The ongoing FIFA World Cup has given city bakers the opportunity to play with their artistic ideas and create delightful football-themed cakes.

While retailers are exploring ways to attract soccer-crazy residents, the bakers – not to be left behind - are coming up with designs and ideas for cakes that are in keeping with the excitement surrounding the football extravaganza.

These World Cup-special cakes come in different shapes, sizes and designs.

While Oriental Bakery on Airport Road has created a cake featuring the flags of all 32 teams taking part in the World Cup, Safari Bakery at Safari Mall (Abu Hamour) has sought to woo customers with cakes resembling the FIFA World Cup, football grounds and the Brazilian 
national flag, among others.

“We are ready to meet buyers’ requirements with custom-made designs throughout the month,” said Gopakumar, of Oriental Bakery, explaining their plans to supply cakes on requests from some of the country’s top clubs, where the locals are members. “There have been a significantly good number of enquiries from the clubs and customers asking for cakes to be created in the colours of their favourite teams.”

Jeffry Samuel at Safari Bakery echoed similar sentiments while speaking on the passion for cakes among locals. “It is mostly Arab families and clubs that have placed orders for such cakes. Some of the Asian expatriates have also started ordering such cakes,” Samuel said, adding that orders depend mainly on the outcome of matches played on the previous night.

Another baker said he was now exploring the possibility of making cakes in the shape and design of the Brazuca balls used in the World Cup. “It is a bit difficult due to the complexity in its colour combination,” he added.

It is also understood that there are requests from customers to create cupcakes in the colours of some of the national flags.

Other bakeries, mainly those located in malls, have elicited similar interest from customers, it is learnt.

Most bakeries have priced such cakes between QR60 and QR140, depending on the size and quality, say sources. “We mostly produce large ones based on the orders that our customers place with us,” said a baker.