Caramel date splendour
It’s Good’s birthday this month so we asked Bernadette Gee of Magnolia Kitchen if she would be happy to share her recipe for her decadent Sticky Date Caramel Cake. We’re so glad she said ‘yes’.
Sticky Date Caramel Cake
This cake is proof that dates can be used in something other than a boring-ass scone and can be delicious… Personally dates are not my favourite, which is no disrespect to the date – I just associate childhood trauma with them. Okay, of course that is me being dramatic, but let me explain. My parents owned a health-food shop and my dad was a naturopath, and this meant that when as a child I asked for sweets and candy I would get f*cken dried fruit – and the DATE featured a lot as a ‘treat’ … bleugh. I’m definitely standing by my ‘childhood trauma’ statement. I am well aware of the irony that I now live life by the sweet, sweet sugar crystal and run a business dealing in sugary treats. Cake prep 30 mins Baking 30–40 mins Chilling 2 hours Makes 3 x 18cm round layers Serves approx. 18 (dessert-size serves) when decorated
1 recipe Salted Caramel (see
page 84), pre-prepared 260g pitted dates 2 tablespoons baking soda 500g plain flour
100g cornflour
425g soft brown sugar 35g baking powder 285g butter, at room
temperature
5 whole eggs
370g milk
50g canola oil
2 tablespoons date syrup 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
To decorate
1.5kg White Chocolate Ganache, 1:4 ratio (see page 84) 1 recipe Salted Caramel
(see page 84) 1 recipe Salted Caramel Ganache (see page 85), optional
Have you prepared your caramel? Come on, I did say ‘pre-prepared’?!
Preheat your oven to 170°C. Prepare three 18cm cake tins with cooking spray and line them with baking paper.
Chop your pitted dates, place them in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Sprinkle the baking soda over the dates and microwave in 2-min bursts until the water has been absorbed. Give it a stir – the dates should fall apart and be mushy.
If your dates are not this consistency, add more boiling water and repeat the microwaving step.
Set the date mush aside and continue with making the cake batter.
Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed to combine. Chop your butter into cubes, add it to the dry ingredients and keep mixing on low until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (including the date syrup but NOT THE DATE MUSH) until combined. Add two-thirds of the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high until thick and fluffy. This step is important for the finished product, so take your fluffiness seriously.
Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix well until combined and fluffy. Scoop the mixture evenly into the prepared tins (use scales to get them all the same).
Now for the date mush – divide evenly between each tin over the cake batter, then divide your PRE-PREPARED caramel evenly between each tin over the date mush and cake batter. Grab a spoon or stirring implement, and gently fold the date mush and caramel through the cake batter. Don’t overfold the cake batter. Look at the picture of this cake – when it’s cut open you can see the swirls of date mush and caramel through the baked cake AND DOESN’T IT LOOK EPICLY DELICIOUS? Not a traumatic date vibe in sight!
Now bake for 30-40 mins until the cakes are golden brown and a skewer or knitting needle poked into them comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 5-10 mins, then turn out onto cooling racks.
When the cakes are cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours (or overnight) – this will make them easier to trim and ice.
I have iced this cake with White Chocolate Ganache (with a little Salted Caramel mixed through it), and I’ve used Salted Caramel as a filling between the layers. The top is decorated with piped dollops of Salted Caramel Ganache around the edge, plus more Salted Caramel poured into the middle and spread with a spatula.
Spiced or Salted Caramel
Liquid gold, the nectar of the gods… sometimes I forget how divine this stuff is and then I’ll be making some and I’ll lick the spoon and my mind will blow all over again at the deliciousness! Make the spiced version too – trust me, it’s a game changer. Prep/mixing approx. 60 mins Makes approx. 400g
Basic caramel
225g caster sugar 120g cream 90g butter, cubed
For Spiced Caramel version
¼ teaspoon ground
cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground
nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground
ginger
½ teaspoon ground
cinnamon pinch of ground cloves ½ teaspoon good quality vanilla bean paste
For Salted Caramel version
2 teaspoons Marlborough sea salt flakes
Put a deep pot over a low heat. Sprinkle one-third of the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of the pot and let it start to melt, then add another third of the sugar, gently stir into the melted sugar and allow to melt again. Repeat with the remaining sugar and heat until it is completely liquid and starts to turn an amber colour. DO NOT LEAVE THE KITCHEN – it will burn in seconds.
While the sugar is caramelising, put the cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in your microwave for about 2 mins on high, or until hot. When the caramel is an amber colour and all the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat. While whisking, slowly add the cream to the caramel and keep whisking to combine – be very careful as it will bubble up like crazy and spit at you like a feral cat.
Whisk until the cream and caramel have combined nicely. If the sugar seizes slightly and you have chunks of gooey caramelised sugar in there, put the pot back over a low heat and keep whisking until it is all combined.
Take the pot off the heat, add the butter and stir with the whisk until it’s melted, then use an electric hand-held beater to beat the caramel until the butter has completely emulsified and the caramel is silky and smooth.
Up until here, the recipes are the same. Now, for Spiced Caramel add the spices and vanilla paste and stir through with a spoon. For Salted Caramel, sprinkle in the salt and stir through likewise.
Pour into a heatproof jar and allow to cool completely before using.
DO NOT scrape out the pot while it’s still hot and lick the spoon – you will get third-degree burns.
White Chocolate Ganache
This is of course my go-to icing – I can make my cake seamless and perfect without needing to cover it in the F word (fondant). Ganache is spreadable at room temperature, it is THE BEST for painting on, and did I mention how good it is for making shit sharp? Like totally sharp-as-shit. And just to be a mind-f*ck it makes an epic raw-textured edge too. Ganache, you are the real MVP.
Prep/mixing 30 mins setting 4 hours or overnight Makes approx. 1.5kg (for a 1:4 ratio)
300g cream
1200g chopped white compound chocolate
Heat the cream in a pot on your stovetop until it starts to bubble around the edges of the pot – try not to let it boil, as it will burn in seconds.
While the cream is heating, put your chocolate in a heatproof (and preferably microwave-safe) bowl.
When the cream is ready, remove it from the heat and pour it directly over the chocolate.
Allow it to rest for approx. 5 mins – this will allow the cream to melt the chocolate. Then use a spatula to stir it together until your ganache resembles a smooth, silky, luscious, chocolatey delight that you could just dive into.
Store the ganache in a bowl or an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to use it. Always cover it with plastic wrap pushed flat onto the top of the ganache, as this will stop a crusty, crystallised skin forming that can make the ganache taste gritty. I recommend allowing it to set for 4 hours at room temp or preferably overnight.
When it’s time to use the ganache, heat it gently in the microwave in bursts: 1 min then stir, 40 secs then stir, 20 secs then stir, then repeat the 20-sec bursts until the ganache is a spreadable consistency.
Salted Caramel Ganache
If your ganache is very oily or even separated when you combine the chocolate and hot caramel, THIS IS EASILY FIXED SO DON’T PANIC. Just splash in some cold cream (approx. 30ml) and combine completely. Prep/mixing approx. 60 mins Makes approx. 600g
225g caster sugar 120g cream 90g butter, cubed
2 teaspoons Marlborough sea salt flakes 230g chopped white chocolate
Put a deep pot over a low heat. Sprinkle one-third of the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of the pot and let it start to melt, then add another third of the sugar, gently stir into the melted sugar and allow to melt again. Repeat with the remaining sugar and heat until it is completely liquid and starts to turn an amber colour. DO NOT LEAVE THE KITCHEN – it will burn in seconds.
While the sugar is caramelising, put the cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in your microwave for about 2 mins on high, or until hot. When the caramel is an amber colour and all the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat. While whisking, slowly add the cream to the caramel and keep whisking to combine – be very careful, ’cause this will bubble up like a witch’s cauldron and it can spit.
Whisk until the cream and caramel have combined nicely. If you find that the caramel has slightly seized and there are chunks of gooey caramelised sugar in there, put the pot back over a low heat and keep whisking until it is all combined.
Off the heat, add the butter and stir with the whisk until it’s melted, then use an electric hand-held beater to beat the caramel until the butter has completely emulsified and the caramel is silky and smooth. Sprinkle in the salt and stir through with a spoon.
Transfer the hot salted caramel straight to the metal bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted. Add the white chocolate and beat on low speed until fully combined.
It may be common knowledge that reducing the amount of meat we consume is better for the planet, and also better for us, but sometimes with vegetarian food, flavour or texture can get sacrificed in the process.
Bean Supreme puts flavour first when creating recipes, because plant-based food can taste amazing when you start with quality ingredients and treat them with care like you would in your own kitchen at home.
At the forefront of Bean Supreme’s philosophy is providing Kiwis with choice. Bean Supreme makes tofu fresh every day from whole non-GMO soy beans, and has done for almost 40 years as the first NZ-made tofu sold to supermarkets nationwide.
The range has expanded over the years, but the products are designed with all types of foodies in mind – some cater to those who choose to eliminate all animal products from their diet, while other products are more suitable for vegetarians and flexitarians. There is no pressure to completely overhaul your way of eating – it’s about putting options on the table.
Bean Supreme has a strong focus on sourcing locally where possible, always sustainably, and never using palm oil. And giving back is right up there as a priority, with the brand providing monthly financial support to SPCA, offering schools and community groups low-cost fundraising sausages, and donating tofu for more than 20 years to the Otorohanga Kiwi House – did you know kiwi love to eat tofu?
So, if you’re looking to reduce the amount of meat in your diet, or you’re just after some more tasty options for your home meal menu, Bean Supreme has made it really easy to create delicious and convenient options to swap out some meaty meals each week. All you need to do is match Bean Supreme’s range to some of your favourite recipes – the Bean Supreme website has some intriguing twists on easy weekday dinner meals for you to try out on your friends and family.
New Bean Supreme Quinoa and Mushroom Burgers
Combining the superpowers of superfood quinoa with the delicious flavours of real mushrooms, black beans, kūmara, and borlotti beans, these wholefood burger patties are perfect for BBQs or a quick dinner. They’re high in protein and come with a 5 Health Star Rating. They also get a big tick when it comes to supporting local, as Bean Supreme’s partnership with Kiwi Quinoa means the quinoa used in the burgers is grown in New Zealand’s Central Plateau.
Meal ideas:
· BBQ Bunless Veggie Burger · Hemp Burger Wrap
· Bean Balls
New Bean Supreme Supremely Savoury Sausages
This entirely plant-based sausage is infused with delicious flavours such as paprika and parsley. They’re a great source of protein for the whole family and come with a 3.5 Health Star Rating.
Meal ideas:
· Veggie Sausage, Burnt Avocado and Chilli Pizza
· Vegetarian Hot Dogs
· Caramelised Onion Bangers and Mash
Bean Supreme’s range of plant-based food products can be found in supermarkets nationwide, $7.99. Find these recipes, and more, at beansupreme.com. @beansupremefood
New Bean Supreme Wholefood Mince
Arguably the most versatile type of ‘meat’ there is! Bean Supreme’s all-new plantbased mince gets a 4.5 Health Star Rating and is packed with goodness thanks to its wholefood ingredients: shiitake mushrooms, quinoa, puy lentils, buckwheat and chickpeas. The mince is also gluten-free and rich in protein.
Meal ideas:
· Wholefood Mince Loaded Kūmara
· Wholefood Mexican Mince
· Wholefood Mince Bolognese
· Wholefood Mexican Tacos