Women in STEM

42 FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

Catherine Smith, Central High, Class of 2003

I spent eleven happy years at Central High from 1992 until 2003. My favourite subjects were Religious Studies and Philosophy with Mrs Robson and Mr Wilson, Art, and later Textiles in Sixth Form. I loved the big questions we discussed in RS and Philosophy and I loved the creative freedom and the fantastic facilities of the Art Department (and of course the fashion show was amazing!).

I vividly remember the school charity cake sales held during some lunchtimes. One year, I and my friend Claire Slater, (now Winton), organised a cake sale for Children in Need and I remember how much I loved baking for it, promoting it and then selling on the actual day. From a very early age I baked at home with my Granny and my Mum, and it had always been something I enjoyed as a hobby, but never thought of as a career path.

Having struggled to decide what to do at university, I ended up at Aberystwyth studying Countryside Management. Slight curveball after describing what I really loved doing!

However, I had an enjoyable time and, as much of the course focused on sustainability, I learnt about the charity Sustrans, whose aim is to encourage more walking and cycling. I secured a job in their Newcastle branch and while working there I seemed to fall into the trap of baking for staff birthdays!

I had enrolled on an evening class in Business Administration at Gateshead College and while there I noticed their teaching kitchens. It wasn’t long before I had swapped my bike helmet for a chef’s apron! In 2012, I left my full time job and embarked on a course in Professional Cookery. It was fantastic, and I knew at last I had found my calling, particularly as I was named the catering department’s Student of the Year! I knew I wanted to specialise in Patisserie and for the best opportunities set my sights on London where I was very lucky to secure a job at the Ritz Hotel as a commis pastry chef. I worked there for four years helping to produce 400 Afternoon Teas each day, so my skills increased rapidly. The Ritz gained their first Michelin Star during this time and it was great to be a part of this experience. Around my work, I studied at the University of West London and gained a Foundation Degree in Patisserie.

I ventured north again, to work at Betty’s Cookery School in Harrogate as a tutor, before going back into a kitchen as Head Pastry Chef at The Alice Hawthorn, a restaurant near York. I had complete free rein on their desserts and petit fours and this is where I started to develop my own style and recipes. Then in 2020…the pandemic hit and I was put on furlough.

This was an opportunity to rethink where I wanted to take my career and it led me to realise I should start my own business. I moved back to Newcastle at the start of the 2021 lockdown and decided to jump on the food delivery bandwagon! Catherine’s Cake House was born! My first offering was a Valentine’s heart shaped personalised cookie and it was a success! Requests for birthday and celebration cakes soon followed - I love designing and creating these cakes, using all the professional patisserie skills and techniques which I learnt at the Ritz. I do also enjoy attending local markets in order to promote my business and now have an online shop on my website where you can see my designs - including my Christmas offerings!

My next goal is to offer exquisite Afternoon Teas in the North East; and I am planning my first pop up Christmas Afternoon Tea in December…with more planned next year! Ultimately, I would like my own premises, but for now, I am happy to “pop up” and also deliver to my customers’ homes or venues.

To find out more about Catherine’s Cake House, see my designs and book your Afternoon Tea please go to my website (www.catherinescakehouse.com) . Catherine’s Cake House is also on Facebook and Instagram @catherinescakehouse

This Christmas, one of my speciality cakes in my online shop (for delivery in the North East) is a Chocolate Orange Yule Log. So on the Yule Log theme, I thought I would share with you my Tiramisu Swiss Roll. Perfect with a hot drink…or delicious with an espresso martini f you want a real coffe pick-me-up!

Coffee Swiss Roll Sponge

140g egg whites (around 3 - 4 eggs) 60g caster sugar 60g egg yolks (around 3 large eggs) 40g plain flour Pinch of salt 60g vegetable/flavourless oil 5g coffee granules dissolved in 1tbsp hot water

Mascarpone filling

250g tub mascarpone 200ml double cream 50g icing sugar Coffee syrup (see below) to taste

Coffee syrup

200ml water 80g sugar 10g coffee granules 20ml Tia Maria

Chocolate ganache

225ml double cream 30g glucose syrup or golden syrup 90g dark chocolate 135g milk chocolate 35g butter

Chocolate ganache (best made the day before for the best piping consistency…or if you haven’t made it in time…it can just be poured for a decadent dessert!) 1. Heat 225ml double cream and 2 tbsp glucose syrup OR golden syrup in a pan until hot. 2. In a microwave, carefully melt 90g dark, 135g milk chocolate and 35g butter. 3. In stages, pour the hot cream over the chocolate carefully combining after each addition of cream. You should end up with a shiny fairly runny chocolate mixture. 4. Leave to cool at room temperature, and set aside while you make the coffee syrup.

Coffee Syrup

1. Dissolve 10g coffee granules with 2 tbsp hot water. 2. Bring 200ml water and 80g sugar to the boil, and add the coffee above and 20ml Tia Maria (more if you wish!). Set aside.

Swiss Roll

1. Line a Swiss roll tin (Lakeland do a good one!) or tin (with sides) measuring approx. 32cm x 24cm with silicone/non-stick baking paper. TIP: brush the tray with oil first so the paper sticks inside nicely. Don’t forget to line the sides too. Then lightly brush the paper with oil too. 2. Heat the oven to 180 Celsius (fan) or 200 Celsius (conventional). 3. Separate your eggs and measure 140g egg whites and 60g yolks. 4. Dissolve 5g of coffee granules with 1 tbsp hot water. 5. Lightly whisk together the 60g egg yolks with 60g vegetable oil and the coffee mixture and a pinch of salt. 6. In a separate bowl, whisk the 140g egg whites until fluffy and add 60g caster sugar. 7. Add the oil/egg yolk/coffee/salt mixture and whisk very gently until incorporated. 8. Sieve 40g plain flour and fold into your whipped mixture very carefully. Try not to let the mixture deflate too much. 9. Spoon the mixture carefully into your prepared tin. 10. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 8 - 10 minutes. The sponge is ready when it springs back when touched. 11. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. 12. Once the sponge is slightly cooler it is very strong so don’t be scared of breaking it! 13. Lie a piece of non-stick baking paper on a bench and tip the sponge onto this, peel back the baking paper underneath the sponge. 14. Lightly soak the sponge with some of the coffee syrup. Leaving some for the mascarpone cream mixture. 15. While the sponge is cooling, make the mascarpone filling.

Mascarpone filling

1. Mix together 250g of mascarpone with 200 ml double cream with 50g icing sugar and add the coffee syrup mixture to taste…you may also want to add more Tia Maria at this stage! Do not over mix or the mixture will split. 2. Once the sponge is cool, spread this mixture all over the sponge. 3. And now start to roll up your sponge (you can do this either portrait or landscape…it just depends on how long you want your roll and how chunky you want your pieces!).

Decoration and serving

1. Put the ganache in a piping bag with a nozzle and pipe along the top of the sponge, or use a palette knife to spread all over the roll… or gently re-heat the ganache and pour it over each portion for a decadent dessert. Lots of options! 2. Slice and serve. Gorgeous alongside a dessert wine or an espresso martini!