Works Cited:

Bakhtin, Mikhail. Rabelais and His World. Trans. Hélène Iswolsky. Bloomington: Indiana University State Press , 1984.

Burnett, John. England Eats Out: A Social History of Eating Out in England from 1830 to the Present, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/roehampton-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4692193.

Coffee, Cake & Kisses. 10 March 2018. <http://coffeecakekisses.com>.

Slater, Nigel. Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger. London: Harper Perennial, 2010.

Staebler, Edna. Food That Really Schmecks: Mennonite Country Cooking as Prepared by My Mennonite Friend Bevvy Martin, My Mother and Other Fine Cooks. Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2006.

"treat, n.1." OED Online. Oxford University Press, January 2018. Web. 19 March 2018.

“Triple ginger & spice cake.” BBC good food. March 2018. <https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2747/triple-ginger-and-spice-cake?amp>.

 

Conclusion

Through these posts, I have attempted to demonstrate the connections between cake and relationships, whether that is the family relationship between the mother and child, or a partner. I have attempted to find examples of where I think cake and relationships become inextricably linked and where cake becomes crucial to forming a memory, of which it appears the mother and child relationship is one that is most familiar in the art of baking. I have attempted to analyse what we mean by treat and why we now seem to have a "treat culture". I have used both recipe books and memoir in order to suggest the importance of cake within memory. I have also visited an inclusive café in order to demonstrate this further. It is interesting that even with the rise of the individual cake, I think it is safe to say that it is not a patch on the whole shared family cake. It is both a symbol of the family unit but also a symbol of a celebration.

I hope you have enjoyed these posts and perhaps treated yourself to a slice of cake or two!



Daisy

When Was The Last Time You TREATED Yourself?

Although not restricted to food, I would argue that the majority of ‘treats’ are food based. However, in M&S ad style, this is not just food, this is treat food. The OED has no actual definition for “treat food” but has many variations on the word “treat”, one of them being: “Something highly enjoyable; a great pleasure, delight, or gratification.”. This suggests that it is a ‘one’ off. But the idea of the treat food interests me immensely, when did food become a ‘treat’ and not an essential part of our lives? For this post, I would like to focus on the idea of the treat and the idea that something is “especially for you” and argue that this food is, frankly, integral to us staying sane.

The idea of the treat food seems to be almost banned from the vocab of any diet and yet there are always the ‘healthy treats’ (let’s be honest, they’re never the same as a slice of cake). However, regardless of how hard we try, the idea of a ‘treat yourself’ society is ever growing and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I have come up with a few suggestions as to why this is a new ‘trend’ and what it could mean for our idea of the shared dish. First, society has more money, as we know society has grown significantly and for this reason most families have more disposable income, and therefore more money to treat themselves. With the population’s family size decreasing that means we can use the money we have left over to treat (ahem, spoil) those that make the cut. When speaking of the change in the homemade versus eat out meals, Burnett argues: “Thirty years on, the way we eat now has been reshaped by a series of social changes. A fundamental shift has taken place in household formation towards smaller size, so that in 1999 the average household contained only 2.4 people – half what it was in 1900... Meals which were formerly geared to a large number of mouths to be fed, especially in poorer families… It has also been argued that a family meal in a restaurant for parents and children, as well as representing a treat, helps to promote family solidarity in a period when this is under threat. (13). Therefore, it appears that the treat, to be treated and to treat is fundamental to the connection between both family and relationships and perhaps it is not about the family becoming weaker through individualist ideas, but about the idea of the time spent together while having these newly available treats.

Therefore, due to ever changing societal norms, it appears that the wave of the treat isn't going anywhere fast, so we might as well all enjoy it while it lasts! 

Is Icing the Glue of the Family?

In his memoir, Toast: A Story of a Boy’s Hunger (2003), Slater is no stranger to revealing his mother’s kitchen failings. The extract I wanted to focus on is entitled “Christmas Cake” and it is centred on a memory of his mother. He recounts: “once a year there were Christmas puddings and cakes to be made. They were made with neither love nor joy. They simply had to be done. ‘I suppose I had better do the cake’ she sighed” (2). Baking is usually enjoyable but here is presented as an unfinished chore. It seems like it is done to keep up with tradition but his mother has no real interest in it. Slater’s mother also uses a mixer rather than her hands: “she was never the type to use her hands” (2). This appears somewhat detached, instead of using her hands which would imply she makes it with love, the machine adds a mechanical element. The idea that the machine reminds him of “a corpse from a coffin” (2) is humorous because it emphasises the idea that she only does it once a year. It is almost like he is comparing it to the ‘Day of the Dead’ tradition. The way that the recipe is stored is also interesting because it is in a recipe book, but is hand-written in “green biro” (2) implying that it is from a family member and therefore it has passed down through generations. It is not a published recipe but one that is closely connected to his family.

It is also surprising that although Slater’s mother does not enjoy the thought of baking, when she finishes she has a “I’ve-just-baked-a-cake glow” (3) which is endearing as she is proud of herself and her achievement, even though Slater later reveals that it “always sank in the middle” (3). Slater suggests: “cake holds a family together. I really believed it did… there was something about the way my mother put a cake on the table that made me feel that all is well. Safe. Secure. Unshakeable.” (3). I think this is the most important aspect in a child’s mind, and it forms the basis for what we think of as safe. I think the warmth of baking and the idea that they are comfortable both with full stomachs and content hearts is exactly what baking provides.

However, we do not escape completely unscathed by Slater, although he takes us on a trip down memory lane, he also attacks the senses with a hint of ammonia: “it’s a pity that there was always a passing breeze of ammonia” (4). We are allowed to smell the baking cake and the smells of Christmas but are then forced to endure the smell of Aunt Fanny. Although this is unpleasant, I believe it links to the Bakhtin’s model of the grotesque body because it isn’t so disgusting that we are compelled to stop reading. Instead, we are taken to the area and it is almost celebrated as a part of family life. I think Slater cleverly does this by adding humour, creating a character that is perhaps closer to the reality of aging than what we usually dare to delve into and is a real depiction of family, not the idealistic, but realistic. 

The image of family is demonstrated most in this passage: “baking a cake for your family to share, the stirring of cherries, currants, raisins, peel and brandy, brown sugar, butter, eggs and flour, for me the ultimate symbol of a mother’s love for her husband and kids, was reduced to something that simply had to be done” (4). This is a poignant moment as it appears like there is a lack of love for the baking and Slater links this to his mother’s love for him, although this is not the case. However, it is clear that these memories are inextricably linked to his memory of his mother, and perhaps may link to his mother’s deteriorating health. Finally, Slater states: “every home should smell of baking Christmas cake” (3). Slater enlists our senses, bringing us back to our own homes at Christmas and the warmth that is created by baking at home. I think this is the most important point of the passage for Slater, it is not important that his mother’s cake never turned out quite right but it is the memory that is essential for him.

Coffee, Cake and... Kisses?

I recently visited an artisan coffee house with a twist, the purpose of my visit was to firstly eat cake (they only had brownies left) and to explore what made this café different from competitive patisserie style cafés. Well, I was pleasantly surprised as although I could not sample the ‘worldly’ carrot cake, I was invited into a

very different seating area, a kitchen. The company argue that this is done to create the feeling that you are sat in your friend’s kitchen rather than in a café and I think it works. As you can see from the pictures, there are no barriers like those that are found in usual café environments, no glass separating you from the staff that work there, creating a more personal experience, and more importantly, no separation from the cakes. As you can also see from the pictures, all but the cupcakes are actually from one whole cake or tray-bake and I think this is an important part of their message at Coffee, Cake and Kisses. They are attempting to make an inclusive environment in London, a place that I know as an outsider can feel somewhat exclusive and isolating.

As I sat in the island of the kitchen table I was able to see the authenticity in the kitchen environment, there are no tricks, no pretence around it, it doesn’t feel hideously disguised as a café. Instead, it had the relaxing feel of exactly what it was intending to be, your friend’s kitchen.

As I didn’t get the chance to speak to the owners of the establishment, I have taken their reasoning for starting the business from their website: http://coffeecakekisses.com. In response to why they did this, they say: “We believe that the time has come for people and the world to become whole, all the different aspects of us. We wanted to bring you the place that aids the integration of the body, the heart and the mind...inclusive and welcoming of all genders, sexualities, relationship models and lifestyles.” (web). They are bravely attempting to combine relationships with food to help to bring people together in an individualistic society.

The number of available books in the café were of great interest to me, everything from

recipe, to self-help, to relationship advice. In this way, it seemed more like a social space than just as somewhere to simply have a coffee. The message of the café appears somewhat simple; any person, anytime. As a company, they even attempt to bring people together by regularly holding classes, social events and tastings. 

It appears clear that the owners at coffee cakes and kisses believe strongly in the connection between cake and relationships and how intrinsically linked they are. 
They say: “Where does one hold the most tricky, and most rewarding, conversations if not in one’s kitchen?” (web). By creating this space, they have attempted to bind the love of food and relationships together, to form something that perhaps is lost in the individualistic society of the patisserie cake.

Daisy's 'Never Quite Finished' Cake

One of my first memories is baking with my mum, usually resenting her unfavourable addition of desiccated coconut to our otherwise ‘perfect’ cake. But in the making, creating and sharing of cake, I would argue, that there becomes a connection between family and cake. So, instead of just writing about the experience of cake for others, I decided to give it a go myself. I used the recipe for Victoria Sandwich cake taken from The Great British Bake Off cookbook. However, the recipe does not use a buttercream for the filling and instead uses a whipped double cream, a variation I made due to my own preference and my family’s sweet tooth. 

For the sponge:

• 165g Caster Sugar (unfortunately I only had granulated)
• 165g Butter
• 165g Self Raising flour
•  3 Medium eggs
•  1 tsp of Vanilla Essence (I do this to taste)
• 1 tbsp Milk (or by eye)

     Utensils:

• Weighing scales
• Sieve
• Baking Tin(s)
•  Mixing Bowl
•  Spoon (I am an avid believer in the wooden spoon as the only acceptable stirring utensil)
• Any number of cutlery (for any hitches along the way)

Method:

As I am not a fan of the ‘all in one’ method, I first start by creaming the butter and sugar together.

* Weigh the butter before the sugar so it sticks to the remnants of the butter, making it easier to scrape everything out so that no ingredients are wasted.

Next, slowly add the beaten egg.
*I always beat the egg until it creates a ‘froth’ at the top as I have found it creates a lighter mixture.
*If you find you add too much egg and it begins to look like (as Mum would say) ‘curds and whey’, sift in a little of the flour as it will bring the mixture back together again.

 Then, sift the flour into the mixture and fold it in to bring the mixture together.

*Again I would do this bit by bit as the flour can create a mess if too much is added at once.

Then, add the milk and vanilla essence. Separate into two tins and cook in oven for around 20 minutes on Gas mark 4, or until the sponge is golden brown and spongy

* If you are unsure whether the cake is cooked, put a clean knife into the middle of the sponge, if it comes out clean with no raw mixture on it, it is done!

Time to Decorate:

For the buttercream, I used an online source and halved the ingredients:

• 300g Icing sugar
• 125g Butter
•  Vanilla essence
• 1 Tbsp Milk

I also used:

• Raspberry seedless jam
• Fruit (as desired)

Method:

To make the buttercream I went against my own rules and used my mum’s food processor. However, this didn’t work out exactly as planned as I put too much milk in, leading to a rather runny, albeit extremely smooth mixture.

I put the buttercream on one sponge and the jam on the other, carefully sandwiching them together. This was not the most elegant of cakes, best to think of it as ‘home-made’ rather than patisserie standard.

I then scattered the fruit at my own whim which turned out to have an extremely limited (but very real) pattern.

Next came the 'finishing touch', a lavish amount of left over icing sugar dusted over the top, because who could display cake without it?

Other than the photos that follow this post, that is essentially how I made my own cake. I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe take some of these ideas into your own baking adventures.

Because no British inspired cake is truly meaningful without a cup of tea to accompany it.