BBC Good Food

• Ellie Reade

  6 February 2009, 1:46PM

  Ellie Reade

  I make cakes on a semi regular basis - the tip to not expanding your own waistline is to share with your family or work colleagues. I personally find baking one of life's pleasures and helps alleviate stress (even more so when when you see others enjoy the end results). I've become well known for my carrott cake, apple tarts and as for my Rich Fruit cake! My nan always had a cake ready for Sunday teatime - it's not the same without!

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• Aedara

  6 February 2009, 3:20PM

  Aedara

  I adore baking but I just don't do it anymore except for special occasions because if I did I would literally eat half of what I made on the day I make it and its just stupid to complain about an expanding waistline and persist with making the guilty culprit every week. Maybe one day when I just give up caring about my trouser size I'll get back in the business. My mum used to make cakes all the time at home there was always a cake tin full and a piece of homemade cake in my lunchbox every day. I miss those days. Cake is by my reckoning the best thing in the entire world (foodwise anyway).

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• marie northants

  6 February 2009, 4:18PM

  marie northants

  i make cakes quite often with my 5 yr old daughter who loves licking the bowl!!! However theres just the two of us so end up giving to friends and family.We made a lemon drizzle cake this afternoon its lovely mmmmmmmmmmmm

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• Girl Flower

  6 February 2009, 5:08PM

  Girl Flower

  I love baking too.. Cakes, tarts, cupcakes, anything but as it is just me and my other half, and he doesnt have a sweet tooth, I end up eating most of it myself. I do take some into work to share around or give to friends, but the challenge is how much cake is left on Monday for work when I have baked it on Sunday afternoon... Not much as a general rule! I just cannot resist cake - Im the same with biscuits too!

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• Northumbrianlucy

  6 February 2009, 5:32PM

  Northumbrianlucy

  I enjoy baking, and look forward to it. I also think it's a really relaxing thing to do. I do have the problem that once something has been baked, it's only right to sample it at least once, or twice! I tend to bake cakes for my friends' birthdays, my housemates and for the office where they go down a treat. It takes great willpower not to gobble the lot though!

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• Lushious

  6 February 2009, 6:59PM

  Lushious

  My earliest memories of cooking are with my Nan as we looked through her one and only cookbook to find a recipe that she had the ingredients for. Normally it was a cake of some description and I loved to bake and make a cake on a weekly basis for my children to take to school in the lunch boxes and for dessert during week. I now feel that I have made a rod for my own back as they expect it and will turn their noses up at anything shop bought or in a packet. So now my love of baking has turned into a bit of chore as I pull out my Magimix and look for any 'all-in-one' recipe as this takes some of the pain away and God forbid if anybody wants to help, that makes it even more painful! I suppose at least I know what is going into what I am making and it is additive and preservative free!!! Perhaps I need a bit of a rest to regain my enthusiasm.

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• lulu@olivemagazine

  6 February 2009, 7:29PM

  lulu@olivemagazine

  There's a rhubarb and ginger cake sitting 2 inches from my nose at the moment, I'm going to make someone in the office take it home. I also like making fun cakes as well, a book from Planet Cake in Sydney just arrived on my desk with some hilarious cupcakes that look like crying babies in it. I'm going to try them at the weekend - if they work I'll let you know.

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• trickydee

  7 February 2009, 11:44AM

  trickydee

  I've really got into baking over the last few months and probably make 1 a week which my wife is more than happy about. I think that you can eat cake regularly so long as you wear it off. She's at the stables every day and I'm at the gym or on the tennis court 4 times a week. Enjoy what you want without the after effects ;o)

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• sheppy

  8 February 2009, 6:22PM

  sheppy

  mmm I've had quite a bit of cake over the last few days, but don't usually eat that much cake generally. However, it has been my birthday recently and some lovely people have cooked me banana cake and some brownies. Both of which were superbly delicious!

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• Belinda

  9 February 2009, 7:09PM

  Belinda

  To hell with the waistband - I love baking as it relaxes me big time, just me and the big bowl. Results are eagerly awaited by partner, neighbours and colleagues alike.

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• Abi

  10 February 2009, 3:23PM

  Abi

  I love to bake and do far more regularly now that my daughter needs packed lunches. Although I always want to make more than I can afford to buy. It does make me think of how to save money by perhaps making freezer biscuits and meringues only when I have egg white left over from other recipes. I also have a job where we all enjoy cooking and we all take in treats each week to share.

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• Laura

  10 February 2009, 4:53PM

  Laura

  Myself and my neighbour Sara each bake fairly regularly (she is 21 I am 25) - she stopped recently after an overdose of fruit cake baking around Christmas - so I have just begun my 'stint' � I made Lemon Drizzle Cake (from BBC food website - tana ramsey http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4942/lemon-drizzle-cake ) the other day and took her a piece over � she of course invited me in for a cuppa tea � oh how lovely (as was the cake!) I plan to bake Marble cake soon too � also from the bbc food website - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5557/chocolate-marble-cake

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• Laura

  10 February 2009, 4:54PM

  Laura

  I go through stages of enjoying baking � obviously in one of those stages right now! I find it very relaxing and the joy of seeing people eat the finished results is always heart warming too. My partner Mark who I live with usually finishes most of the cake off � and I just make sure I only have a slice a day (when a cake is in the house � which is probably only one week every 6 months!!) Ok so I don�t bake that often � but life gets in the way � but the house for sure feels more homely when you know you�ve got a cake to dip into waiting in the kitchen for you! I think I vow to bake more cake!!

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• Laura

  10 February 2009, 4:54PM

  Laura

  The joy of baking and eating cake should not ever be viewed as a guilty pleasure � life is too short not to eat cake with friends and family with a cuppa tea at about 3pm � and so what if its every day � just make sure it�s just the one slice you have! As my late Grandma used to say � �A little of what you fancy does you good!� Also � instead of having biscuits, chocolate bars etc in the house (which have god knows what E numbers and bad things in) � why not bake a cake every Sunday to see you though the week - using organic, locally sourced ingredients and then you can really feel good about eating this cake knowing you have supported your local farm shops and such � and you know what�s in it because you made it!

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• lulu@olivemagazine

  11 February 2009, 12:40PM

  lulu@olivemagazine

  You are all absolutely right, guilt has no place in cake world. To that end I have made my way (with the help of the office) through a devil's food cake and am just about to embark on a pineapple/banana concoction, with cream cheese frosting.

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• joanneheather

  8 March 2009, 9:03PM

  joanneheather

  I made my husband a lovely fruit cake this week - you boil the fruit in sugar and butter - I used a mixture of sultanas, raisins and dried morello cherries. Delicious! He has given up chocolate and biscuits for Lent so can still eat cake..... Last week I made him an Italian currant cake (he likes fruit cakes). Also delicious. We both make cakes quite often. They are such a lovely thing to offer guests or take as a gift. I also make homemade biscuits for friends' parties etc. Very rewarding. Melting moments go down well!

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