In life, you need a coach to listen to as you only learn if you listen. You don’t learn when you talk. So even a coach needs coaching to learn.
I learned of that two Saturdays ago when the boys and this momi attended the Maya Kitchen Family Fun Day Baking Class. We joined four other families as the funny yet truly talented Carla Kusinera guided us on our baking.
At our small house, I am the kitchen coach. I rule the kitchen and I have my boys who listen to what mama says. When we bake, I tell them when to mix the batter or pour the batter into the tray. Got to realize that even gurus – or in our case, this momi as the teacher to her boys – need some coaching to maximize their potential. And I learned so much from Carla Kusinera that Saturday.
Coach needs coaching on dense cake
Coach needs coaching on mixing the batter
In baking, mixing the batter has such great effect on the texture of the cake. We overmixed our batter, perhaps because of too much excitement. An overmixed batter resulted in a dense cake. A dense cake is heavier which should not be the case for our Chocolate Hazelnut cake. The cake’s texture should be light and fluffy like a buttercream cake. That Saturday, this self-proclaimed coach to my boys learned that mixing the batter meant to stop mixing when you cannot see the ingredients anymore. To give you a clearer view, if you add butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt, you should stop mixing once you no longer see any white powder or any ingredient standing out from the rest.
Coach needs coaching on domed cake
Coach needs coaching on domed cake
You might have seen cakes with a big hump in the middle. It would probably be baked in a small pan. Another reason cake dome was again, over-mixing. Overmixing introduces extra air that may contribute to cracking and doming. A good technique to avoid such is to tap the filled cake pan gently on the working area before baking. This helps release air bubbles trapped in the batter. You guessed it right again, we got a domed cake last Saturday.
I have read a dozen times or more, baking is not very forgiving. If in cooking we could add a pinch of salt or a dash of pepper, and we’ve got a dish. In baking, though, it is more precise. The methods should be accurate. The heat should be correct. And the timing is everything. Having just one thing wrong can lead to a collapsed cake or a burnt one. An oven thermometer is helpful, though, to check on the temperature. Such top thermometers for your oven ensure that the temperature constantly remains the same throughout the process of baking.
And so two Saturday ago, I had a deeper understanding of having a life coach even if you were regarded as one. I mean, the boys think of me as their coach. I provide them the encouragement and even “coach” them to achieve great results in their exams or school competition. But even coaches need coaching. That other coach – in the name of Carla Kusinera – showed techniques to make our cake more edible and beautiful. She helped me be more confident and unleash that confidence that I may not have thought was within me. Because with unleashing that confidence comes the eagerness to create and speak big. And I could be a better coach to my boys then because someone other than my boys told me I am doing great. And that I got that extra boost from a person who knows more than I do.
Coach needs coaching, too.
So who needs a baking coach when you are into baking? Enroll in The Maya Kitchen Basic Baking Classes and speak and bake more confidently. Aside from that, you get to win more family friends. Check The Maya Kitchen Baking Class for the schedule.
Coach needs coaching, too.
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Yes, I agree that coach also needs some coaching. Just like a teacher also needs some mentor for continuous learning to happen. Speaking of baking, a friend of mine is offering a free baking lass this Saturday but since there’s no one who’ll look after my little one who’s 3 weeks now, I don’t think I can attend the free class. I envy you and your boys for attending such event. I hope I can attend one of that event with my boy too in the future.
Meron talaga na gusto matuto on their own. Ok din naman iyon, pero there are times na mas maganda talaga matuto sa expert. So yes, momi, maganda ang post mo and I do encourage people to find mentors and coaches sa anumang activities.
Thank you. Learning on your own is also a nice way to boost your confidence as you believe in yourself that you can (on your own).
But learning on your own has it’s disadvantages as well, like mas matagal yung road na tatahakin mo bago maperfect ang isang dish… 😀 Getting an actual life coach though is the best, especially I think for everyone who feels that they need a refresher, or pang self check nila.. 😀
Yup. Agree on the self check:)
Yay! That cake looks yummy! I have long wanted to learn how to bake. For some reason, my mind is more into logical, analytic kind of stuff, so I studied drafting architecture in high school and not baking. But now that I have matured a bit, hehe, I wanted to become efficient at home as well. Tried baking little goodies, but I’m on the verge of giving up, to be honest. Unlike knitting and crocheting. one really needs a real coach when it comes to baking. I have a feeling that cookbooks or youtube videos don’t really share everything when it comes to baking! Anyway, I’m glad you haven’t stopped improving yourself, and you’re engaging yourself and your family in fun activities! Cheers to that!
Can kids enroll in the baking classes? Love that your boys are into baking as well! 🙂 I used to bake cookies and breads, nothing major like cakes yet, and I agree about baking being an unforgiving practice. The ingredients need to be the right amount, as well as the temperature and the kind of pans to use. A small mistake makes a large difference in the outcome.
Looks like you are really into baking given all those excellent tips and sound advice. Yup, even kids can enroll. They have classes for cute children as well.
Why he coach needs some coaching? Because learnings are never ending. It is nice that the first paragraphs of this article is very informative giving some baking trivias because baking is not easy and requires more attentiveness.
I agree. Baking is precise and yup requires more attentiveness
It’s always a good thing to keep developing and learning new things. It’s so inspiring. I love these cakes. They look delicious. I’m not a really great baker. But my mom is, and I always love to see what she made :).
So lucky of you to have a mom who loves to bake and create delicious cakes. I guess any kid would love seeing their moms bake and eat those yummy goodies. Ihihi
I definitely agree! We never stop learning hehe. Also, what a get class to bring your kids to. Looks like they had a lot of fun plus it looks delicious ☺☺☺
The cake and cupcakes we did were delicious. Ihihi. Hope to replicate that at home. And yes, such a fun experience baking with my boys.
I totally agree that baking really needs precision. I tried a no-bake cheesecake before and I replaced one ingredient, it failed. So I’m wary these days. By the way, did you bake from scratch? I see a cake mix there. I’ve always wanted to try cooking/ baking classes in Maya Kitchen before.
Haha. The Maya Kitchen prepared the ingredients. Yup, we used some of Maya’s hotcake and cake mixes already. But it was still fun and easy to do.
Most of the time when I want something new (like a new hobby), I usually check tutorials first. If I can learn from those, then I won’t be paying for classes. It’s also nice to have someone to mentor you or coach you about it. Those cakes are amazing plus Maya’s Kitchen? My mom has numerous cook books from them and really cook amazing food!
Yes, having a mentor or coach makes a lot of difference. Checking and participating in those tutorials as well is another way to improve self.
I love the lesson you share in this post. It’s so true, even when we feel like we do something quite well we still have space to learn more. I am not very good at baking so I can personally feel the baking errors happening. dense cake, domed cake. In all truth Im too scared to make cake! I stick to pies and crumbles and cookies that are a little more forgiving! Your finished cake looks delicious!
Haha. We also prefer crumbles and pies. Now that we somehow learned of the techniques, we will try cakes this time. I love your perspective as well.