London-based baker and recipe writer Benjamina Ebuehi shares her baking philosophy in this extract from the introduction of her new book, A Good Day to Bake.
I’m not someone who needs an excuse to bake. Being able to whip out my mixer and hide away in the kitchen for an afternoon or evening, just to satisfy a sweet craving, is something that my mum still can’t get her head around. Setting aside a little time during the week to use my hands to create something that will bring a smile to people’s faces and joy to their bellies is an act I don’t take for granted. Going through the ritual of bringing out my measuring scales, pouring out flour, whipping up eggs, stirring the batter and impatiently slicing up warm cake is a beautiful thing that deserves to be enjoyed all year round, no matter the day, season or occasion.
I wrote most of this book during a strange time of lockdowns and the world being flipped on its head. One small joy was seeing how many people picked up baking for the first
