Pineapple pudding cake with salted tamarind caramel recipe

Cooling time: no less than half-hour.

Instructions

1. Line the bottom and sides of a 20 cm spherical cake tin (no less than 5 cm deep) with no detachable base (see Note) with baking paper.
2. Slice and discard the highest and backside of the pineapple, then stand it on one of many ends. Following the contours of the pineapple, take away the peel by slicing it off, from prime to backside, then quarter the pineapple lengthways. Cut away the arduous central core and take away the ‘black eyes’ by slicing deep V-cuts on both aspect of them. You ought to now have 4 lengthy items, weighing roughly 600 g altogether. Slice each bit thinly from the brief aspect into small fan-shaped items (about 5 mm) and place in a bowl. Set apart when you put together the caramel.
3. For the caramel, mix the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium warmth. Stir till the butter and sugar have melted and the combination simply begins to simmer. Add the tamarind focus and stir till mixed, then permit it to return again to a simmer. Remove the pan from the warmth and stir within the salt. Carefully scrape the caramel into the ready cake tin, then place the pineapple slices on prime, overlapping them nicely so there aren’t any gaps. When the complete base is roofed, overlap a second layer of pineapple slices, then set the pan apart when you put together the cake batter.
4. Preheat the oven to 175˚C fan-forced (or 195˚C in a traditional oven). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt right into a small bowl.
5. Place the butter, sugar, lime zest and fennel seeds (if utilizing) within the bowl of an electrical mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium–excessive pace for two minutes. The combination will probably be considerably lighter, however not precisely fluffy at this stage due to the comparatively small quantity of butter.
6. Add the egg, egg white and vanilla and beat on medium pace for about 1 minute, till absolutely mixed. Reduce the pace to low and add about one-third of the dry sifted elements, adopted by half the cream. Mix for a number of seconds to mix, then add one other third of the flour and the remaining cream. Finally, incorporate the remainder of the flour and blend on low pace till the batter is clean.
7. Scrape the batter fastidiously on prime of the pineapple and clean with a small spatula to kind an excellent prime. Bake for about 50 minutes, or till the cake is flippantly golden on prime and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clear.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit undisturbed on a wire rack for no less than half-hour for the caramel to settle earlier than inverting it onto a serving plate. Serve with cream on the aspect.

Note

• The mixture of pineapple, salt and tamarind was a part of my childhood in Malaysia. In fruit salads and the well-known Penang laksa, the combination of candy, tangy, salty and acidic is so vibrant and distinctive that for me it’s virtually synonymous with the nation of my start and, extra importantly, its unbelievable vary of meals and flavours. Naturally, then, I needed to recreate it in a cake. The alternative of an upside-down cake was apparent when serious about pineapple, and including tamarind to the caramel felt like an thrilling addition to the flaky sea salt everyone knows and love. I’ve to say it is a triumphant conflict of flavours, with the cake, tender and never too wealthy, offering simply the fitting base to hold all of it.
• Tamarind focus is available in totally different types, from thick and dense to skinny and watery. For this recipe, select the Thai liquid tamarind focus – it’s milder, sweeter and smoother in texture than the Indian model, which tends to be strongly tangy, earthy and chunkier, extra appropriate for curries and chutneys.
• Use a cake tin that doesn’t have a detachable base so the caramel doesn’t seep out.