The trend for vintage kitchen stuff is everywhere. From old-school toasters and kettles to kitschy cake stands and tea cosies, retro chic is firmly re-established in our kitchens and baking in particular has become synonymous with vintage. Mounds of buttercream, towering cakes, pots of tea, and scones and cream are all served up with a healthy dose of nostalgia. 

This 1940s and 50s revival is enthusiastic, but perhaps not entirely accurate. After all, this was largely the era of rationing, when your chocolate cake was more likely to contain dried egg and potato than a pound of butter and lashings of cream. Substitutions were key: carrots could be used instead of sugar, margarine replaced butter, and even cookbooks became thinner and less glossy. The apocryphal Coca-cola chocolate cake recipe is said to have emerged from this time, invented as a result of sugar rationing. There's no evidence at all to support this story, but it's a nice idea (and a nice cake!)

For a more authentic retro baking experience, there are a few things you can try. First, though, you'll need a pinny - and the more ruffly, the better. For the best results, you'll have to sew your own. Liberty in London offer evening apron classes, for a mere £75 (plus commute), but a more frugal option - and remember, thrifty is key! - is to search online for some of the hundreds of free and frilly patterns. Check out Mandors (131 East Claremont Street EH7 4JA) for some retro inspired fabric, and get those thimbles out!

Next, get into the garden. Growing your own veg was a key wartime message, and it's no less relevant (or delicious) now. If you don't want to try potatoes in your chocolate cake, how about beetroot? Or even tomatoes? What about fruit for canning and jam making? Oh the possibilities!