Cake is love.
The Princess has been baking my birthday cakes since I was eleven. Gary Rhodes Death by Chocolate is hands down my favourite but she says she’ll only bake that once a decade (it’s complex as all hell). I’m on three in my lifetime so far. If I die I want it on record she has to bake it for the funeral.
I sometimes manage to return the favour, my usual take is a tealoaf but with my super secret ingredient- marzipan chunks because everyone loves marzipan in their fruit cake. Well unless they’re allergic to nuts.
This year she got a coffee cake with a Swiss meringue buttercream coffee frosting that I was inordinately proud of. I got to use the new baking thermometer that I bought.
Ever since I was a teenager I have enjoyed baking and if I’ve had a crush on you then chances are I’ve baked for you. I mean don’t read into baking for you, I do it for friends and at the drop of a hat for charity reasons if I haven’t baked in a while. I really enjoyed doing mass crazy bakes in the pandemic when I had little else on.
I haven’t made a good Black Forest gateaux in a while and that used to be my go to for people I crushed on. These days I tend to try and find what people like and bake those things instead. The more obscure the better. I like baking with nuts because I miss eating them and I like me my vicarious pleasures though someone did misunderstand that last year and accused me of doing it to look good. Which was a bit confusing really.
Cake is love and the act of baking is a very pleasant one. A joy I can be entirely present and grounded within the moment for.