The Smell of Baking . . .
Photo:Cheesy (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons.
The smell of baking a cake, bread, whatever. Have you experienced it?
When I was young, we used to travel to our grandmother’s house during vacations. My aunty was crazy about crafts, baking cakes, and other such activities. Since it was a joint family, all of us got involved in her activities. One of them that I vividly remember is baking a cake.
She used to make cakes in the shape of a train, aeroplane, swimming pool, etc. The base for all that is a plain cake. We used to help her mix all the ingredients (in a large bowl, using a large spoon) and then she will keep it inside a huge oven. There was no microwave back then, I guess it was an electric-heated oven.
Once the plain cake is taken out of there, we all would assemble around it. Not to eat it, but to smell it! Then she will cut it and put some icing on it, etc. The whole house smelled H.E.A.V.E.N.L.Y while cakes were being baked. Needless to say, the taste + smell of freshly baked cakes was a double treat, when we would eat it later on.
Have you been to a bakery where they make buns, etc. Previously, there was a bakery near our house and one part of it was dedicated to making all those buns, etc. The smell would reach almost the end of the street! Nowadays, looks like, bakeries buy all their buns from central distributors. Wonder where these central baking facilities are located? 🙂
During my school days, I remember we were taken for an industrial visit to “Modern bread factory” in Chennai. The whole factory had a sweet baking aroma around it. They gave us some breads to eat – the bread was so soft. Especially compared to the hard bread (of the same brand) we got in shops. I complained, but they told me that bread loses its softness and taste if it is stored for a longer time.
If you get freshly prepared cakes or breads near your house, just grab them. You’ll enjoy both the taste and the smell. Better, if you can buy a house near a cake making facility or a bread factory – pay double the asking price and book it. It’s a heavenly experience, I tell ya 🙂
Destination Infinity
This post was written for an indiBlogger contest sponsored by Godrej aer – home and car fragrances.
Rajesh!
That is an excellent idea ! 🙂 All the best. I would buy this smell anyway or better, create it. I love how my home smells when I bake 😛
Good to know that you bake at home 🙂
Destination Infinity
fresh bread and cakes , their aroma gives nice feeling and taste better
Yes, aroma enhances the taste 🙂
Destination Infinity
I used to bake cakes often until a few years back. Our dog, Andy never moved from the kitchen whenever I baked a cake. He loved cakes and knew that whoever came to have a piece, even at midnight (my son used to do that, when freshly baked cake was there)
gave a piece to him too!
Now, the dieting doesn’t allow us to do it anymore! Yes, the smell is heaven!
All the best!
You can maybe try egg-less and sugar-less cakes? I think I have seen healthy cakes somewhere.
Destination Infinity
I quite agree with baking smell, it’s a pleasure reach our nose whether we eat or not. I am also a fan of plain cake and yes, the softness is something we miss if we brought it from non-bakery shop.
I think the trick is to get freshly prepared cakes and breads, if we are able to.
Destination Infinity
I love the smell of baked goodies wafting around the house. I have an amazing bakery near my house, Rajesh 🙂
Lucky are those who have amazing bakeries that bake their own products near their houses. You get both aroma and taste 🙂
Destination Infinity
Baking smell is heavenly. I have been advocating smellvision to be incorporated in to television. If there is a cooking show in TV, the smell also should be broadcast simultaneously in the homes. During the shooting of that episode, the camera should capture the smell also and broadcast to the home simultaneously. But no one is listening.
Just like, close caption, we should be able to turn on and off the smellvision at our discretion.
Smell-o-vision is an interesting concept indeed – I read about it on Wiki now. I hope they bring back this concept soon 🙂
Destination Infinity
I do I do .. we have now got a small cake shop come up in the high street and they bake early morning when i go for my run so on my way back I seem to buying a couple of fresh cakes everyday ..
I am now wondering is that early morning run doing any good for me 🙂
Bikram’s
Secret: I too go walking for the same reason! 🙂
Destination Infinity
Unniappam and achappam are favorites among christians. Even english admit this. But that does not separate me from brothers of Chennai.
Cake is good to eat. We make it in microwave at home, from mixes available in market.
Looks like cake making has become easier these days. Those days it used to take many hours mixing and baking a single cake! 🙂
Destination Infinity
Yep baking is not difficult at all. I do bake cakes. Freshly baked cakes are so much better than the one you get in shops and also I make eggless ones, which is hard to get in shops. Like you, I love baking smell a lot.
Even the one we get in shops, if we manage to get it fresh-enough, they might be good. But it takes sometime before a cake reaches the consumer from its production facility. I think that’s the problem.
Destination Infinity
I love the smell of baking too and eating of course 🙂
Yes, smell tempts but eating gives the final satisfaction 🙂
Destination Infinity
Love the aromas of baking. I used to bake quite a bit, but I was immune to the smell of my own efforts. But passing by a bakery, or dropping into a neighbour’s kitchen when cakes and breads are in the oven, it’s a delicious experience.
BTW, congratulations on your book and new author status 🙂
That’s why I don’t bake my own cakes 🙂
Destination Infinity
My sister used to experiment while baking cakes and make me and my brother her guinea pigs 😛 Wonderful memories.
A cake cannot go wrong. You two were lucky to be made guinea pigs in this! 🙂
Destination Infinity
We should think of starting a basic no-fuss cake making and delivery business!!!
There is a lot of competition just about everywhere! 🙂
Destination Infinity
I hear you there! Nothing can beat the smell of baking. Except maybe the smell of rain or the way babies smell. Okay, now I’m being random! I bake once in a while and your writing spoke out aloud to me. A very nice article 🙂
Yes, the smell of baking is one of the best 🙂
Destination Infinity
Huhhhhh….yes the smell of a freshly baked cake or bread is heavenly. I bake cake at home and the smell reaches my neighbors even before my cake reaches their homes. Share a cake ….share happiness. Thanks Rajesh for making my memories come alive once again 😛