Let them eat cake...

I had brunch with a girlfriend today and by coincidence we share the same birthday.

It has become an annual ritual that we always catch up for our birthdays and exchange gifts.

I pride myself on buying thoughtful and relevant gifts and spend time selecting just the right something.

We exchanged our gifts whilst catching up on each others news, my dear friend had purchased me a funky shopping bag as well as the gift of a home made cake baked by her from the raw ingredients... She is a "no packet mix" girl and would die before she bought a store bought cake.

I was thrilled to receive the bag but upon reflection as we said our goodbyes it was the cake which stayed uppermost in my mind.

I realized my friend had made time in her hectic schedule to shop for the ingredients, to prepare, to mix and bake the delicious cake and that to me made it the most special of gifts.

In our busy lives where we can order anything and everything online, we can shop 7 days a week  for anything our hearts and stomachs desire the fact my friend had put the effort of time into the cake made it all the more special to me.

It was then that I realised does anyone actually bake anymore, and make time to cream butter and sugar and set the timer on the oven for 40 mins ...  To then clean up the mess and finally to ice their offerings. Who of us even has 40 mins in the day anymore to wait for the cake to cook. I have a slow cooker which can conjure up a meal whilst I'm working but baking requires a commitment of time.

Whilst cupcakes have had a resurgence in popularity and come in all sizes and flavours, the humble cake appears to have been pushed to the back of the shelf.

I have made a pact that I will endeavor where possible over the course of this year to bake a cake for the important people in my life,in an effort to show their value and in the hope that they too when dabbing at the crumbs on their plate will think of the gift of cake and it's special meaning.