Bake Away the Blues

On therapeutic food chemistry

Solange said she tried to bake it away too. It doesn’t always work but the results are usually delicious. It mitigates the internal turmoil and the rage for as long as you’re measuring the wet and the dry.

Tangerine Jones coined #RageBaking and set the rules of the game. I have my own personal set of guidelines. I only offer the goods to people I love and every recipe is unique. I may start with a basic instructional but I know enough chemistry to know when that fancy vanilla or that rare cinnamon will just smoke out whoever bites in. And I just love watching the shocked delight.

I have no fancy tools. No power mixer. And the blender is not universal. It’ll work fine for a Dutch Baby but not much else. I use basic manual items: whisks, spoons, and graduated containers. I start by wrapping my hair. I could just die if someone ever pulled out one of my strands from a cookie or a cake. I wrap my hair and wash my hands and then I set out all the bowls and spoons and gather the ingredients one by one.

If I’m not in a mood, I document each step. I’ll set the eggs in good light and beat the batter until shiny for that maximum impact shot. My mother and sister dislike baking. It’s too messy and requires too much precision. Even the most experienced baker can get a flop. A spike in humidity or a sudden spillover or a too cold oven are all minor things that can lead to disaster. Nothing is worse than a dessert that cannot be eaten.

I pre-set all the ingredients like an expert showman. Sometimes I have a small audience. My sister or niece or nephew will sit and listen to details they will not absorb and repeat. Sometimes it’s a fun workaround that fascinates them like when I use the protein shaker to make a fresh and easy whipped cream. The peaks form by aerating the heavy cream and the protein shaker is the ideal replacement tool for the task. Fill the shaker half way, add some confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and a smidge of salt and shake, shake, shake until stiff. It turns out perfect every time.

The real magic is in light, moist cakes. White lily flour is a local secret but similar effects can be had with a touch of cake flour and some leavening. Shortening is fine and gets the job done but good butter creates an unparalleled flavorful dimension. If you’re gonna do it, do it all the way and use full fat dairy. The 50 calories you save sacrifices the texture. It’s not at all worth it.

I like to sift the dry even for recipes that don’t call for it. There’s something relaxing about gently powdering a large bowl. In another container a touch smaller, I crack the eggs one by one and slowly add the rest of the wet. Beat and form a well within the floured bowl and then fold, fold, fold. I should’ve said to pre-heat the oven at the start of this essay. If you haven’t already, turn that bad boy on. It’s already too late to turn back. You must wait for it to reach the adequate temperature. Most modern ovens beep to alert you when. Below is a modified Giada De Laurentiis Ricotta Pound Cake recipe. Enjoy.