when one of my children reach a milestone, I become hopeless tears. tears of joy? I do not think so. My tears are so precious and fleeting that I fear they are lost. It’s a confusing place in the range from sad to happy and that makes me strangely gloomy.
The cream-soda-and-raspberry cupcakes came out of such a bittersweet moment. They were created last year to celebrate the 10th birthday of a Syrian refugee traveling through Europe. The girl, named Amal, which means hope in Arabic, was actually a 10-foot-tall doll. Its creators wanted to bring the experience of millions of displaced children to life by creating a live art event called ‘The Walk’. They set Amal on a 5,000-mile journey, walking all the way from near the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester, England, through more than 70 towns. Wherever she went, Amal was greeted by crowds of children and adults, eager to see her, shake her hand and offer her company.
When Amal reached London, I approached a group of local pastry chefs and asked them to make a giant birthday cake with me, made from individual cupcakes, all with different flavors. On a sunny Sunday last October, dozens of children came to the Victoria and Albert Museum to celebrate with Amal, sing in Arabic, play and choose a cupcake as the highlight.
With all the partying, Amal was feeling overwhelmed and overly emotional, so at one point she moved aside to rest while the other kids continued the party—a touching moment many parents know, and another illustration of how quickly happy can be. turn into unhappy.
Cakes are ceremonial by nature. You don’t need a cake for your daily living.
The exact same thing happened to me when I recently met Paulina Bembel, Ottolenghi’s pastry chef, who made our cupcake for the event, to talk about her inspiration. Paulina is from Poland, so the first thing that came to mind was the situation at home. Poland has recently taken in more than 3.5 million refugees from Ukraine, a huge task for a country of about 38 million. This amazing act of hospitality meant that Ukrainian children are now learning in Polish classrooms; doctors have opened their clinics and private companies provide free services to refugees. But, unfortunately, Paulina noted, there are also voices against immigrants, and non-white refugees are sometimes met with hostility. Like I said, sweet and bitter.
But not when it comes to the cupcake. Paulina’s cupcake is all about making a pure childhood dream. The lemon-strewn raspberries conjure up a raspberry lemonade smoothie. The cream-soda flavor is a variation on the vanilla often used in Polish babka, a cake Paulina grew up with. And the popping candy and meringue — well, such cornerstones of childhood fantasy just cry out to be scattered on top.
Cakes are ceremonial by nature. You don’t need a cake for your daily living. It’s a very special perk, which is why we put it at the center of so many of our rituals, small or large: afternoon tea, weddings, religious holidays, personal monuments, expressions of sympathy and condolence.
The numbing pain from cake is a particularly powerful idea, I think. No one seriously expects to solve this world’s problems by spreading icing or dusting icing sugar, but it gives a momentary sense of well-being. The act of baking is soothing to both the giver and the recipient, the busy baker and the person taking a big bite of an airy slice of sponge. This potential comfort that every pie has in it is why so many people, children and adults alike, sell trays to raise money for Ukraine.
I was comforted to learn that Amal traveled to Poland last month to visit Ukrainian refugee children and their families. “At a time of unprecedented global change,” said Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director of “The Walk”, “Amal’s travels transcend boundaries, politics and language to tell a new story of shared humanity – and to ensure that let the world not forget the millions of displaced children, each with their own potential to improve the communities in which we hope they will find refuge.” And if I may add a small request of my own, may these children also find something sweet along the way to ease the pain.
Recipe: Cream-Soda-and-Raspberry Cupcakes