Full Moon Cake

Tara Jensen’s cookbook, A Baker’s Year, closes with an outline of the lunar cycle from new moon to waning crescent, followed by instructions for setting a new moon intention, and recipes for lofty, single layer “moon cakes” beginning with this full moon cake. “Incorporate all of the ingredients quickly and efficiently, and while it’s baking, sit next to your oven with a clock, a pen, and a notepad. Do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes of baking. Make notes when the cake becomes golden brown and pulls away slightly from the edges, when the smells of the cake change, and to describe how it’s baking in your pan. Take the time to do some deep breathing and reflect on your recent days. Poke the center of the cake with a knife. When it comes out clean, make a note of the time and pull the cake from the oven. You may forgo the timer and the notepad once you learn the rhythm,” she writes, “but perhaps you will enjoy it, bringing the ritual of goal-setting and journal writing with you into your baking.” Read more about Jensen’s bakery here.

Text and illustration credits (c) 2018 by Tara Jensen and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Press.