Slices from the perfect cake

In 81 years of existence, Wenger's has celebrated millions of birthdays.

From a door that stood 12 feet tall when it first opened in 1926, to a ceiling now that measures no more than that, the Wenger's pastry shop may have downsized but it's legacy and charm are still intact.

One of Delhi's first bakeries from the colonial era, there was once a time when cutting the Wenger's cake on your birthday was considered a status symbol in Delhi society.

Famous for its sugar icing and plum cakes, Wenger's cuisine was not something enjoyed by everyone. So, it was mostly the British and wealthy Indians who savoured the delicacies prepared at this bakery started by a Swiss couple.

Having spent more than 40 years amidst the fragrance of baking, Charanjeet Singh, now manager of Wenger's, remembers the days when the bakery doubled up as a posh restaurant where a Goan band played live, political parties held press conferences and big shots hosted wedding receptions. "Once freedom fighter Babu Jagjivan Ram also came to attend a wedding reception here," remembers Singh.

Little has changed in the seductive aura that surrounds this bakery. Even today, people follow the trail of fresh cake smells through the blocks in Connaught Place and into Wenger's, where the huge ceiling fans have given way to air-conditioners.

But for Singh, who in his own words is still with the bakery because "I love being here", the fondest memories still lie in the sugar icing cakes, the taste of which has now been replaced by fresh cream cakes. But then, "There are still old customers like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who even today place orders for sugar icing cakes," he says.