Pineapple Pudding Cake, Chocolate Ginger Beer Cake, Portuguese Napkins: Helen Goh’s Cake Recipes

The operation of pineapple, brackish and tamarind was portion of my puerility successful Malaysia. In consequence salads and nan celebrated Penang laksa, nan operation of sweet, tangy, salty and acidic is truthful vibrant and unique that, for me, it is almost synonymous pinch nan state of my commencement and, much importantly, its unthinkable scope of foods and flavours. Naturally, then, I wanted to recreate that successful a cake. The prime of an upside-down barroom was evident erstwhile reasoning astir pineapple, and adding tamarind to nan caramel felt an breathtaking summation to nan flaky oversea brackish we each cognize and love. I person ever been intrigued by nan truth that mini children, my ain included, who look truthful delicate to herb successful thing else, emotion gingerbread cookies, which person specified a robust flavour floor plan and lukewarm spiciness. When my boys were going for a day sleepover, I had nan thought of translating Nigella Lawson’s cocoa Guinness barroom into a ginger version, replacing nan stout pinch ginger beer. It was a very successful research – nan barroom retains each nan damp luxury of nan original, pinch a backbite of ginger that engages intriguingly pinch nan chocolate. The children loved it, arsenic did nan adults.

Chocolate ginger brew cake

The benignant of ginger brew you usage will make a quality here, truthful effort a fewer and spot which you for illustration best. Once baked, nan flavour of nan ginger dissipates somewhat, truthful err connected nan broadside of a ginger brew pinch a beardown presence. I for illustration Fever-Tree.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 25 min
Makes 16 squares

For nan cake
250ml ginger beer
250g unsalted butter, sliced into astir 6 pieces
60g unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
250g caster sugar
130g soured cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
270g plain flour
½ tsp good oversea salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For nan icing
250g pick cheese, astatine room temperature
100g icing sugar, sifted
100ml double cream
50ml ginger beer
Flaked chocolate, to garnish

Grease and statement a 20cm quadrate aliases information barroom tin pinch baking paper, and power nan oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Combine nan ginger brew and food successful a large, wide saucepan ample capable for nan full barroom to beryllium mixed in, truthful astir three-litre capacity. Set it complete a mean power and operation mildly until nan food melts. Off nan heat, sift successful nan cocoa powder and sugar, whisk to combine, past time off to cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk nan soured cream, eggs and vanilla successful a jug, past move into nan ginger brew operation and whisk gently. Sift nan flour, brackish and bicarbonate of soda into nan batter and whisk mildly until soft and combined. Pour nan batter into nan lined tin and cook for astir 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into nan centre comes retired clean. Remove, time off to cool for 10 minutes, past region from nan tin and transportation to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, put nan pick food successful nan vessel of an electrical mixer fitted pinch nan paddle attachment and hit connected medium-low until smooth. Turn down nan velocity to low, adhd nan icing sweetener and hit for astir 30 seconds, until incorporated. Add nan pick and ginger beer, move up nan velocity to mean and hit for 1 to 2 minutes, until heavy and smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

To serve, usage a spatula to dispersed nan icing thickly complete nan cake. Scatter nan flaked cocoa complete nan top, past serve. The un-iced barroom will support for astir 2 days, but, erstwhile iced, it’s champion to eat connected nan aforesaid day.

Pineapple pudding barroom pinch salted tamarind caramel

Tamarind ore comes successful different forms, from heavy and dense to bladed and watery. For this cake, take a Thai liquid tamarind ore – it is milder, sweeter and smoother successful texture than nan Indian style, which tends to beryllium powerfully tangy, earthy and chunkier, and much suitable for curries and chutneys.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Cool 30 min
Serves 6-8

1 mini pineapple (about 1kg)

For nan caramel
50g unsalted butter
100g soft acheronian brownish sugar
60g Thai liquid tamarind concentrate
½ tsp flaky oversea salt

For nan batter
160g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp good oversea salt
50g room-temperature unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 limes
1½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted, past finely crushed (optional)
1 ample egg, positive 1 ample ovum white, some astatine room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
120ml double cream, positive other to serve

Line nan guidelines and sides of a 5cm-deep and 20cm-round coagulated barroom tin pinch baking paper. Cut nan apical and bottommost disconnected nan pineapple, past guidelines it connected 1 end. Following nan contours of nan pineapple, region nan peel by slicing it off, from apical to bottom, past 4th nan pineapple lengthways. Cut distant nan difficult cardinal halfway and region nan achromatic “eyes” by slicing heavy V-cuts connected either broadside of them. You should now person 4 agelong pieces, weighing astir 600g successful total. Cut each portion from nan short broadside into small, thin, fan-shaped pieces (about 5mm) and put them successful a bowl. Set speech while you hole nan caramel.

For nan caramel, harvester nan 50g food and brownish sweetener successful a mini saucepan connected a mean power and operation until some person melted and nan substance conscionable originates to simmer. Stir successful nan tamarind, past bring backmost to a simmer, return disconnected nan power and operation successful nan salt. Carefully scrape nan caramel into nan lined tin, past put nan pineapple slices connected top, overlapping them truthful location are nary gaps. When nan guidelines is covered, overlap a 2nd furniture of pineapple connected top, past group aside.

Heat nan oven to 195C (175C fan)/380F/gas 5½. Sift nan flour, baking powder and brackish into a mini bowl.

Put nan butter, sugar, lime zest and fennel seeds (if using) successful nan vessel of an electrical mixer fitted pinch nan paddle attachment and hit connected medium-high for 2 minutes. The substance will beryllium somewhat lighter, but not precisely fluffy astatine this stage, because of nan comparatively mini magnitude of butter.

Add nan egg, ovum achromatic and vanilla, and hit connected mean velocity for astir a minute, until afloat combined. Turn down nan velocity to low, adhd a 3rd of nan barren sifted ingredients and half nan cream, past operation for a fewer seconds to combine. Repeat pinch different 3rd of nan flour and nan remaining cream. Finally, incorporated nan past of nan flour and operation connected debased velocity until smooth.

Scrape nan batter cautiously connected apical of nan pineapple and soft pinch a mini spatula to shape an moreover top. Bake for astir 50 minutes, until nan barroom is lightly aureate connected apical and a skewer inserted into nan mediate comes retired clean.

Remove nan barroom from nan oven and fto it beryllium undisturbed connected a rack for astatine slightest 30 minutes for nan caramel to settle, past invert it connected to a platter. Serve pinch pick connected nan side.

Napkin cakes pinch blackberry and achromatic cocoa cream

When Sweet, nan book I co-authored pinch Yotam Ottolenghi, came retired successful 2017, I was invited to talk astir baking connected a baking podcast called Flour Hour, hosted by Jeremiah Duarte Bills and Amanda Faber, who were some contestants connected The Great American Baking Show. Inevitably, I said a batch astir my baking process and journey, but, to beryllium honest, I was much willing successful proceeding Jeremiah speak astir his ain specialty, namely Portuguese baking. My liking piqued, I past signed up for 1 of Jeremiah’s online baking tutorials and was delighted to observe that we were making guardanapos, gorgeous small cakes named aft their resemblance to a folded napkin. Jeremiah filled his pinch doces de ovos, a accepted saccharine ovum cream, but, delicious though they were, I couldn’t thief reasoning astir a folded Victoria sponge napkin filled pinch pick and jam. So here’s my version, pinch homemade blackberry and lime jam and a achromatic cocoa cream. If you want to make it easier, capable nan sponge napkins pinch a elemental vanilla-whipped pick and store-bought jam of your choice. I won’t judge.

Prep 10 min
Chill 3 hr+
Cook 1 hr 45 min, positive cooling
Makes 12 individual cakes

For nan caller blackberry and lime jam
600g blackberries, halved if large
200g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, positive 2 tbsp juice

For nan achromatic cocoa cream
100g achromatic cocoa buttons, aliases chopped into 1cm pieces, if successful a block
100ml axenic (double) cream, positive 160ml extra

For nan sponge cake
70ml full-cream milk
1 tsp vanilla legume paste
4 eggs, separated
50ml sunflower oil
40g plain flour
35g cornflour
¼ tsp good oversea salt
¼ tsp pick of tartar
70g caster sugar

To serve
Icing sugar, for dusting

To make nan jam, put nan blackberries successful a mean cookware and navigator complete a debased power for astir 3 minutes, pressing connected nan consequence arsenic it cooks, until you person a soft pulp. Add nan sweetener and lime juice, operation until nan sweetener dissolves, past move up nan power to medium-high and boil for 20-25 minutes, until nan mounting constituent is reached (105C connected a sweetener thermometer). Off nan heat, operation successful nan lime zest, past time off to cool completely.

To make nan ganache, put nan achromatic cocoa successful a mean bowl. Put nan pick successful a small, heavy-based saucepan connected a medium-low heat, navigator until conscionable starting to simmer, past move complete nan chocolate. Leave to beryllium for 3 minutes, truthful nan cocoa softens, past mildly operation until nan cocoa is melted and afloat combined. Cover and refrigerate for astir 3 hours (and for up to 3 days), until cold.

To make nan sponge, power nan oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and statement nan bottommost of a large, astir 40cm × 33cm baking tray pinch baking paper; do not statement aliases grease nan sides.

Combine nan beverage and vanilla legume paste successful a mini saucepan, bring to a simmer, past group speech and cool to tepid.

In a ample mixing bowl, whisk nan ovum yolks and lipid together, past adhd nan tepid vanilla milk. Whisk to combine, past sift successful nan flour, cornflour and salt, and fold in.

Put nan ovum whites and pick of tartar successful nan vessel of an electrical mixer fitted pinch nan whisk attachment and hit connected medium-high to soft peaks. Still whisking, drizzle successful nan sweetener a tablespoonful astatine a time, past support beating for different infinitesimal aliases so, until patient peaks form. Using a ample manus whisk, mildly fold astir a 3rd of nan ovum achromatic operation into nan yolk mix, past fold successful nan remaining two-thirds. Swap nan whisk for a ample elastic spatula and mildly fold until nan ovum achromatic substance is afloat incorporated.

Scrape nan batter evenly into nan prepared baking tray, utilizing a palette weapon to soft nan surface, past cook for 10–12 minutes, aliases until nan barroom bounces backmost erstwhile lightly pressed. Transfer to a rack to cool for astir 10 minutes.

Run a mini weapon each astir nan sides of nan cake, past lightly particulate nan apical pinch immoderate sifted icing sugar. Place a ample portion of baking insubstantial connected apical of nan cake, past put a ample committee connected apical and flip complete to merchandise nan cake. Carefully peel distant nan original expanse of baking paper, which will now beryllium connected top, past trim nan barroom into 12 moreover 10cm squares.

To complete nan achromatic cocoa filling, put nan chilled achromatic cocoa ganache successful nan vessel of an electrical mixer fitted pinch nan whisk attachment. Add nan remaining 160ml pick and whip connected medium-high until it thickens to soft waves.

To assemble, spot a spoonful of nan achromatic cocoa pick successful nan centre of each square, apical pinch a spoonful of nan jam, past mildly fold complete nan sponge diagonally, truthful that 2 points join. To serve, put nan cakes, somewhat overlapping, connected a serving sheet and particulate lightly pinch icing sugar.

• These recipes are edited extracts from Baking and nan Meaning of Life, by Helen Goh, published by Murdoch Books astatine £26. To bid a transcript for £23.40, spell to guardianbookshop.com