29 June 2009

The Healing Powers of Home Baked Cakes

• cakes,
• community,
• convalesence,
• cooking,
• friends,
• gifts,
• home baking,
• home made,
• lifestyle,
• medicine,
• Rose Prince,
• rural

I (Sophie)  was recently convalescing at home and by about the second week (apart from getting frustrated about not being out and about and having very little voice) I was very privileged to receive three delicious home made cakes.

The first was a delicious rich chocolate cake.

The second a dark chocolate pavlova  from Forever Summer by Nigella. This was incredibly light and delicious and just disappeared in seconds - although I had to fight my seven year old for the end - apparently convalesence is no argument for getting the last piece!.

The third was the delicious carrot cake - already mentioned in our recipe section, under Sally's carrot cake - this one was made with angelica rather than orange but the effect was wonderful and generally improved family health.

Flowers are fantastic and those received were certainly much appreciated but the unexpected delights of a home made cake cannot be surpassed - just a little slice here and there I'm sure did wonders for my speedy recovery!  Many many thanks to the cook, Sally - I have to say there was absolutely nothing left over. 

(Whilst I was contacting my friend Sally for the recipe information for the blog - she admitted that the feel good thing wasn't just one way - "the whole thing about making and giving someone a cake has a real feel good factor too".)

So if you know of anyone not feeling 100% - it's worth thinking about...

Afterthought:

I've just read Rose Prince's article in the Telegraph Magazine (Saturday 27 June 2009) where she's talking about Picnic Perfect - her comment on home made cakes? "remember that a homemade cake is a love letter to everyone".