Baking For Self Care And Connection

Words & Photography
by Clare Yazbeck



For a long time I believed the put-down that baking was something frivolous and felt a bit guilty about it. Sometimes it is just for fun but there are also times that I find myself drawn to it when I feel powerless or stuck in my day or week.

There might be big things I can’t figure out right now or that I can’t tie up neatly in a bow, but I can follow a recipe and magically a cake rises in the oven and it is delicious. That feels really satisfying. It also makes me generous (and/or somewhat determined to make sure I don’t eat the whole thing myself!). With a big cake on hand, I start inviting people over for tea and getting out the nice plates and linen, or dropping off slices as care packages to friends.

There might be big things I can’t figure out right now or that I can’t tie up neatly in a bow, but I can follow a recipe and magically a cake rises in the oven and it is delicious. That feels really satisfying. 

Without realizing it, all of this is an antidote to loneliness. Reaching out to people I care about reminds me that sharing these small joys is what matters most. And that’s probably what the urge to bake was all about in the first place.