This week our Lens Artists Challenge host is Anne. The challenge is Life Changes. A chance to highlight something that has enriched or changed your life. My choice would be ‘Baking’, which ties in nicely with my photography because, for me, the two are closely linked.
I’d always dabbled with the odd cake making session but that mostly involved making simple Rock Cakes or Butterfly Cakes with my kids. My only effort at making a proper coffee cake turned out to be a disaster. I didn’t realise that the coffee had to be dissolved in warm water before being added to the cake mix. I threw in a few tablespoons of instant coffee granules! That made for one inedible crunchy coffee cake.
So, in 2020, going in to the covid lockdown I needed something to photograph. I’d always enjoyed photographing food at weddings, so I decided to make a few cakes I could shoot at home and perhaps use as stock images.
Rock cakes and scones got me started, but I soon moved on to larger cakes with the help of Nigella Lawson and Mary Berry recipes I found online. I was really enjoying my bakes and the results were turning out well. I can’t remember any outright disasters although some of them could have been better and buttercream could be a challenge. A lot of that came down to a lack of experience and equipment.
Since starting out I’ve accrued quite a library of baking books. I’ve also had to invest in good quality equipment, with my Kenwood stand mixer being a particular game changer. I’ve come to know our domestic oven and how it bakes, with or without the fan and on different shelves, if I’m making multiple sponges for a larger cake.
I’m always keen to try something new and I wouldn’t let anything faze me. I’ve tried Gluten Free bakes and they’re just as delicious. I’ve had periods trying to master Brownies, New York Style Cookies, Cheesecake, Sponge Cakes and Bundt Tin cakes.
Baking has become a real passion for me. I wouldn’t call myself an intuitive baker but I can follow a recipe and tweak it if necessary. That, combined with a bit of baking experience and knowing my equipment, means there’s nothing I wouldn’t try these days.
I don’t have a signature bake, as such, but I do get requests for the same cakes from family and friends. A Nigella Lawson Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake seems to be the most popular. I can’t remember how many of those I’ve made.
My personal favourite would be my Greek Orange Pie or Portokalopita. It’s quite a technical challenge as it’s made with filo pastry as opposed to flour. We can only buy filo in sheets in the UK, so the sheets have to be dried out in the oven before being crumbled, in to small pieces, to use in the cake. The finished bake is then soaked in a rich orange syrup. It’s fun to make and tastes amazing.
Well I think that’s enough about my baking passion (I’m making myself feel hungry!) I really ought to blog a bit more about it and plug some of the amazing books and bakers I’ve had inspiration from.
I’ll finish with one more image. I made these doughnuts with the Grandchildren in the Air Fryer and then they helped set up the fun image below, using a Minions character. I think they enjoy baking with me, or perhaps it could just be a ruse to get free cake when they visit 🙂
If you want to know more about the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here. Posted for Anne’s Lens-Artists Challenge.
All images: ©Stephen Hyde 2007-2025 – All rights reserved.
Steve Hyde 
Oh so delicious Steve. Your post should have come with a warning to eat something first before reading! All your bakes look so delicious and I haven’t had breakfast yet! Your photography set this post of beautifully.
Thank you Anne. You chose a great challenge 🙂
Thanks Steve!
I love this. I’m always in awe of people who can bake. Baking requires such precision and patience. Baking for someone is really a labor of love! Love that Christmas Bundt cake!!
Thank you Kirsten. I’m always looking for a reason to make a cake.
Your baking looks amazing. I’ll be right over… I hope you have something left. >grin<
Thank you John. There are always NY style Cookies in the freezer 🙂
I so enjoyed your post this week Stephen! Your photography is wonderful and every bite looks scrumptious. I’m a HUGE fan of The Great British Baking Show and have watched every season from start to finish. I think you should try out!!!
Thank you Tina, I’m a big fan of TGBBO. I read somewhere that the format never took off in the states. My brother lived in NJ for 20 years and we were regular visitors. I just remember there being some fantastic baking accessory shops and some of the pies and bakes we picked up at farmer markets were incredible. I thought if there was one place that show would be popular it’s the US.
I’m a fan! Not sure what I envy the most, that you can bake like that or you can do food photography to this level. I think it’s one of the hardest!
Thank you Sofia 🙂
The peanut butter chocolate cake looks scrumptious 😀
It is a nice cake. That was taken in Dartmouth on a family holiday. That’s a nice part of the world for walking. We went back on our own a month later and picked off some lovely hikes, coastal and inland. I feel a retrospective blog coming on…..
Not a part of the country I know well although my daughter worked in Brixham for a while and I have done a few coastal walks round there 😀
Well, Steve, what a treat you gave us! This is so delicious — even if I only see the photos. The bundt cake and Greek pie look totally irresistible.
The Greek pie is the ONE. We always try them in different bakeries when we’re in Rhodes, Greece. The last time we were there that ended up in me being challenged in one shop to better their pie. I can’t do that but I’m going to take some out with me when we go back in May.
I’ll have to look for it the next time I have Greek food.
Great way to combine your hobbies Steve, I did a lot of that at the start of the pandemic. Something I want to get back to. All looks good to eat and the photos are great.
Thank you Leanne. Get those baking tins out and greased up 🙂 NY Style Cookies are the way to go.