When did the art of cake baking disappear? It seems to me that there is a lost generation out there, lost in the art of baking a cake from scratch. A generation that believes that cake is made from a mix in a box.

Now, I have had students in my cake baking class who admitted that they were there to learn to make a proper cake and that they only knew box cakes growing up, but this was years ago.

Fast forward to this year, when a child also said to me cake comes from a box. I am now seeing a common thread, one in which the art of cake baking is no longer sacred, and one where convenience matters more than taste.

I grew up around a lot of cake, my mother baked cakes frequently for us, probably because she hardly baked anything else. I loved licking the batter more than the cake itself. Now as an adult I bake cakes, I taught myself to make a traditional butter sponge and by extension a few other types. I like baking cakes for occasions, because I genuinely enjoy them.

Yes, I could enjoy the convenience of ready-made cakes or even a cake from a box, but only if the cake tastes as good as what I make myself. For now, nothing comes close, so I will continue to bake my own and I recommend you do as well, or learn to.

Coconut chiffon cake

5 egg yolks

6 egg whites

1 egg

2¼ cups sifted cake flour

⅔ cup finely grated fresh coconut

1⅓ cups granulated sugar

⅔ cup orange juice

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, sift 3 times.

Place egg yolks and whole egg into a bowl with beaters or whisk attachment, beat until frothy, add one cup sugar gradually, and beat until thick fluffy and light in colour, about 5 minutes.

Slowly pour in oil in a steady stream, continue beating for about one minute longer.

Divide dry ingredients into 3 parts, add to yolk mixture alternately with orange juice, beginning and ending with flour.

Wash and dry beaters and beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy, add ⅓ cup sugar gradually, and beat to a soft meringue.

With a large spatula fold ¼ of the yolk mixture into the whites and then fold the whites into the yolk mixture in 4 additions taking care not to over fold.

Gently pour or spoon batter into a 10 inch ungreased angel food pan.

Bake for 60-65 minutes until springy to touch.

Invert cake and cool completely in pan before removing.

Chocolate marble pound cake

[caption id="attachment_1098651" align="alignnone" width="1024"] - Wendy Rahamut[/caption]

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3 tsp baking powder

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbs milk

3 tbs cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease the base and sides of a 2 lb loaf tin, (9x11x3 inch), line the base and grease and flour paper.

Place butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and vanilla into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer beat ingredients until the mixtu