This Article First Appeared In BBC On Dec 24, 2022
The Scot, who ran a massive cinnamon plantation in the Malabar region of the coastal state (then part of a princely state in British-ruled India), had brought a sample cake back from Britain. He explained to Mr Bapu how it was made.
Mr Bapu knew how to bake bread and biscuits – a skill he learnt at a biscuit factory in Burma (present-day Myanmar) – but he had never made a cake. But he decided to give it a try with Mr Brown’s inputs.
The experiment came with some improvisations.
Mr Bapu mixed the cake batter with a local brew made of cashew apple instead of the brandy Mr Brown had suggested getting from the nearby French colony of Mahe.
The result was a unique plum cake made entirely from local ingredients.
When Mr Brown tried it, he was so happy with the results that he ordered a dozen more.