Baking with the Baby

The last couple of week have been absolutely horrendous in this household, you may have noticed that I have not been publishing blog posts or on social media. My poor little baby has an awful cough and cold making it hard for her to sleep at night, actually none of us are actually getting sleep making us all super grumpy. A quick trip to the doctors as she started to get a rash, but she's fine and just need fluid, rest and cuddles. So after a couple of days on the sofa and watching lots of Peppa Pig she started to feel much better and so we thought that we would get into the kitchen to bake some cupcakes, a first for the little lady. Usually when it comes to baking sweet treats she will sit on the floor entertaining herself with the colander or other kitchen utensils, but this time it was time to get her more involved and embrace the whole baking with the baby idea. Not I must admit, it's not easy and they will get messy so you have been warned. Washed hand, a brand new personalised apron and we were both good to go.  


As a blogger, you could say that I like to take a photo or two when it comes to activities with the little lady. I am sure one day she will become bored of an iPhone or camera in her face, but until then I shall continue to snap away. So the first task for me was to measuring out all the ingredients making it less messy and easier when it came to combining the ingredients. My daughter did a fantastic job mixing all the ingredients together, even if some did go onto the floor. But she's a baby it is to be expected I guess. We both thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon making, banking and decorating cupcakes together and I am sure that it won't be the only bake we make together. 


When it comes to baking with little one there is always so much to think about, so make sure that you pick a time that they are not tired and you have lots of patience. Baking or cooking with children is a great way to encourage them to take a more active role in choosing, preparing and cooking simple food that may even help them to discover new foods and new tastes. While you’re cooking, let your child hold the ingredients, talk about where they came from and discuss how you think the recipe will turn out. The more familiar children are with ingredients and the more they feel involved in the process, the more likely they are to eat the food at the end. When she's a little older I think that baking and cooking with her will become a time for other learning, such as reading numbers in the recipes or on the scales, not forgetting about all those ingredients that she can learn about too. 

Preparation is everything. I think I have said it enough in this blog post now, but there is no escaping the fact that when it comes to baking and cooking with the little people, it's going to be messy. So it's best to try and be as organised as you can from the start and face up to the fact that you will end up with a super messy kitchen. It's always best to dress children up in old, baggy clothes and put them i  an apron too. Try and give them a larger bowl that is needed for combining the ingredients, you'll understand why soon enough. Not forgetting to allowing extra time for the recipe when it comes to baking with children, giving them plenty of time to explore and learn all about the ingredients and being in the kitchen. 

Get your child involved. Always try and involve them in every stage of the process, from choosing what to make to cleaning up afterwards Even though it may be hard to let them loose with the spatula. Use this an as opportunity to teach them about kitchen safety, reminding them about hot ovens, hobs and show them use utensils correctly and safely. Let them help with the safer jobs like sieving, mixing and whisking and practise cutting through things (like pastry) with a plastic play knife, or safety scissors. So with that, are you ready to actually bake some cupcakes?

THE ONLY MADEIRA CAKE RECIPE YOU'LL EVER NEED

What you will need:

6ozs/150g butter
7ozs/200g sugar 
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
8ozs/225g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
3 tbsp hot water

Prep: 5-10 minutes (longer with children)
Cooking: 10-15 minutes
Temp: Gas mark 4/ 350 F/ 180C


METHOD

1. Place muffin paper cases in a 12 bun tin . Pre-heat the oven to the correct temperature – Gas mark 4 / 350.F / 180.C. Start by blending the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2. Add the vanilla essence. Then add the eggs one at a time. To stop the mixture from curdling add a spoon of the flour as you add each egg.

3. Once all the eggs have been combined, add the rest of the flour with the baking powder and continue to mix. Ensure all the ingredients have been mixed to a smooth consistency then add the hot water-slowly- till it is completely blended.

4. Pour the batter into the muffin cases put in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Once they have been cooked leave them to cool. 

5. To test if the cup cakes are ready lightly press the top. If the surface springs back straight away it’s ready. If it slowly comes back it needs more time. 

This recipe can be used if you want to make larger cakes you will just have to alter the timings of your cooking. For us, we made two batches of cakes and there was more than enough batter. So bare this in mind before you go ahead.

1 comment

  1. They look yummy and how cute is your daughter! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x

    ReplyDelete