I’m very curious about how baking can help quiet our minds and enrich our outlook on life. Traditional meditation practices involve sitting still and gently directing and re-directing the mind towards a point of focus like the breath or a mantra. However, baking is different. You do not sit in stillness, however, the principles remain the same.
Why does baking qualify as meditation? For a ritual to qualify as a form of meditation, I feel you must have a consistent focus to direct your mind when it invariably wanders. When I bake my lemon poppy seed cake, I have to be precise in my measurements and follow the recipe step by step. I must equally be focused on the time and oven temperature, so that everything is just right. All my attention is redirected back to my baking task and my thoughts are re-directed away from the worries of my day as I move through each step in the recipe.
Not only does the act of baking calm my mind, but the act of slicing into a freshly baked cake instantly makes any mediocre day better. I would even go so far as saying that biting into a slice of freshly baked bread is the equivalent of burning sage to clear out the bad energy in my home.
So why not try it also and turn baking into a form of meditation for yourself this weekend?
The key to turning baking into a successful meditation practice: Make the time, choose a delicious recipe, like this one, and prepare your ingredients ahead of time.
Lemon, Poppy Seed + Turmeric-spiced Cake with Coconut Glaze
This cake is delicious and very simple to whip together. What I like about it is that it offers a variation to the standard go-to banana bread. This zesty and delicious lemon and poppyseed cake enhanced with turmeric for a golden glow is a great addition to satisfy your snack cravings. Topped with a light frosting, this recipe is a real winner.
Makes: One 9-inch loaf
Loaf Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon gluten free flour or coconut flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp grated turmeric
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds.
Honey Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch sea salt.
Method for Loaf
Preheat oven to 360’C and line your baking tin with baking paper. Alternatively, you can grease you bread loaf pan with coconut oil.
Combine almond and coconut flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk wet ingredients: eggs, coconut oil, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest and almond milk in a separate bowl.
Gently pour your wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Do not overmix!
Add poppyseeds and finely grated turmeric to mixture. Mix until spread through the batter.
Pour mixture into the lined or greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until the middle has set and the top begins to turn golden brown.
Remove the loaf from the oven, let cool a in the pan. Once the bread has cooled, remove from the loaf and place on a cooling rack or plate to cool completely.
Method for Honey Glaze
Add the coconut milk to a saucepan and heat to medium. Bring the coconut milk to a gentle boil and continue to allow it to boil very gently, reducing heat and whisking frequently, for about 30 minutes or until very thick and creamy.
Add the honey, zest, and salt and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside. The glaze will thicken as it sits.
Pour the Honey Glaze over the bread and serve.
This healthy and delicious recipe was created and shot by Holly Kent
Holly is a food writer and photographer living with with family in Canada.
