The Curriculum of Cake: What Baking Teaches Us About Learning

In order to be a good, effective teacher, you must build lesson plans around a specific curriculum—one designed by districts to define what they believe is most valuable for students to learn.

The same applies to baking.

To be a good, effective baker, you must know your target market—your audience. What’s the experience you want to create with every bite? What message do you want your product to communicate?

For me, it’s simple:I want my customers to taste flavors they never imagined possible. I want them to feel like they've stepped back into a cherished childhood memory with a loved one. I want to stir up nostalgia—deep, joyful connection.

From the very first interaction, I want my customers to feel like they’re talking to an old friend. And to make that happen, there has to be a plan. Maybe not one built from a formal curriculum, but one crafted from vision and strategy.

That’s where recipe planning and development come in—just like lesson plans in the classroom. And just like teaching, it can go either way: hit or miss.

When it’s a hit, it’s magic.When it’s a miss? It’s back to the drawing board.

That’s where reflection comes in. It’s not about throwing away the idea—it’s about revisiting it, fine-tuning it, and figuring out:

• What worked well?

• What didn’t?

• Where did things start to go off track?

• What needs to shift to make this successful next time?

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These questions apply far beyond classrooms or kitchens. They’re life questions—growth questions.

Whether you’re building a business, parenting, trying to heal, or striving for any personal goal, the ability to reflect, replan, and pivot is essential. Because the truth is, you’re not going to get it right every time.

Just like not every student will grasp the concept the first time around, not every customer is going to love every flavor you offer. And just like in life, not every person will "get" you—or want to.

Is that okay?

In the classroom, no—it’s not okay to leave a student floating in confusion. As educators, we keep going until we see that lightbulb moment—those magical "Aha!" breakthroughs.

But in business and in life, it might be okay.

Because if we spent our lives trying to please every single person we encountered, we’d burn out fast. The truth is, some people are committed to being negative. Some people won’t like you—and it has nothing to do with you.

And so, protecting your peace and your energy becomes part of the lesson, too.

This reflection is my way of connecting where I’ve been to where I’m going—how the classroom taught me lessons that now guide me in building a life and business rooted in soul.

There were students I didn’t click with. Parents who were hard to work with. Just like there will be customers I may not enjoy serving. But I still show up—with love, with light, and with purpose—because maybe, just maybe, something I do or say will spark the light in someone else.

And maybe that’s the peace they needed to find their own way.

So my question to you is this:Are there areas in your life that are overlapping—teaching you lessons you didn’t expect to learn?