This year mental health professional all around the globe have been unanimous in their diagnosis of rising stress, anxiety and depression levels in populations all across the world. While we have no cure for stress, nor remedy for fiscal recession, neither a vaccine for Covid19, what we do have is a mouth-watering and uplifting list of home-based bakeries that are guaranteed to make you forget all worldly woes.

At Team Instep, we take our dessert very seriously, turning to its sugary embrace to get us through everything from difficult deadlines to isolating lockdowns. Over the course of this year we tried out several home-based ventures to help us with quarantine blues and are delighted to report back with desserts that truly hit spot. These boutique bakeries are order based, offering customized, fresh cakes and confectioneries

Confectionery by Sara

Words fail to do justice to Sara=s rustic, 12 layered chocolate cake that features an ultra-moist chocolate sponge, salted caramel and chocolate fudge frosting, topped off with caramel popcorn for crunch. It melts in your mouth, rich without being coy or heavy. The sponge melts in your mouth and the frosting is truly finger-licking good. A lawyer and a trained patisserie chef from the famed school Le Cordon Blue London, Sara=s cakes, cookies and brownies are made with the best ingredients; she folds her love and passion for baking in her batter B the results are truly magical. Her Japanese chocolate cheese cake with hints of espresso is high on our gastronomical wish list!

Ovencraft

We truly believe that the baking process at Ovencraft is powered by witchcraft because how else can anyone explain the magical taste of her baked goods? Saman=s signature brownies - available in a variety of gob-smacking flavours ranging from milk chocolate, sea-salt and caramel, dark chocolate, Spanish nougat, nespresso and cream-cheese - transport you into brownie heaven with the very first bite. Her seasonal flavours like chocolate-strawberry combine the freshness of fruit with the delectable taste of cocoa and before you know it, the box of six brownies that just arrived is already empty. Saman also offers tea-cakes, muffins, brittle, gift boxes for occasions and keto desserts.

Lieta Gelato

For years Cosa Nostra=s ice cream was the best you could have in Lahore but a recent home-based venture has usurped the throne with its innovative flavours and variety. Meet Lieta Gelato; all natural gelato and sorbet made with authentic Italian techniques, fresh in Lahore. Order from their website or on WhatsApp for immediate home-delivery of the gelato of your dreams. We=ve tried their Lemon Meringue Pie, Triple Chocolate Truffle, Banoffee Pie and Cherry Pavlova and it=s difficult to describe the visceral, physical joy a bite of their ice cream brings. The Lemon Meringue Pie and Banoffee Pie can easily be ranked best among the flavours; tart lemon curd is paired with sumptuous vanilla (definitely the best tasting vanilla ice cream by far) and layered with crushed meringue while the banoffee pie features chips of After Eight Mint Chocolate to cut through the sweetness of the ice cream B genius!

The Little Bakery

Last but certainly not the least, The Little Bakery is an order based venture that offers delicious cakes, cookies, pies and crumbles. They recently introduced a new flavor that has been game-changing: Banana Toffee Cake with cream cheese frosting elevates all the banana breads that had captivated our collective imaginations to a whole new level. TLB=s cinnamon rolls and signature chocolate cakes are also sinfully good. They also offer a savory feast of roast chicken, baked bread and fresh salad, in case you want them to cater for the whole meal.