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Life is sweet as the recession leads to a boom in baking
There's nothing like a beautifully decorated fairy cake or a large helping of apple sponge with lashings of custard to put a smile on your face.
These sweet treats don't just tickle our taste buds, they remind us of when we were young and of our friends, the Famous Five, who seemed to live on rock buns and ginger beer.
Even if your parents could only manage Club biscuits and Mr Kipling, the real McCoy, or something that looks like it was baked by a Fifties' housewife in a floral pinny, will still give you a lovely, warm glow.
So powerful is the feel-good factor associated with old-fashioned cakes and puddings that the recession has started a surge in sales. There's also been a run on Bird's custard powder (just like mother used to make) and sales are up 17 per cent.
As the going gets tough, the tough are turning to a sugar rush laced with nostalgia.
Marks & Spencer have recognised the new hunger for what they call "the flavours of childhood" and have recently relaunched old favourites like jam roly poly and angel layer cake.
They have also introduced a new range of fancy fairy cakes.
Joanna Dyson, dessert expert at M&S, says: "There is no doubt that sales are up on cakes and desserts that people associate with childhood.
"People seem to be taking comfort in products like bread and butter pudding and apple pie and custard, which reminds them of when they were young.
"We did some research and customers said: 'We may not be able to go on holiday this year and my husband has lost his overtime, but we can afford a cake or a nice pudding to cheer ourselves up'.
"They see cakes and puddings as an affordable treat."
Joanna adds: "I also think that there is an element of playing safe and sticking with old favourites.
"People want to spend their money wisely at times like this and they don't want to take a risk on a product they haven't tried before and might not enjoy as much. They want something they can trust."
Another trend M&S have identified is for tray bakes and desserts for sharing.
"This is tied in with not being able to go out as much. Instead, people are entertaining at home more.
"There's nothing better than treating yourself to some cream cakes and sharing them with friends."
While buying cakes and puds off the shelf is on the increase, so is making our own.
Sales of bakeware at Lakeland have been rising for the past six months, which has been a welcome surprise for the Windermere-based company.
Peggy Porschen, cake-maker to stars including Madonna and Elton John, and author of Cake Chic (published by Quadrille next month), is not at all surprised.
"There has been a cake-making explosion," she says.
"We make bespoke, speciality cakes but one of the most popular is the marble cake because people remember their mother making it.
"Women in particular love making cakes. It's very relaxing and a form of escapism and at the end of it, you get something joyful.
"It's soul food. Cakes make you happy, just like chocolate."
Carolyn Van Outersterp, who has installed a cake tent at Jolly Days, her glamorous camping site in Buttercrambe, near Malton, has another theory about why we are embracing baking.
"I used to live the classic urban life with a state-of-the-art kitchen I hardly used, and a busy career.
"I moved to the country, made myself an apron and started baking apple pies.
"It was a fantastic rediscovery of my femininity and it's a lovely thing to do for your kids
"There's nothing like a cake for making you feel better."
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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