According to Statista, in 2023 “there were around 22.54 million people in the German-speaking population aged 14 and over who occasionally baked”. That’s definitely quite a number!
Google describes baking as “the action of cooking food by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven.” That’s exactly it, but in my opinion there’s still one important
ingredient missing: love. Plenty of love. As you can already tell, I’m a huge fan of baking. It gives me so much joy. I bake passionately, for every occasion, whenever I want to make someone happy, or when I want to experiment and play with colors and shapes. But especially for my own birthday. I usually bake a Black Forest cake and invite my friends
over. And for Christmas, I obviously bake cookies. Yes, I know, that’s very German!
Whenever I think of German sweets (since I was born and raised in Argentina), I automatically think of cakes, tarts, etc. There are so many varieties, so many sorts to indulge. From apple strudel to apple crumble, no matter if creamy or fruity or if they are the simplest or the most complex creations. I love cake!
But what exactly happens when you bake? Which steps do take place? You can learn these new words and actions while baking:
– Preheating: Before baking begins, the oven is set to the right temperature.
– Mixing: Different ingredients must be thoroughly integrated.
– Kneading: The dough needs to be massaged often before baking. You can knead by hand or with a machine.
– Stirring: This is similar to mixing. You can stir with a whisk. Preferably in a large bowl where you can do it comfortably.
– Letting it rise: Yeast dough needs to grow and become fluffy before it goes into the oven.
– Allowing it to cool: Baked goods should cool after baking before serving. You want to enjoy them as much as possible and not burn yourself.
– Decorating: Adorning cakes and pastries makes baking much more fun. And it is the perfect opportunity to let your imagination run free. And of course, you will ultimately taste your cake too. So bon appétit!

Autumn is already showing itself with its unique colors. It is getting chilly outside, and you start to wonder what to do indoors. Baking is definitely an opportunity to spend time together
and connect generations.
What is your favorite cake or pastry? Would you like to learn to bake some traditional German recipes? Or maybe try other recipes from other countries while improving your German skills and meeting new people? If the answer is yes, then sign up for our social initiative Das Hallo Projekt and come by on November 25th. Write us to contact@leb-bunt.org.
We look forward to seeing you and baking together!