First, Cream the Butter and Sugar by Emelia Jackson

Emelia Jackson

FOR THE L

K

OF

CAKES

RiOUS CAKES

VERYONE

I’ve always loved baking. Always.

Baking was my happy place, growing up; however, I don’t think I realised just how much I love baking until I started writing this book. I have been down a rabbit hole of recipes – I got lost exploring the wonderful world of cookies and absorbed in the magical realm of cakes, tarts and pastries. And it has been absolutely glorious. I hope you read this book and find yourself wandering down your own rabbit hole of sweet, glorious bakes.

This book is your complete baking companion, your new best friend to help you become the best baker you can be. With a few cheats here and there, and recipes designed to be adaptable and personalised, this book is the only baking guide you’ll need.

I will preface the recipes with a warning: I am a lazy(ish) baker. I skip steps where I can and I like to simplify methods to get to the same end result. Here are a few of my favourite baking cheats.

• Room temperature eggs? Personally, I keep my eggs in the fridge and I’m not waiting for an egg to come to room temperature before whipping up some delicious goodness. Top tip: plunge your eggs into a cup of warm tap water to take the chill out of them.

• Who on earth has the time or the will to sift flour? Have you ever even seen a lump in flour? (Caveat: I always sift for sponge cakes.)

• Why use milk in a mud cake or choux pastry when water gives a very similar result? One less ingredient to pack up at the end of a long day of baking.

• Don’t have the time to rest your shortcrust pastry in the fridge overnight? Roll it out between two sheets of baking paper and set it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Also, perforated tins stop pastry shrinkage – invest in them and thank me later.

I like to lose the stress and take off the pressure when baking – it is, after all, my happy time and place. My goal is that this book will set you up with the confidence to make your own choices in the kitchen about what is and isn’t important when following a recipe. I want you to look through these pages and feel like every single recipe is within your reach, because it is!

Staple ingredients

Here is a short list of my most-used ingredients for baking. There are many more (the baking aisle is my favourite!), but these are the must-have staples.

Butter

Use the best-quality butter you can afford – it really does make a big difference to the flavour of your bakes, especially for a simple recipe like the Vanilla pound cake (page 119).

I always use unsalted butter for baking. It allows you to control the salt content in your bakes.

Sugars

I use caster (superfine) sugar most frequently in my bakes. It’s a crystalline, fine-textured white (granulated) sugar that dissolves easily.

Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar is caster (superfine) sugar with molasses mixed in. It adds a more complex, caramel flavour to baked goods. You can substitute muscovado sugar or coconut sugar for a similar result.

Icing (confectioners’) sugar is white (granulated) sugar that has been ground to a very fine powder (it’s sometimes known as powdered sugar). A little confession: I hate sifting icing sugar! As such, I always use icing sugar mixture, which is pure icing sugar mixed with anti-lumping ingredients, such as cornflour (cornstarch). If you’re a purist, feel free to sift to your heart’s content, but otherwise it’s safe to assume I am using icing sugar mixture (even in my macarons).

Flour

I use three main types of flour: plain (all-purpose) flour, cake flour and bread flour. Plain or all-purpose flour has a gluten content of around 9 to 11 per cent. I use this flour in my cookies and tarts.

Cake flour has a gluten content of between 7 and 9 per cent. I like using this flour for cakes. The lower gluten content leaves you with a more tender crumb – exactly what you want in a cake. See my instructions on page 97 for making your own cake flour.

Bread flour has the highest gluten content, usually around 12 to 13 per cent, which is needed to develop nice strong bread doughs.

To check the gluten content of your flour, look at the amount of protein per 100 g on the nutrition label – gluten is the protein in flour.

Eggs

I always use free-range eggs in my cooking. The thought of caged eggs, from a quality and an ethical viewpoint, makes me feel sick (plus, the shells always seem to have poop on them). But I won’t rant – just buy the best quality you can afford. I always use extra-large eggs when I’m baking, so when you see ‘2 eggs’, it’s safe to assume they are 59 g (2 oz) extra-large eggs.

A 59 g egg consists of:

• 9 g shell

• 50 g whole egg, made up of 30 g egg white and 20 g egg yolk

Milk and cream

I use full-cream/full-fat milk in all of my recipes that call for milk. Don’t skimp by using skim milk here – we’re looking for that beautiful richness that the extra fat supplies. Caveat: I don’t think you can always taste full-cream milk when used in cakes or choux. My Chocolate mud cake (page 176) calls for water, for example, as the fat from the milk isn’t missed because of the masses of butter and chocolate.

Thickened cream (as it’s known in Australia –whipping cream or heavy cream elsewhere) has a fat content of around 35 per cent. It’s a good all-rounder for mousses, chantilly creams and glazes. If you want a richer, velvety flavour and texture for your custards and whipped cream, choose a cream with a higher fat content.

I always add thick cream (also known as double cream or dollop cream) to my chantilly creams. With a fat content of around 45 per cent, it gives extra thickness and richness. Most importantly, it adds stability so you can use it to top a cake or pipe it onto a cupcake without fear of it collapsing.

Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda

Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (or baking soda) are both leavening agents. You’ll find bicarbonate of soda is often used in recipes that contain an acid, such as citrus juice, yoghurt or buttermilk, whereas baking powder is commonly found in recipes without a souring agent and instead reacts and rises with the application of heat. These pantry items are best replaced every 6 months to ensure they give you the best rise.

Salt

Before I understood the importance of adding salt to my bakes, I used to leave it out. It sounded like such a strange thing to be adding to my desserts. However, salt is a flavour enhancer – it balances sweetness and amplifies the flavours in your bakes. I like to use kosher salt because it has fine granules without being as aggressive in flavour as table salt, but you can use any salt you like (sea salt flakes on top of chocolate-chip cookies – always!).

Nuts and nut meals

Using nuts in your baking adds so many things –roasty, toasty flavour, texture and moisture. They are a great staple to keep on hand for upping the ante in your baking.

Nuts and nut meals are best stored in the freezer to prevent them from oxidising and turning rancid (bitter). I roast my nuts before adding them to my baked goods (or buy them already roasted) because roasted nuts have a much more complex flavour.

Vanilla

I am a lover of all things vanilla – it’s actually one of my favourite flavours (second to chocolate, of course!). You’ll notice my recipes call for more vanilla that you might be used to using. Feel free to cut back if you’re not a vanilla fiend like me. I always use either a vanilla bean paste – I love the seeds in my bakes – or a good-quality vanilla extract. Vanilla is also a flavour enhancer, adding richness and complexity to your desserts.

Cocoa

I like to use the darkest cocoa powder I can find, known as Dutch cocoa powder. It has been processed to reduce the cocoa’s natural acidity, meaning that the baking powder has the chance to do its thing. Dutch-processed cocoa is often labelled as either unsweetened cocoa powder or 100% cocoa powder.

FOR THE LOVE OF COOKIES

Dulce de leche sandwiches

Makes 22

200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, softened

150 g (51/2 oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra for dusting

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

350 g (12 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

150 g (51/2 oz) cornflour (cornstarch)

200 g (7 oz) dulce de leche (page 387 or store bought)

This is my take on the alfajores cookie that we all know and love but can’t pronounce with any level of confidence. It’s essentially a sandwich cookie consisting of two vanilla shortbread cookies held together with a thick slather of dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is a milk caramel that is readily available in supermarkets. You can make it yourself at home (see page 387), but why not take the easy route and buy the stuff? Any leftovers can be eaten with a spoon, directly from the jar.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two baking trays with baking paper or silicone baking mats.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolks, vanilla, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix to combine, scraping down the side of the bowl and the beater to ensure there are no large streaks of butter that will affect the finished cookies.

Put the plain flour and cornflour in a large bowl and give them a good whisk to combine and work out any lumps. Add the mixture to the butter mixture and stir until it comes together into a nice soft dough.

Tip the dough out onto your lightly floured bench and divide it in half. Roll out the dough to about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick (remembering that the cookies will rise in the oven) and cut out rounds using a 4 cm (11/2 inch) cutter (a fluted cutter gives a nice effect, too). Transfer the cookies to the baking trays, leaving space for spreading.

Bake the cookies in batches for 15–17 minutes or until they are golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely.

Spoon the dulce de leche into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe it onto half of the cookies. Sandwich with the rest of the cookies and dust with icing sugar.

Mix it up!

You can substitute the dulce de leche with any jam you love or a chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella).

Sour cream blueberry cake with vanilla mascarpone icing

Makes an 18 cm (7 inch) two-layer cake

Understanding why you use an ingredient is crucial to mastering baking and building confidence. The high fat content of sour cream means it adds a lovely richness to cakes, while the acidity adds a tender texture, which is exactly what you’re looking for in a vanilla cake. And because it’s thick, it won’t thin out the batter and affect the way the cake cooks. You can substitute the sour cream with a thick, Greek-style yoghurt.

200 g (7 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

170 g (53/4 oz) unsalted butter, softened

Grated zest of 3 lemons or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

120 g (41/4 oz) sour cream

120 ml (4 fl oz) full-cream milk

220 g (73/4 oz) cake flour (page 97 or store bought)

200 g (7 oz) fresh or frozen blueberries (not thawed)

125 g (41/2 oz) fresh blueberries, to serve Grated zest of 1 lemon, to serve

Vanilla mascarpone icing

250 g (9 oz) chilled mascarpone cheese

200 ml (7 fl oz) chilled thickened (whipping) cream

100 g (31/2 oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Line two 18 cm (7 inch) round cake tins with baking paper.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the sugar, butter and lemon zest or lemon extract until light, creamy and fluffy. Add the vanilla, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. (I like to add the raising agents at this point to ensure they are evenly dispersed throughout the cake batter, creating an even rise in the final cake.) Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.

Whisk the sour cream and milk in a small jug or bowl.

Sift the flour over the egg mixture, then gently fold together until combined. Lightly mix in the sour cream mixture until the batter just comes together.

To prevent all of the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of your cake, first divide a quarter of the batter between the cake tins and smooth the top. Mix the blueberries through the remaining batter and divide it between the tins.

Bake the cakes for 40–45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing, whisk the mascarpone, cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl until thickened. Be careful not to overwhisk the cream as it can easily split.

Use a serrated to knife to level the tops of the cakes, if needed. Put one of the cakes on a serving plate and spread it with about a third of the icing. Add the second cake and spread the remaining icing all over the top and side. Garnish the cake with the fresh blueberries and lemon zest.

Double-chocolate eclairs

Makes 20

1 batch Choux pastry (page 292), baked into 10 cm (4 inch) eclairs

Dark chocolate cream

190 ml (61/2 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream

160 ml (51/4 fl oz) full-cream milk

140 g (5 oz) egg yolks

75 g (23/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

200 g (7 oz) good-quality dark chocolate, chopped 75 g (23/4 oz) unsalted butter, cubed

Dark chocolate whipped ganache

1 large gelatine leaf (see page 16)

600 ml (21 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Pinch of salt

200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (minimum 54%), chopped

You’ll find these classic eclairs in every patisserie in France. I’ve gone with double chocolate, but you can also do a classic crème pâtissière filling (page 385) with the whipped ganache if this is too rich for you. I tend to not use a craquelin for my eclairs but you absolutely can. Craquelin adds a delicious crunch and sweetness, but it isn’t necessarily needed here.

For the chocolate cream, combine the cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar. Pour in the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the pan and stir over medium–low heat until it reaches 75°C (167°F) on a sugar thermometer. Remove the custard from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and combined (or even better, use a stick blender). Finally, add the butter and whisk or blend to emulsify. Cover the surface of the chocolate cream with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Place it in the fridge to set overnight for best results (you can cheat here and pop the chocolate cream into the freezer for 1–2 hours).

For the whipped ganache, add the gelatine to a small bowl of iced water and set aside for 5 minutes to bloom. Once softened, squeeze out any excess water and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the cream, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Add the gelatine and stir until completely melted. Put the chocolate in a bowl and pour in the hot cream. Once the chocolate has melted, whisk until well combined. Refrigerate overnight or until completely chilled.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chilled ganache until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhisk it because the ganache can split quite easily (especially if you use chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids). If the ganache does split, you will need to melt it again and then let it chill before whisking. Transfer the whipped ganache to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and refrigerate until needed.

Transfer the chocolate cream to a piping bag fitted with a filling nozzle (such as the Loyal Bismarck Tube No.230). Poke a hole in each side of the eclairs on the base and pipe in the chocolate cream until the eclair feels full and heavy.

Pipe the whipped ganache along the top of the eclairs.