passion for baking. “I have been interested in baking since my childhood. I was inspired by my grandmother who used to bake. But, there was not much exposure in Darjeeling back then. After leaving my job in 2011-12, in Bengaluru, I told my husband that I wanted to learn professional baking. That's when he suggested I should go for a diploma course rather than a regular class. So I joined the Institute of Baking and Cake Art (IBCA) and enrolled in baking and cake art,” she said.
Soon after, Rinchen started taking customised cake orders in Bengaluru and formed a strong client base. Her home bakery, ‘Homebaker’, was established. “It started off with orders from friends, family and acquaintances. Through word of mouth, orders started pouring in. From birthday cakes to wedding cakes, I was doing them all!”
The business was flourishing well for the new home baker in town. But a twist in her fairytale was awaiting for her. “When I got pregnant with my daughter, I had to put a stop to baking. The doctor informed me that I had a complicated pregnancy and I couldn't bake. We came back to Siliguri and I couldn’t bake for two years.”
But, soon, she bounced back and went back to what gave her ultimate joy. “Starting again from scratch was difficult in Siliguri. I couldn't keep the rates the same as Bangalore. Procuring ingredients and tools was difficult. It still is so. Ordering online was the only option. But, when I began, slowly I realised that people are appreciating it. It took some time, but I was back on my feet,” she recalled.
Each cake a piece of art
Two of Rinchen’s themed cakes and a fondant figurine
Rinchen specialises in customised cakes. From birthdays to rice ceremonies, she incorporates clients’ imaginations with her creativity into her cakes. She has also been making themed cakes for weddings that showcase different cultures. “I started making the typical white-themed wedding cakes for Christian weddings. But soon, I got orders for Nepali and Assamese weddings too. Those cakes needed to represent the culture of the couple, so I incorporated designs for them. For rice ceremonies, I try to make it as thematic as possible. There are realistic touches where one can see rice scattered on the cake,” she said.
Besides buttercream, whipped cream and ganache, the cake artist uses fondant figurines and sugar crafts to decorate her cakes. Over the years, she has also started training new bakers in cake design. Cartoons, movies, festivals, games — be it any theme, Rinchen whips up a cake like art!
Does this home baker have an assistant? “I don't really have a helping hand, but my brother does help me. Cake-baking does not take much time. The time-consuming process is the design. For big wedding cakes, it can take more than a day or two. In a day, I can make two special cakes, but the wedding ones need more effort and time,” said Rinchen. With every cake she makes, she takes up a challenge to do something new. Her aim is to deliver the best looking and best tasting cake to her customers. Her recent masterpieces have been an Egyptian theme cake, where she made an entire pyramid with lots of detailing. In April, she made a succulent plant pot that looked fully realistic. Even the flowers that she uses on her cakes are handcrafted with sugar and look real.
Rinchen's Sugar Flowers
Rinchen co-owns a cafe with her brother-in-law called ‘Homebaker’ in Siliguri's Dagapur, Bara Gharia. Although the baked goodies and cakes at the cafe are baked by her, she prefers to do it from her home. “Many people come to the cafe asking for me. But I don't manage it because I am at home, baking. I cannot do both. I also train others so it is not possible for me to be there,” she said.
The next layover?
Rinchen has been a judge at the Bake India Bake Cake Show/Competition in Kolkata, a pioneering event in northeast India. She was also the National Level Winner in the Sculpted Cakes Category at Cake Star International in 2020. She has been receiving acknowledgement and recognition for her skill and talent from Sikkim, as well as neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan.
Now in her mid-40s, Rinchen wants to continue her baking adventures and impart knowledge to youngsters and new bakers. The latest award has certainly boosted her motivation and now she wants to inspire others. “I am elated to receive this award. It is a big achievement for me. My family is happy. When I got the call from the organisers, I thought it was some fake call. I took two days to realise it wasn't! This award doesn't only motivate me, but inspires my students too. To all the new bakers, all I want to say is, work hard and hustle. Today I am in the newspapers, tomorrow it can be you. Enjoy what you are doing. That's important,” she signed off.