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Mix and Bake
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 25m
G
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 25m
G
Natalie Paull of declares from the outset that she doesn’t have a cliché family backstory to describe her cake-filled childhood.
“I get asked a lot about whether my mother or my grandmother taught me to bake,” says Paull, who appears as a guest on on SBS. “I know there are a lot of people out there who spent time, as a child, learning how to bake next to a maternal figure in their family. But I did not. So I don’t have a family memory of baking. Ever since I was young, I just had a bug for baking.”
This is one of my all-time favourite cakes. I’ve made it at least 1,000 times for the shop.
At age seven, Paull discovered an invisible yet instinctive attraction to creating cakes.
Later, she learned that her kitchen skills were actually genetic. Her paternal grandmother – who she never met – was an excellent baker with Scottish heritage. So through the craft of baking, Paull connected with her ancestor beyond the grave.
"I look like her so much, so it feels good to know that I bake like her as well.”
Paull’s favourite ‘go-to cake’ is also the cake that her paternal grandmother used to make regularly: carrot cake.
“When dad tries my carrot cake, he says ‘You make that cake just like my mother used to make it’. It’s a huge compliment.
"My dad loves carrot cake, so it's nice to be able to make it for him from time to time.”
Paull explains that she also adores carrot cake because it’s so quick and easy. “It's a foam-based cake that cools down very quickly.
“You’ve usually got the ingredients for a carrot cake already in your kitchen – like a carrot in the back of your fridge (even if it’s a bit bendy) and nuts that you can toast. You can put that together with some spices and baking staples to make a quick carrot cake.”
A cheesecake within a carrot cake
Carrot cake can also be elevated to become a show-stopping dessert feature.
To do this, Paull makes a separate cheesecake layer (without the crumb on the bottom) in a bain-marie and inserts it between two cooled carrot cake layers.
Her creation is a cake within a cake, otherwise known as Paull’s famous carrot, toasted hazelnut and cheesecake layer cake.
“This is one of my all-time favourite cakes. I’ve made it at least 1,000 times for the shop. It takes carrot cake, a cake that’s notorious for being ‘healthy’, and puts a layer of full-fat, sour cream-based baked cheesecake in the middle.”
The cake is topped with cream cheese and buttercream. “The combination is so incredible. It’s an ‘every-person’ cake that people love because they feel like they’re getting two of their favourite cakes in one.”
'Go-to' cake baking tips
Paul insists that her carrot cheesecake invention is so achievable, that you can adopt it as your own ‘go-to’ cake for celebrations and important events. “It sounds like a lot, but this cake is doable.”
To make it, Paull recommends that you make carefully weigh out all of the ingredients (as per her recipe or a separate cheesecake and carrot cake recipe).
When making the carrot cake, you should divide the mixture between two cake tins rather than making one big, tall cake. “This will ensure that you get a dark, dry crust on the outside.”
Paull advises that the carrot cakes should be cooked 10 to 20 degrees Celsius lower than the usually specified temperature for carrot cakes to get an even rise.
“By reducing the temperature a bit, you will get a much flatter, more tender, moist cake in the end. You'll just have to bake it for a little bit longer.
This tip is one of the most incredible things that I've taken on since baking, 1000s of commercial cakes.”
When you present your go-to cake to people, you should feel like a superstar.
When it comes time to ice the cake, there’s no need to fuss with intricate piping bags: “That’s not my style”. All you have to do is carefully place a heaped tablespoon of frosting on top of the cake and spread it out.
“Use an offset spatula and basic cake turntable. Put your spatula in place and spin your turntable to smooth the frosting over the cake naturally. If you use these two tools, your cake will be mind-blowing.”
Once you’re done, sprinkle toasted hazelnuts on the top of the cake and serve.
“When you present your go-to cake to people, you should feel like a superstar. Everybody will tell you it looks amazing and they’ll want to know your recipe for it. That’s when you know you’re onto something special.”
