Baking is coming back into fashion and most mothers are realizing the young need to learn how to bake at least one cake. Children love learning to cook; it has a feeling of magic about it. You start off with simple ingredients and you end up with a beautiful cake. Cooking with mum is a memory every child should have. I have early memories of playing with the extra pieces of pastry while my mother made an apple pie.
Baking introduces children to science and weighing which is maths. It is a far more exciting and worthwhile activity than sitting with a jar of playdough. Even if you have not picked up any cooking skills along the way anyone can bake a cake. All you need to do to make a cake is to carefully follow a good recipe and use the correct-size baking tin and weigh carefully.
From the process of shopping for the ingredients, preparing and mixing to baking and eating, every stage has strong potential to create good memories. You never realized that baking a tray of cakes was so powerful did you?
Most of us have a story of baking with parents or grandparents that we remember. And there is nothing better than your own mum’s cakes, pies and biscuits. Now it is our opportunity to create those memories for your own children or grandchildren. It does take patience to cook with children and let them take part, weighing the ingredients and stirring the cake so they can share the fun!
There is nothing like the feeling of achievement that baking a cake creates. It can really lift everyone’s spirits. In times of stress baking a cake helps you relax because to make a good cake you cannot rush; you need to take your take your time to create a cake with love and be calm. A good cake cannot be hurried, as any great pastry chef will tell you. And however wobbly the result looks you will find that there is nothing like the smell and taste of a homemade cake and it will disappear in seconds! Shop bought cakes can never come close.
First Cakes
According to food historians it was the early Egyptians who were the first cake bakers. The first cakes bore a strong similarity to bread. The Romans added eggs and butter, and honey, nuts and dried fruit to their basic bread mix as a treat for a celebration.
Very soon around the world, cakes began to play a center role in people’s celebrations and rituals, with the traditional circular shape symbolizing the circle of the seasons and life. And still today people love their cakes on their birthdays and if it is homemade it is extra special. My son aged 25 still talks about the pirate cake I made for his seventh birthday.
There are many today who are anti-cake, as cake eating may lead to obesity. But I am of the opinion that at times of celebration the usual rules of healthy eating do not apply and you should go ahead and enjoy a piece of cake! If you make a cake for guests and there is lots left over that is proving a temptation to you, put it in the freezer and save it for the next visitor who will be so delighted with a piece of home make cake.
Ask Alva
My son is always starving when he comes home from school and cannot wait until 6 o’clock for supper. He tends to snack on crisps and sweets and then has little appetite for supper. Can you suggest a healthy snack for him but I also want him to eat his supper. — Casey
How about a banana? You will hardly ever find a child who doesn’t like a banana. And the good news is that bananas are nutritional powerhouses. Bananas contain potassium to relax you, Vitamin C for vitality, and Vitamin B6 to help combat stress. They also produce serotonin, which helps prevent depression. So, if you are feeling a bit low, or lacking in energy, have a banana. Bananas are also very useful if you want to lose weight, as they are very filling and can satisfy your need for something sweet. Tennis players are always nibbling on the fruit mid match as a source of energy to see the match through. This will fill him up until time for supper and then you could promise him a nice desert if he eats a good supper so that he has something to look forward to.