I also don’t bake very often, but it does not frustrate me. I find baking quite enjoyable. You need to respect the recipes and trust the process. It requires more precise study rather than feeling things out if you want to experiment with your own creations.

It also requires you to be quite familiar with your oven, as they vary more than you might initially think. With experience, you can then adjust certain things according to your taste like the amounts of sugar, lemon, vanilla, etc., without messing with the texture of the final product.

Like you said in another comment, a fun part of cooking is experimenting and improvising on the fly. That being said, I do find a different type of joy with baking compared to cooking.

It can be very relaxing. You have a recipe that you know you like, or a new one you want to try out from someone you trust. You don’t have to stress or think too much about the ingredients and adjustments. Take your time to measure, mix things smoothly, knead, decorate if you want to, turn on the oven, set a timer, and enjoy the pleasant smell of freshly-baked goods. You can look at it from the outside until the crust is just the way you like it, and just trust the recipe and timer to take care of the inside.

I love cooking, I often put a lot of love into it, and use only plant-based ingredients. But still with baking it feels more… wholesome. There’s just something about the process itself, and the joy of taking something freshly-baked out of the oven. It feels peaceful and rewarding.