How Covid-19 pandemic sparked new generation of home bakers

During the pandemic, when days blurred together and curfews stretched endlessly into the night, many Kenyans found themselves searching for something, literally anything, to fill the quiet hours.

Some danced their restlessness away; others painted or perfected their makeup routines. And then some turned to baking, the comforting alchemy of flour, sugar, and hope.

The smell of something sweet rising in the oven became more than just a treat; it was a small, steady kind of triumph.

For many who took up baking during those lockdown years and never quite stopped, the kitchen transformed into a space of both chaos and calm, a refuge where stress melted into butter and failures were dusted off with flour.

When 27-year-old Cynthia Wanjiku baked her first banana bread during the pandemic, she didn’t expect it to change how she viewed herself.

“It sank in the middle, looked ugly, and tasted slightly burnt,” she laughs. “But I felt proud, like I’d made something with my hands and it felt grounding.”

Wanjiku is one of many young Kenyans rediscovering the joy of baking, not just as a hobby, but as a form of self-care and creativity, drawing inspiration from TikTok and YouTube.

Whether it’s cupcakes on Sunday afternoons or experimenting with mandazi recipes online, baking has found a new generation of enthusiasts, including men and children, who aren’t afraid to make mistakes.

According to local bakers, more people are buying small ovens, hand mixers, and decorating tools than ever before. Kitchen supply stores in Nairobi and Mombasa report that baking items now sell year-round, not just during festive seasons.

Baking, unlike cooking, doesn’t easily forgive guesswork. A careless extra spoon of baking soda or too much flour can turn promise into disaster. Yet that’s also where its beauty lies, in its demand for attention and the quiet discipline it teaches.

Professional pastry chef David Ouma laughs when recalling his early kitchen failures.

“Everyone thinks baking is about recipes,” he told The Eastleigh Voice on Friday. “But really, it’s about rhythm. You have to listen to the whisk, to the oven, to your own patience. The cake always tells on you if you rush it.”

Ouma insists beginners shouldn’t let a sunken cake or burnt cookies discourage them.

“Every failed bake is a kind of conversation,” he adds. “It’s the oven saying, ‘Slow down, try again.’ And that’s the beautiful part, baking forces you to be present.”

He likens baking to meditation: the slow stirring, the waiting, the moment when the smell of butter and vanilla fills the air.

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“You can’t doom-scroll while whipping egg whites,” he says with a grin. “They’ll collapse on you immediately. Baking demands respect and it rewards it, too.”

Baking brings people together

From online recipe groups to weekend bake sales, Kenyans are turning simple recipes into small businesses and shared experiences.

In Nairobi’s Kilimani neighbourhood, The Homebaker’s Market runs pop-up stalls where beginners sell cakes, cookies, and pastries to real customers.

Organiser Lucy Gathoni says the goal isn’t perfection, it’s participation.

“We tell new bakers, it’s okay if your icing isn’t smooth when you’re a beginner. What matters is that you showed up and shared your creation.”

Social media has fueled this rise. On Instagram and TikTok, home bakers share time-lapse videos of muffins rising or dough being kneaded, turning ordinary kitchen moments into art.

Experts say baking engages all the senses: touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste, making it one of the most immersive and rewarding home activities.

Psychologists often call it “behavioural activation”: the idea that doing something physical and creative can lift your mood and reduce anxiety.

And it’s accessible. You don’t need a fancy oven or imported ingredients to start. Flour, sugar, oil, and a pinch of curiosity are enough. You can even bake using a jiko or gas and sufurias.

“Your first bake doesn’t have to be perfect,” says Gathoni. “Mine wasn’t. But every cake since has been a little better than the last, and that’s kind of like life, isn’t it?”

Whether it’s a new skill, a side hustle, or simply the smell of something sweet wafting through your home on a quiet Sunday, baking reminds us that joy often lives in the small, messy, imperfect things we make with our hands.

“Because sometimes, it’s not about the cake, it’s about the courage to try. So, get your oven gloves, and let’s get baking this weekend.”