How to practise mindful baking with an easy-to-make Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon Drizzle Cake is one of my favourite cakes to make. It is super easy and the lemon drizzle makes it a very forgiving cake.  It is an ideal candidate for someone new to baking. Or, for those more experienced bakers among us, a great starting point for getting creative by adding in different flavours – gin and tonic drizzle cake anyone?  And it is a perfect cake to make when trying to practise mindful baking.

What is mindful baking?

Mindful baking is a form of mindfulness, which has the added bonus of resulting in something delicious to eat! Mindfulness is the art of being present and fully focused on the now.  It is a form of mediation but it can be practised in many different ways – even in the course of everyday tasks.  It is great way to quieten a busy mind, reduce stress and increase self-awareness.  One way to practise mindfulness is to use your senses. And, as baking uses all your senses, it is a perfect activity to combine with mindfulness.

The recipe itself is one of Tana Ramsey’s recipes, the original of which can be found on the BBC Good Food website. However, I have created a new set of instructions, which build in elements of mindfulness at each stage of the recipe.

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 180^oC / 160^oC fan / gas mark 4. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper and set aside.

Have all your ingredients weighed out and ready to go (pretend you’re a TV chef!) so you can remain fully engaged in the process.

Step 1

The first step is to beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl. While beating the butter and sugar together, focus on the movement of the whisk while breathing deeply. Watch the pattern that forms in the butter and sugar mixture as the whisk does it job. Listen to the sound the whisk or electric mixer makes. Is it a steady rhythm? Can you hear any other sounds above the noise of the whisk?

Keep mixing until the butter and sugar are pale and creamy.

Step 2

Sift the flour into a bowl by tapping the side of the sieve with the edge of your hand. Feel the rhythmic tap against your hand and watch as the flour gently falls through the sieve.

Next, take an egg in your hand and feel the shape of the egg in your hand. Is the shell smooth or slightly rough? How heavy does it feel? Is it the same colour as the rest of eggs?  Then break the egg into the creamed butter and sugar and watch how the texture of the mixture goes from sightly slimy to a smooth batter as you beat the egg into the mixture. 

Now, take a spoonful of the flour and gently fold the flour into the mixture, feeling the weight of mixture against your spoon as you do so. Follow the spoon in the mixture, watching as the flour gradually combines with the batter.

Repeat the above steps with the other three eggs, taking your time to pay the same amount of attention to each one.  Finally, add in the rest of the flour, gently folding it in and focusing on the mixture coming together.

Step 3

Grab the lemon and take a moment to smell it and breathe in the fresh lemon scent.  Then zest the lemon, continuing to breath in deeply the increasingly zesty aromas.  Stir the lemon zest into the cake mixture, focusing on how the individual pieces of lemon zest get dispersed throughout the mixture.

Step 4

Once fully combined, add to the prepared loaf tin and put in the oven. Cook for 45 to 50 minutes until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.

While waiting for the cake to bake, take a moment to sit quietly and reflect on how you are feeling. Do you feel calmer than when you started baking the cake? Has a decision you’ve been agonising over become a little clearer?  If it helps, start jotting some of your thoughts down in a notebook.

Step 5

Once the cake is cooked, leave in the tin while you make the drizzle. Again, take a moment to smell the lemons before juicing them and then compare that smell with their juice. Add in the caster sugar and mix together.

Take a skewer and prick holes in the cake while still warm and still in the tin (I didn’t have a skewer so used a cake thermometer which did result in quite large holes!). You can focus on making these in a pattern or ensuring that they are randomly placed.  Then drizzle the lemon juice and sugar solution over the cake.

Allow to cool completely before taking out of the tin.

Step 6

Now for the sense of taste! Take a slice of the cake and, as tempting as it may be, don’t wolf it down! Take your time and savour each mouthful. What is its texture? What different flavours can you taste? Do you get a crunch of sweetness from the sugary crust?  And a tang of lemon? Fully immerse yourself in the act of tasting and eating each mouthful of cake.

Other ways to practise mindful baking

You can practise mindful baking whenever you do any form of cooking or baking. Simply take the time to focus on what you are doing and using all your senses. Feel the different textures of your ingredients. Smell your food as it cooks. See the different colours and shapes whatever you are cooking or baking takes as you go through the process. Listen to all the sounds that go with cooking – from the sound of the sizzle in a pan to the bubbling of the water as it boils. And of course taste – taste as you go and take the time to really savour the taste. Is it sweet or sour? Salty or bland?

The main thing is to immerse yourself in the task at hand to quieten your busy mind for a few moments.

I’d love to hear how you found following my alternative instructions for Tana’s lemon drizzle cake so please do share them in the comments box below.