Pineapple pudding cake with salted tamarind caramel

Helen Goh's upside-down pineapple cake draws on memories of her childhood in Malaysia, embracing the mix of sweet, tangy, salty and acidic flavours often found in the country's food. Wonderful served with cream on the side.

Pineapple pudding cake with salted tamarind caramel. Credit: Murdoch Books / Laura Edwards

• serves

  6-8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Tamarind caramel layer

• 50 g unsalted butter
• 100 g soft dark brown sugar
• 60 g liquid tamarind concentrate (see Note)
• ½ tsp flaky sea salt

Cake batter

• 160 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 50 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150 g caster sugar
• finely grated zest of 2 limes
• 1½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted, then finely ground (optional)
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white, both at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 ml pure (double) cream, plus extra to serve
• 1 small pineapple, about 1 kg

Cooling time: at least 30 minutes.

Instructions

1. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round cake tin (at least 5 cm deep) without a removable base (see Note) with baking paper.
2. Slice and discard the top and bottom of the pineapple, then stand it on one of the ends. Following the contours of the pineapple, remove the peel by slicing it off, from top to bottom, then quarter the pineapple lengthways. Cut away the hard central core and remove the ‘black eyes’ by slicing deep V-cuts on either side of them. You should now have 4 long pieces, weighing approximately 600 g altogether. Slice each piece thinly from the short side into small fan-shaped pieces (about 5 mm) and place in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the caramel.
3. For the caramel, combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the butter and sugar have melted and the mixture just begins to simmer. Add the tamarind concentrate and stir until combined, then allow it to come back to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt. Carefully scrape the caramel into the prepared cake tin, then place the pineapple slices on top, overlapping them well so there are no gaps. When the entire base is covered, overlap a second layer of pineapple slices, then set the pan aside while you prepare the cake batter.
4. Preheat the oven to 175˚C fan-forced (or 195˚C in a conventional oven). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl.
5. Place the butter, sugar, lime zest and fennel seeds (if using) in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium–high speed for 2 minutes. The mixture will be somewhat lighter, but not exactly fluffy at this stage because of the relatively small amount of butter.
6. Add the egg, egg white and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, until fully combined. Reduce the speed to low and add about one-third of the dry sifted ingredients, followed by half the cream. Mix for a few seconds to combine, then add another third of the flour and the remaining cream. Finally, incorporate the rest of the flour and mix on low speed until the batter is smooth.
7. Scrape the batter carefully on top of the pineapple and smooth with a small spatula to form an even top. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit undisturbed on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes for the caramel to settle before inverting it onto a serving plate. Serve with cream on the side.

 

Note

• The combination of pineapple, salt and tamarind was part of my childhood in Malaysia. In fruit salads and the famous Penang laksa, the mix of sweet, tangy, salty and acidic is so vibrant and distinctive that for me it is almost synonymous with the country of my birth and, more importantly, its incredible range of foods and flavours. Naturally, then, I wanted to recreate it in a cake. The choice of an upside-down cake was obvious when thinking about pineapple, and adding tamarind to the caramel felt like an exciting addition to the flaky sea salt we all know and love. I have to say this is a triumphant clash of flavours, with the cake, tender and not too rich, providing just the right base to carry it all.
• Tamarind concentrate comes in different forms, from thick and dense to thin and watery. For this recipe, choose the Thai liquid tamarind concentrate – it is milder, sweeter and smoother in texture than the Indian style, which tends to be strongly tangy, earthy and chunkier, more suitable for curries and chutneys.
• Use a cake tin that doesn’t have a removable base so the caramel doesn’t seep out.

Image and recipe from Baking and the Meaning of Life by Helen Goh, photography by Laura Edwards (Murdoch Books RRP $55.00).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.