SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
After six years of delighting thousands of followers behind a screen, Hyderabad’s popular food blogger Dr Ayesha Fatima aka @delish.eateria has officially taken her passion for good food offline.
Marking the launch of her Delish’s Cooking Club, Dr Ayesha brought the baking community together for the city’s first Dot Cake Competition, which was held on July 30, 2026, at Et-Si Cafe, Jubilee Hills.
The idea and conceptualisation
“I have always wanted to start something like a cooking club where I could meet and interact with my audience in person,” Dr Ayesha said. “I have been creating food content for the last five to six years, and I felt it was time to connect with the amazing people who have been supporting me beyond social media.”
Well, what better than dessert to bring a community together? When talking about the dessert scene in Hyderabad, Et-Si Cafe cannot be missed. Speaking to Siasat.com, Dr Ayesha revealed that the dot cake idea was suggested by Anju Narang, founder of Et-Si Cafe. “Since dot cakes are trending right now, we thought it would be a fun and exciting concept that would create a lot of buzz, and it turned out to be the perfect choice,” she said.
What stood out in this Dot Cake Competition is how the script was flipped. Unlike conventional contests where cake decor steals the spotlight, judges here strictly focused on what lay beneath the frosting.
“This time, our judging criteria was simple- looks did not matter. We focused entirely on what was inside the cake. The judges evaluated each cake based on the creativity and uniqueness of the flavours, along with the texture and moisture of the cake. It was all about taste, innovation, and baking skills rather than decoration,” she said.
A pastel picnic
Beyond a friendly competition, the event was designed to be an aesthetic gathering that was open to all food enthusiasts. Hosted against a backdrop of flowers and fairy lights, the cafe transformed into a beautiful picnic setting. Bakers and attendees enjoyed a premium high tea experience complete with interactive games and photo booths.
“Everyone was so happy, and many of them said they have never experienced an event like this in Hyderabad before. They loved getting to interact with fellow bakers, appreciated the beautiful decor, and were especially impressed by how well the event was organised,” Dr Ayesha said.
The Dot Cake Competition ended with four talented bakers winning the competition. Gusto Gourmet Bakehouse by Sree Manasa took home the first cash prize of Rs. 25,000 as her multi-layered cake wowed the judges with its flavours. Fateh Safan, founder of cloud bakery Boulangerie, won the second prize of Rs. 10,000 for her Kinder Joy-inspired cake. Third prize of Rs. 5000 was shared by two stand-out bakers, Asma Khan and 19-year-old Najwa of Silver Spoon Desserts.
With overwhelming enthusiasm from home bakers asking for another Dot Cake Competition, Dr Ayesha plans to make this just the beginning for Delish’s Cooking Club, promising more community-centric culinary events in Hyderabad’s future.
SOURCE : SIASAT
