Imarisha Wake:
In alignment with this year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,’ we hosted a mini baking skills session in Muchatha under the Imarisha Wake program. The goal was to further empower the Muchatha community women – most of whom have been consistent participants in our monthly workshop – with a new skill that could help them diversify their entrepreneurial portfolio.
Learning, Revisiting and Relearning Baking Basics
We first engaged our participants in a discussion on the types of cake flavours they were familiar with and vanilla was the most common response. This segued into the introduction to a range of other flavors. The mention of pina colada – a combination of pineapple and coconut – sparked excitement, as many had never heard of it before.
“At least I now know more flavors that I could order for a change.” Remarked Faith, one of our regular participants who is also interested in beauty and hairdressing.
We went on to explain the essential ingredients for baking and common mistakes that often occur during cake preparation. The common mistakes we mentioned were not measuring ingredients correctly, improper mixing, and using the wrong ingredients or baking pans.
Turning Baking Theory into Practice
After covering the basics of pre-baking preparation and ingredients, we had a chance for hands-on practice. We decided to make a coconut cake. For many of our participants, this was their first time using baking tools like the electric mixer.
At one point, Ann, another participant who is also a tailor asked, “What if someone can’t afford a mixer or whisk? What’s the alternative?”
We suggested that a fork could work, though it might take a bit more effort and time.
As the session continued, more questions emerged. Peris, who aspires to start a cosmetic shop, asked, “If you don’t have measuring cups, can you just guess the measurements?”
We responded that to be accurate, one needed measuring tools like a weighing scale, measuring cups, and spoons.
Jacinta, another regular participant who aspires to start a grocery store, shared that she had noticed some cakes she had tried were hard on the outside and dry on the inside, and she wanted to understand what might have gone wrong during preparation.
We discussed the possible reasons for this, mentioning that the baker might not have used enough butter, could have over-mixed the batter, or the ingredients might not have been properly balanced.
No Oven, No Problem
For this session, we used a charcoal stove to bake a cake, implementing what we had discussed so far. This was a practical choice because many participants own this stove and charcoal is locally available. To know whether the cake was ready or not, we advised our participants to notice its aroma and to test it by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it came out clean, then it was ready; if it had wet batter, then, it needed more time.
The cake took about 45 minutes to bake. The excitement was palpable as everyone tasted the results, with the participants marveling at how spongy and delicious it was. Motivated and inspired, many said they were eager to try baking at home. Some even took a piece home for their children and loved ones.
We plan to hold another session soon to gather feedback on whether they tried baking at home and how their cakes turned out. We will also provide training on how to price their cakes ensuring that they account for production costs and make a profit.
To facilitate future trainings, we would like to ask that you support us through a small donation. A contribution of $25 (Ksh. 3225) or entrepreneurial mentorship, can make a significant impact. Let’s empower our women of Muchatha with new entrepreneurial skills and inspire lasting change.
