The art of baking

With the university broken up for summer, we have weeks of freedom ahead of us. What better way to fill it than with baking?

Baking is a wonderful hobby because it provides something delicious as an outcome, but the process itself is also great. Baking is mindful, as it gives you something to focus all your attention on. I enjoy baking the most while listening to some good music. I often opt for something upbeat and summery, like ABBA or Harry Styles. It could be a fun activity with friends, too.

Baking is about enjoying the process, even if the product is imperfect

Baking can seem to be quite a precise art, as there are complicated recipes that ask for technical equipment and hours of your time. Nevertheless, baking can be a really fun hobby to get stuck into if you try to avoid this level of perfectionism. Baking does not always have to be successful – I have had so many ‘failed’ bakes. Maybe something has turned out a bit dry or nothing like the picture; I have even put a cake in the oven before realising I had not added the butter! Baking is about enjoying the process, even if the product is imperfect.

I think the best way to get into baking is to get stuck in and keep practising. You could start small, like muffins that require less work to get the batter right. The more you give it a go, the more confident you will get in the kitchen. I first started baking with my mum and my sister, which gave me the confidence to try recipes independently. From this, you can then try any recipe, no matter how adventurous, just to have fun and push yourself. I once tried to make a three-tiered blueberry and white chocolate cake. I was really proud of myself; it didn’t matter that it was a bit wonky, because I managed to bake something special (and truly delicious). Even with practice, I am not perfect, but I have definitely improved.

One of my go-to bakes is a Victoria sponge cake because it is a classic that is quite easy to make. I usually make this for my family’s birthdays. The good thing about a Victoria sponge is that it can be switched up depending on preferences. For instance, the classic Victoria sponge uses raspberry or strawberry jam, but you can change this by adding lemon curd or blackcurrant jam instead, which has a sharper flavour to cut through the sweetness. One useful tip is to whisk up the jam with a fork before adding it to the cake, which enables it to be spread on the sponge more easily.

I like my brownies to be particularly gooey, so I add blobs of Nutella to the mixture once it is in the pan before it goes in the oven

For the Victoria sponge, you could use fresh whipped cream or buttercream in the middle. I have always gone for buttercream because of its irresistible sweetness. I use the simplest ingredients for my buttercream: just unsalted butter and icing sugar. Quantity-wise, I double whatever measurement I have used for the butter for the icing sugar. I combine them by hand to form a breadcrumb consistency, before using an electric hand whisk to make an airy texture; you can do it all by hand, but it just requires a bit more effort. This makes a thick buttercream that holds up well in the middle of the cake.

If chocolate is more your thing, then brownies are a great thing to bake. They are quick to whip up and super delicious. I like my brownies to be particularly gooey, so I add blobs of Nutella to the mixture once it is in the pan before it goes in the oven. You can add many things to brownies to elevate them: chocolate chips, Smarties, or berries. You could even add biscuits to the tops of the brownies to give them an extra crunch.

Baking is a fun activity throughout the seasons. I associate summer with summer berries, so I like to make things with fresh fruit at this time of year, like raspberry muffins. At Christmastime, I like using spices – one of my favourites is a gingerbread loaf cake. Easter is one of my favourite times for baking. I always make Easter nest cakes with shredded wheat and mini eggs, but I also like to add mini eggs to my brownies. Trying out different recipes and flavours adds variety, so experiment.

I hope this might encourage you to try a bit of baking over summer. It is such a rewarding hobby!