Paan is a traditional mouth freshener dessert. It’s eaten after a meal as a sweet treat, and is made up of betel leaf, rose preserves, and fennel seeds.

If you go to an Indian restaurant, you’ll sometimes see near the exit door there is a bowl of candied fennel seeds etc offered vs peppermints.

This cupcake embodies the core ingredients of betel leaves, roses, and fennel.

Betel leaves have an earthy and warm palette, while the rose preserves are sweet and floral. The fennel seeds are similar to licorice, but less strong and are sweeter.

For garnish, there are dried rose petals and candied fennel seeds for the perfect sensory experience — from the nose to the taste.

The frosting is creamy and floral, but the fennel gives a complementary crunch.