Thinking that the kitchen table would be in an absolute mess of flour, sugar and sticky dough, I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. Every plate and utensil was cleaned as soon as they were finished with, and this may have something to do with having a hot bowl of soapy water readily available – bubbles and children often go very well indeed!

So, after putting the cup cakes in the oven, then having a light lunch, in anticipation of leaving plenty room for the finished article, it was time to get the icing sugar made.

This proved to be more challenging than any of the other tasks earlier. Icing sugar has to be tasted right?? But how many times and by who!

When the cakes were ready, we took them out to cool, and waited, all the while checking that they had been cooked properly – I mean, a little nibble of the sponge would never be seen would it!

Finally, it was time to decorate each cup cake with icing, and adding sprinkles, chocolate buttons etc, all to make delightful creations.

We asked our son how he had found Baking, and apart from the part where his hands got sticky from the icing sugar, he wanted to do more Baking tomorrow, and the next day….

Now we have an activity that he finds calming, and where his anxieties disappear for the duration. Could this be his vocation when he becomes an adult? Seriously, if he finds solace in the process of baking cakes, then why not?