Divya Dutta says her passion for it began in the lockdown

Hindustan Times

18-05-2025

For Divya Dutta, her passion for baking took shape in the Covid times. And while that time is long gone, what stayed was her love for whipping up goodies in the kitchen. On World Baking Day today on May 18, she spills the beans.
"It all comes from childhood... my mother used to prepare this pineapple cake on special days. Uss time pe toh do hi cake hote the- pineapple and chocolate. The whole thing used to become a fun activity when I was small... one of us children would be asked to make the batter, one would break the eggs... you feel very inclusive doing something like this. Inn sab cheezon ke baad kya nikalke aata tha oven se, we all used to laugh. Maza aata tha lekin," recalls the 47-year-old.
Also read: Divya Dutta: I don't work with directors who just tell me on set 'kuchh bhi kar do'
Then as she grew up, her mother insisted that she should know how to cook, "I started taking cooking classes. All these little things get lost somewhere when you become an actor and don't get the time. For me, cooking has always been the time when you put on the music and get in the kitchen. I do whenever work allows me, but whenever I do, it's like a celebration."
During Covid, she adds, half of the world was inside their kitchens, and she was too, "I realised a lot of people I know became good bakers. What I do in my work is what I do in my cakes: trial and error! I am very instinctive. I love trying new recipes, and whenever I do, I either see happy faces or polite faces!"
Divya's favourites include: "an almond and chocolate cake, with a little bit of orange in it. This recipe comes from a friend. Something that I make really well is called wooden log, with biscuits and puddings put together and baked."