My Love of Baking

My Love of Baking

Some of my earliest memories are baking related, my mum was always baking when I grew up and my sister and I always got involved in one way or another (even if it was just licking the spoon/bowl!).  My granny had been a semi-pro baker/chef, she won various competitions during her lifetime and I think that’s where I inherited my passion for baking from.  Her banana bread recipe is one of my most loved bakes, every time I make it for the girls at work it only lasts about half an hour into the shift before it’s sliced open and demolished within the next hour or so!

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We were always in the kitchen making something (even with a dodgy fringe!)

During my GCSE’s I did food tech, my final project was some sort of healthy traybake, I spent weeks upon weeks perfecting my traybake recipe and baking techniques.  Stu loved it because he always came to my house on a Wednesday night after I had food tech class, so he would spend his afternoon eating most of the cake!  I received a couple of marks below full marks for my project which I was so pleased with and I think it spurred me on to try different types of baking.  I think this is really where I started to learn to experiment with flavours and different bakes.

Over the years I have perfected my cupcake recipes, I adapted a recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery to make it my own, resulting in what have been described as ‘the lightest sponge I’ve ever had’.  I love trying new flavours in my cupcakes, my favourites so far are lady grey tea cupcakes, a combination of my two favourite things!  I often send Stuart to work with my most recent bakes and Stuart always comes back saying they were all gone by lunchtime and more are requested!

My biggest baking challenge/success was our wedding.  I decided that I didn’t want to pay someone to make a cake that just wouldn’t taste like mine, so why not make my own!  I did a cupcake tower, with vanilla, lady grey tea and lemon cupcakes.  I spent two days running up to the wedding baking and decorating, strangely I found this calming and didn’t get at all stressed out! The cutting cake I did order more M&S but I made a sugarcraft peony for the top which I was really proud of as I had never made one before.  The year after we got married my father in law was also getting married and his wife wanted me to make their wedding cupcakes, sadly as I was working the whole week before and I was super tired (as I was 6 months pregnant) I couldn’t do it, but I wish I had been able to.

Over the years I’ve also experimented with bigger cakes, making birthday cakes for family and friends.  A few years ago a contestant on the GBBO was making marshmallow fondant icing, I was intirgued as growing up I had hated icing on cakes so I thought this was a perfect change.  Even though it’s so time consuming and messy to make, it’s so worth it and undoubtedly the best icing you’ll ever taste!  I’ve learnt how to make macaroons this year and even though they’re very time consuming,they are worth it in the end for the delicious taste.  I always like finding a new thing to bake.

I think the thing I love most about baking is that I find it so relaxing,  it’s a time when I can just enjoy something I really love and also have a bit of a creative outlet.  The other best bit is obviously the testing once it’s all cooked!  I would love to be able to bake all day every day, but 1. I have a child who cries at me every time I start cooking or preparing anything because I’m not focusing my attention solely on him, and 2. I would be the size of a house if I did bake every day because quite frankly I would end up eating  it all, so it’s never going to happen! I suppose I can dream..

Pink Pear Bear
One Messy Mama
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9 Comments

  1. November 13, 2016 / 2:10 am

    Lady grey tea! I’d like to try those.
    Your wedding cupcakes look beautiful xx

  2. November 14, 2016 / 4:40 pm

    Wow you have done some AMAZING things! I love baking as well, it brings me wonderful memories from childhood and I hope I can make those same remembrances with my kiddos #bigpinklink

  3. November 14, 2016 / 7:23 pm

    Oh I just love baking too, it’s my free space, my hobby! Like my OH loves biking to unwind I love baking and making a beautiful tasty treat 🙂 your cupcake tower looks beautiful! xx

  4. November 15, 2016 / 2:26 pm

    Erm I don’t suppose you live near Suffolk do you and fancy bringing me some of your amazing cakes?!! I LOVE eating cakes but I’m not a confident cook/baker and don’t really enjoy it so sadly it’s not something we do much of in our house. I am craving cake now- your wedding cupcakes look beautiful (all your cakes do!) and I love the picture of you and your sister! #bigpinklink

    • mummymiller
      November 15, 2016 / 3:16 pm

      Haha a bit too far from Suffolk! Thank you though!

  5. November 17, 2016 / 9:05 pm

    Snap, I also made my own wedding cake! Although, I didn’t find the process calming at all! Yours look great though! #globalblogging

  6. November 19, 2016 / 6:21 pm

    Wow! Such lovely cakes and cupcakes! Gorgeous! #globalblogging

  7. November 20, 2016 / 6:53 pm

    Wow I am impressed. You have super baking skills! I love cooking, but I don’t think I am a baker. I agree that it’s quite relaxing (if you know what you are doing ;-P ) Thank you for sharing with the #DreamTeam x

  8. November 21, 2016 / 10:31 pm

    Mmmmm I love the testing bit ; ). I’m literally the worst cook in the world so anybody that can bake is my hero lol. The cakes you’ve made look delicious and by the sounds of your husbands colleagues comments you could make a business out of it all! Thanks for sharing with #GlobalBlogging!

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