The Stress Baker

A hobby that I am proud of, and am confident that “I got this from my mama!”

I remember a childhood of mum’s legendary chiffon cakes, of every flavour imaginable. You name it – coffee, orange, plain, and pandan – her signature! That spongy, fragrant and bouncy texture of the cake from perfectly creamed egg whites; a skill mum honed and perfected by (probably) putting that 10,000 hours in.

I can’t recall the exact time when I started off on my own baking attempts; but I do remember my first shot being at a fairly simple lemon shortbread recipe. It goes something like this…

• 100g softened butter
• 50g white sugar
• zest of 1 large lemon
• 175g plain flour
• Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour and lemon zest, and work with hands to form a soft dough. Pat the dough into a ball and roll it out flat, about 1cm thick. Prick all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 40 mins at 160c until light brown. Cut into wedges and serve!

“Baking is a science!”

I gradually began experimenting with more recipes – trying my hands on banana cake, apple crumble, chocolate chip cookies and finally developed my own signature bakes too. Apart from the apple crumble and cookies – my kaffir lime cake, fresh coconut pound cake, and flourless chocolate cake also come highly requested by friends and family.

As I become more health conscious over the years, my baking has also evolved. Experimenting with both gluten and dairy free options has (almost!) become an obsession. Trying to push the boundaries in the science of baking has been both fun and exciting!

I guess my passion for baking will always be a part of me; a bubble where I find comfort whenever I am feeling stressed-out. Perhaps this is my coping mechanism – which comes at a cost, and I quote…

“As new ideas and recipes make their way to her, the sky’s the limit, the kitchen her kingdom, and her husband’s waistline the consequence of her craft.”