In times when every other D.U. student is juggling between studies, extra curricular activities, internships and what not, say hello to Shivesh Bhatia, a political science undergrad from Hindu College and the man behind one of the finest baking blogs in India – Bake With Shivesh.
With around 60k followers on Instagram and all those drool-worthy recipes on his blog, he is the current sensation in the dessert bloggers’ circuit.
Here we bring to you our Q&A session with him that will surely make you want to try your hands on baking too.
Spoon: Tell us something about yourself.
Shivesh: I am 19 years old. I was born and brought up in Delhi. I graduated from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in 2014, where I was studying Humanities. Now I am doing my graduation in Political Science from Hindu College, DU.
Spoon: When and why did you start blogging?
Shivesh: To be very honest, I never wanted to start my blog. Blogging is a lot of work and I am a lazy person. I had been sharing pictures of my desserts on Instagram for a really long time though. After being persuaded by a lot of people, I finally started my blog – Bake With Shivesh – in December last year. My approach to desserts is very simple. I believe in using basic techniques and tools to create extraordinary desserts. What is unique about my recipes is that they are super easy and anyone can use them to create the most wonderful desserts in their home kitchens.
A photo posted by Shivesh (@shivesh17) on Nov 22, 2015 at 3:03am PST
Spoon: As we know you are currently a student at University Of Delhi, so do you see blogging as a full time profession after graduation?
Shivesh: I have no clue! As I said, I am doing my graduation in Political Science, I might end up doing something in that field. Baking is always an option. I’ll take life as it comes.
Spoon: The pictures of your recipes are one of the highlights of your blog and Instagram account – any special pointers or tips that you’d like to give our readers on that?
Shivesh: I always give a lot of importance to the visual part of my desserts because my blog readers and followers on Instagram can only eat it with their eyes. I do not use any fancy camera equipment to take my pictures. I take all my pictures on either my iPad or on my iPhone. The key is to take pictures in natural light. It makes all the difference.
Spoon: Do you follow any specific recipe book for baking or experimentation works as your key?
Shivesh: I just bake what I feel like baking. If it is a bright sunny day, I’ll probably make a lemon cake. If I want something chocolaty, I’ll quickly bake a basic chocolate cake or some gooey brownies. If I have a lot of time on hand, I’ll do something fancy like a layer cake. If I feel like experimenting, I’ll get myself to make a pie or a tart. If I find oranges in the fridge, I’ll make some orange curd. I am an instinctive person in kitchen. I don’t really plan my recipes. I just bake whatever I feel like eating or something that my family demands. When it comes to styling my desserts, I am really inspired by Linda Lomelino who is a Swedish baker and food blogger.
Spoon: One recipe from your blog that you want all our readers to try at least once?
Shivesh: My favorite recipe is my Vanilla Poppy Seed cake. I think I am obsessed with that recipe. It is a four layer vanilla poppy seed cake with raspberry compote filling and meringue frosting. To make it even better, it is decorated with white chocolate barks, meringue kisses and blanched almonds. I feel that this cake is perfect for any occasion. Though the most popular recipe on my blog is the Back to Basics – Chocolate Cake. Everyone loves chocolate, right? This recipe is super easy and never fails!
A photo posted by Shivesh (@shivesh17) on Sep 28, 2015 at 6:45am PDT
Spoon: Any tips or piece of advice for someone who is new into baking or wishes to start his/her own food blog?
Shivesh: Don’t think too much, just go for it! I think it is very important to enjoy the process of baking and blogging. If you don’t enjoy yourself, it will eventually become tedious and boring.
Spoon: Finally, what can we expect from Shivesh Bhatia in the coming future?
Shivesh: A lot of fun recipes and pretty pictures.
Haven’t you already got your ovens ready for baking? I bet you did.
Follow Shivesh for more such #dessertporn on Bake With Shivesh and don’t forget to check his Instagram account.