Baking Got Me

tres leches cupcakes

On the Valentines when I was single, I enjoyed it. A lot. No bitterness from seeing other couples dining in pretty restaurants, nor from hearing love balladeers 24/7 on the radio.

No, I enjoyed the Valentines when I was single. I did not feel alone. I tended to my other love: baking.

My love for baking had a similar take on human romantic relationships. The excitement made me go on with the relationship. I was excited to test the fluffiness of banana cakes, the sweetness of macaroons, the tenderness of the most moist chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted, and more.

I looked forward to what’s next in that relationship. One big thing to note would be that it was not a perfect relationship. I commit mistakes and frequently, I didn’t know how to adjust from them. There were many failures. But these failures brought a lot of learning and experiences . These learnings are values I carry with me in life.

milky coconut macaroons

It was a big learning process for me. And it could be your next big learning process, too. Today, I would like to share on some values I’ve learned with having a relationship with baking.

Trust. Big word! We are witnesses in a way of how trust is important in a relationship. It is applicable in baking.

Baking will teach you to trust in yourself that you can do it! You can do it! The laddle won’t bite. The flour won’t scream at you. Instead, the product will reward you with a delicious treat.

Hardwork. A relationship with a non-living object is a one-sided relationship. Efforts will not be reciprocated. You will be mixing bowls of mixtures with thick consistency and growing muscles after. If it goes wrong, you’ll have to redo the process all over again. You will be pouring them in one container to another. You will be scooping them in dozens of muffin cups in exact measurements. You will be stacking them in the oven with countless of burns. You will take them out of the hot oven, add some icing, then put them back again. What do you get in return? Only the tastiest dulce de leche cupcake. Efforts paid off. That is hardwork.

Persistence. A song from Coldplay would be a very good theme song for my relationship with baking. “When you try your best but you don’t succeed”, the song goes. Yes, nobody said it was easy. But know in your heart that it is worth it. If beginner’s luck doesn’t work on you, go for a second chance! If still it doesn’t, well third time’s a charm! To continue despite difficulty, that is persistence. It goes hand in hand with trust and hardwork.

Patience. Love is patient. Patience is a virtue. It sounds so overused but it is a value you will learn from baking. Be patient with yourself when you don’t get things done right the first time.

Waiting takes a rather more challenging context in baking. When you’re dying to know how good your vanilla cupcakes will taste, wouldn’t five minutes feel like twenty? If the smell of vanilla would surround you, would you really be willing to wait? Patience will prove to you that good things come to those who wait. You have to wait for the perfect timing before you can finally say, “This is it. I do”.

chocolate mousse and tres leches cupcakes

I have carried all these values and learnings in my human romantic relationships. Baking is not only a hobby, it is a passion. It teaches you to trust in yourself, be patient and persistent, believe and work hard.

Hearing my insights, I hope that someday you will venture in baking, too. A relationship with baking is full of challenges, new limits to test, and values to live. Take it as an avenue to continuously learn and test your limits. Don’t be afraid. Say hi to it. It might be your next Valentine.