Chocolate Fudge Cake with Caramelised Figs and Bee Pollen Cream

We served this gorgeous chocolate fudge cake as part of secret garden party we hosted last year. The cake signalled the climactic moment of an intimate event – a perfect afternoon spent welcoming Spring and revelling in the verdant surrounds of a secluded garden in the Dandenong Ranges. Whilst there are not too many cakes we don’t like, this one would have to top our list for the most perfectly decadent and good-looking! Thanks to chefs Lucy Whitlow and Ella Ruxton for sharing this recipe with us at a time when the therapeutic benefits of baking are especially appreciated.

Ingredient List 

• 250g dark chocolate (70%)

• 175g butter

• 300g caster sugar

• 8 eggs

• 300ml pouring cream

• 25g cocoa powder

• 3 ripe figs

• 100g icing sugar

• 50g bee pollen

• 100g mascarpone

• 100ml whipped cream

• Squeeze of lemon juice

• Caster sugar for caramelising figs bee pollen for decorating

Method

For the cake

Set your oven to 150 degrees celsius.
Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place butter and chocolate in a large bowl, then place the bowl over a pot of boiling water.

Once melted, stir together and set aside to cool a little.
Whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric beater until pale and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, stir together a small amount of the egg mixture and sifted cocoa powder, to remove any lumps.

Add this cocoa mix back into the egg mix.
Pour one third of the chocolate mix into the egg mix and gently stir.
Repeat until all of the chocolate mix is combined.
Lastly, pour in your cream, stir to combine.
Bake for forty mins and then check, it may need ten minutes more.

It is a very wet cake in general, but should still have a nice even wobble and your knife should come out clean. Under baked it is still delish though so no need to worry!

For the bee pollen cream

Blitz together the icing sugar and bee pollen to make a powder.

If you don’t have anything to blitz with, try crushing the bee pollen up into a powder. Whisk together the mascarpone and bee pollen sugar you have just made. Season with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

Lastly, fold through whipped cream.

 For the caramelised figs

Heat a dry, non-stick pan on low.
Cut your figs in half, dip the cut side of the fig into a bowl of caster sugar.

Place the cut, sugared side of the fig down in the hot pan, allow a moment for the sugar to start melting. Once it is melting, keep moving the figs around in the pan to caramelise the sugar evenly. Taking them to a dark golden brown will add a nice note of acidity to the cake.

When your cake is cold, dollop your cream on top with a large spoon, letting it fall naturally. Then place your caramelised figs on top, the juices will bleed into the cream for a nice effect. Lastly, sprinkle with some more bee pollen. And ta da! 

Thank you to Lucy Whitlow and Ella Ruxton for sharing this recipe.

Photography, Marie-Luise Skibbe

Five Minutes With Marie-Luise Skibbe

There are so many things we miss about life pre-lockdown, and taking our table to some truly spectacular places and meeting new people would have to top that list! We first met talented Melbourne photographer, Marie-Luise Skibbe, at an intimate dinner curated for In Bed Store. Shortly afterwards, we launched our 2019 pop-up dining project, Summer Series. We invited Marie-Luise to join us for the first event in the series, a long-table lunch against a backdrop of floating flowers and giant ferns in Emerald, Victoria. We were thrilled to welcome Marie-Luise to our table and to have her so beautifully capture the magic of that day. Whilst we have taken an obligatory break from our long-table dinners, we have stayed closely connected to our community and the people who make the work we do possible. We recently (prior to Melbourne lockdown v.2!), chatted to Marie-Luise to see what has changed for her over the past few months, and what she was feeling hopeful about.   

What has been the most significant change you’ve experienced since isolation? How are you feeling about it all? 

Initially, my entire schedule of work and photoshoots being totally wiped from my calendar within the space of a couple of days. I know so many people can relate to the shock of it and the stages of grief we collectively went through. Despite, thankfully (!), being able to work again here and there, I have been feeling a slower pace about everything. I guess that’s normal when there are less deadlines, but I’m enjoying not rushing between a hundred different things.

What do your work days look like? 

I’m so lucky that in my profession, my days are really varied. That’s what I love the most about it. The high-intensity shoot days, followed by editing, admin and catching up on everything else it takes to run a business. Quiet days are a good combination for me. Right now, it’s much the same, just less shooting. Running a small business, I still have long task lists and less new work coming in means I can spend that time working on bigger tasks I’ve let slide. That doesn’t happen every day, though. It’s only recently that I’ve felt like my energy to do all that has come back. I’ve been working on my new website and branding and a shop, which I’m so excited to launch soon. 

We’re obsessed with good morning and night routines at the moment! Any advice to share? 

To be completely honest, anything of a routine I may have had pre-Covid went out the window pretty quick. What has really helped me to feel in the moment and take back some control is implementing little rituals throughout the day that act as markers. It feels much looser and more joyful than a routine but some include aiming to get up around the same time each day and begin the process of making the morning cups of coffee. Going for long walks while chatting to my mum or friends on the phone in the afternoon. In the evenings, we started lighting candles when we sit down for dinner because it makes the dining table feel more special than the dumping station/pseudo desk situation. Reading before bed.

What’s helping you to stay inspired?

 Reading books and spending as much time as possible outdoors in nature. It’s so therapeutic and all the more important right now.

What do you feel hopeful about?

Everyone getting excited about what our new normal will look like. We’re so fortunate in Australia to already be able to see family and friends and leave the cities for a bit. I feel hopeful that work will pick up for me and that we’ve all secretly fallen for this slower pace of life. It would be nice to carry that into the future!

Five Minutes With Melanie Stapleton

Melanie Stapleton is the Director of revered Melbourne floral studio, Cecilia Fox. Mel is also a much-loved mentor in our training program, Many Hands, and a strong advocate for the work we do supporting young women from refugee backgrounds to enter the workforce. The Many Hands training program provides young women who are experiencing various barriers to employment, with the opportunity to work with and learn from the industry’s best. Cecilia Fox’s floristry workshops are a firm favourite among participants. The team generously share their love for their craft, and Mel is a formidable creative talent, and inspiring role model for students. We recently caught up with Mel to chat about how Covid-19 has impacted Cecilia Fox, and her outlook for the future.

What has been the most significant change you’ve experienced since isolation?

In terms of our business, EVERYTHING has changed. We are currently 95% closed and looking at a Spring reopening and renewed Cecilia Fox. Our whole lives have been turned upside-down and as we slowly return to 'normal' I'm consciously looking at what parts of 'normal' I want to return to.  

How are you feeling about it all?

I've been through a huge gamut of emotions over this whole period. everything from grief to elation, to adept to demotivated and beyond!

What do your workdays look like?

Because we have had to for the most part close our doors, 'work' has taken on a whole new meaning and I must admit home life has been agreeing with me. I had been trying to home school my seven-year-old and manage a four-year-old, and be a good person. It was very, very challenging. Now, they are both back at kindergarten and school, so my head is somewhat clearer. 

We’re obsessed with good morning and night routines at the moment! Any advice
to share?

Generally, I'm not really one for routines, however, over the last fortnight or so I've been getting up at 6am, doing a short yoga practice and a meditation, and getting school lunches in order and the kitchen clean before I turn on the heating and wake the kids up. I'm a morning person so it makes sense for me. Night times I inevitably fall asleep fully clothed while reading in bed or reading my kids to sleep. 

What’s helping you to stay inspired?

To be honest it's pretty tough to stay inspired right now. The seasons and being immersed in them always gives me so much energy. The natural world, love, friends all help me to stay motivated.

What do you feel hopeful about?

I feel really hopeful for a slower world, one where we care less about things and more about people and our planet.

Five Minutes With Wintana Eyob

Last week we checked in with one of our Many Hands graduates, Wintana Eyob. Wintana was a participant in our Spring 2019 program. A genuine all-rounder and pleasure to work alongside, we were thrilled to have her join us post-graduation to work a number of events last Summer. More recently, Wintana has taken up a role as an administration assistant at Inclusive Australia, which she currently fits in around her final year of a commerce degree at Monash. An eternal optimist with an impressive drive and a calm demeanour, we were eager to see how Wintana had managed during the upheaval of the past few months, and how she was feeling about the days ahead.

Photography: Gold and Grit

What has been the most significant change you’ve experienced since isolation? How are you feeling about it all?

The most significant change since isolation is spending more time with family. Before isolation, the only time I spent with my family was probably during dinner, and sometimes, I would even go for days without having to have ample time to catch-up with my family. This isolation made a big change and now I see my family when I am working and studying online, I eat every meal with them, and see them during every break, which I am grateful for.

What do your work days look like?

I wake up at around 7am, and I try to read something or watch something in bed until 9am. Then I grab a glass of water and get to work. As I am living with my family, somebody will call me later for breakfast and then lunch in the middle of work. I have never enjoyed cooking, so that is a great relief! My work schedule is similar to before, the main difference is that all the meetings are now held online. Zoom calls & phone calls are the main changes. I finish at 5pm, have a little break and then continue studying, either working on an assignment or watching a lecture. If I am too tired, I will just grab a non-academic book to wind up for the day. I love reading books, so there is always a pile of “to read” books waiting, in my bedroom, car, bag just to read whenever I get free time.

We’re obsessed with good morning and night routines at the moment! Any advice to share? 

Morning for me is planning something that gets me out of bed, even though I want to stay in bed! This can be watching lectures or reading a book. I like to plan it early enough to force me out of bed and start my day. Otherwise, I might stay in my bed all day long! Night-time, I do what I love, something that I really enjoy, I usually love to read books in my bed before I sleep. Read a word and meditate on it.

What’s helping you to stay inspired?

Well it is hard to mention just one thing, but if I have to, I will say family. Nothing can compare to my relationship with my family and friends. In good and bad times, they are always there.

What do you feel hopeful about?

I feel hopeful knowing that there is a future for those who trust, believe and wait patiently. What kind of future? Well, I don’t know, but certainly a bright one. No matter how the world trembles and shakes, there is an undeniably bright future for those who are persistent and wait patiently. How you define a bright future, depends on what you set your eyes on and look forward to.

Five Minutes With Florence Burns

Florence Burns is one of a number of exceptional women involved in our paid hospitality training program, Many Hands. The program supports young women from refugee backgrounds who are facing barriers to employment, and is run in partnership with local creatives and industry professionals who share their skills and experience with participants.

In a very short time, Florence has managed to carve out an impressive career in the hospitality industry, most recently, working in management positions at both Cutler & Co and Cumulus Inc. Florence supports Many Hands through workshops, in which she shares her wine knowledge with our program participants, and also as a front-of-house coordinator at our public events.

Last week, we checked in with Florence to see what life changes she has experienced under social isolation, and how her recent sea change is going. With her customary candour and thoughtfulness, Florence shared her tips for staying sane and inspired during lock down, and her hopes for a brighter future.       

What has been the most significant change you’ve experienced since isolation? How are you feeling about it all?

The pandemic has been a catalyst of change in my life I never would have anticipated, not that any of us were exactly expecting it. From being stood down in my job (working in restaurant management) to moving out of Melbourne, and for the first time in a long time, having time to step back and reflect - without the stress of emails, a running to-do list, and the pressure to always being going.

At the beginning of this time I was grappling with what a lot of people were (still are) - the surreal anxiety towards the unknown. That feeling of “will my industry survive/ friends and I get our jobs back/ loved ones get sick”. Although this feeling is still omnipresent throughout a lot of my decision-making and goal planning, I have found an immense amount of solace in accepting that going slow, not doing things, not getting that to-do list finished, and picking up new hobbies is okay. The construction of a new reality is now, to be honest, pretty damn exciting!!

What do your days look like?

Most days are different, routine has never been my strong suit, especially in work when my start time could range from 6:30am to 5pm, and finish anytime up to 2am. I have little goals as to what I want to be grateful for at the end of each day, so I can be as flexible as possible. Being down by the beach means I am normally up getting a coffee and then running, then coming back to listen to a podcast, cooking breakfast and checking in on bits and pieces of life admin. 

I am in the process of launching a new start-up which has been in the pipeline for over a year, and the shutdown of my venue meant I finally have time to have fun with it. In the afternoons I tend to get a call from family with a meeting point and time where we can run the dogs on the beach. This has been my favourite thing, I am living by myself so it would be pretty damn lonely otherwise.

The day wraps up generally with some more admin, a whole lot of cooking, watching the news, and curling up on the couch with a glass of wine.

We’re obsessed with good morning and night routines at the moment! Any advice to share?

AM= coffee!!! 8am meditation with Aspace (the studio is running online sessions every morning during the pandemic, ranging from “Classic Mediations” to groove therapy, then as much nourishing food as possible.

PM= screens off, face and body hydrated, lavender oil in a diffuser by my bed and a good book (absolutely obsessing over the villanelle series, which is what the equally amazing Killing Eve TV series is based on).

What’s helping you to stay inspired?

My family, especially my grandparents! They are in their 90s, and still sharp as lightning, so whenever I am feeling lonely, anxious or scattered, they always have some amazing wisdom to share. Also getting out in nature, I found myself becoming obsessed with news, Instagram, anything with a screen, which was causing everything to become more scattered. Dedicated time where I can step out of the “tech world” to go foraging for mushrooms, hiking, or just get some dirt on me has kept me sane(ish). My time spent going on little adventures has provoked ideas about future goals I never would have thought of.

What do you feel hopeful about?

That we will learn through this isolation the beauty of human interaction, empathy and compassion, far beyond what we ever appreciated before this! I hope we come together as we have in this crisis, to address a lot of other issues in our global, national and regional communities. So many beautiful things transform through crisis, which to me brings a lot of excitement, but I am optimistic we can stick on a positive pathway forward.

Five Minutes With Stina Evjan

Stina Evjan is a photographer with a little bit of magic. One look at her photos and you can see she has a unique way of looking at the world and an incredible talent for capturing the most meaningful in-between moments that nobody else seems to notice.  On a personal level, Stina has both an ineffable charm and an infectious enthusiasm for what she does, and it is perhaps this combination that enables her to make absolutely anyone feel at ease in front of her lens. She is a true visual artist and also one of the nicest people you could ever met.

We chatted to Stina earlier this week as part of a new “Five Minutes With” series we thought we’d share with you! We’ve been checking in regularly with many of the women who we work with and who support our training program and broader social mission. It has helped us stay inspired and feel connected during this challenging time, and we thought it might do the same for you.

Hi Stina, what has been the most significant change you’ve experienced since isolation? How are you feeling about it all?

The most obvious one is that weeks go by without me picking up a camera, when normally I am out shooting multiple times a week. But the biggest impact has probably been the slower pace of life. It is like time has stretched out. It took a while, but I am actually starting to enjoy that. 

What do your work days look like?

I wake up at 8am, make myself breakfast and get myself ready to “go to work” by 9.30am. Yes, I am one of those that will put makeup on even though I’m just at home! I have three slots of work in the day, one before lunch and two after. Between them I have set times for creative outlets: knitting, reading or clay work. In the evenings I go for a run and then make dinner with the husband and watch Masterchef. Then rinse, repeat.

We’re obsessed with good morning and night routines at the moment! Any advice to share?

Just find one that works for you. I am not a morning person so I have created a routine that allows me to be super lazy then. I sleep late, stay in bed for up to an hour after I wake up, and lets me slowly get ready after. Easing into the day gives me such a better mindset! My husband on the other hand is usually up two hours before me to work out and do meditation and that works for him.

What’s helping you to stay inspired?

Other people! Staying connected to friends and colleagues have been super important to me. Recently I have also started doing weekly accountability catch ups with a friend who is also a photographer. These have really given me motivation and energy to finish things.

What do you feel hopeful about?

I’m actually feeling quite hopeful about the future. People are being deprived of so many elements of life right now and yes, things will absolutely be hard for a lot of people. But when we’re at the other end of it I foresee a lot of excitement, celebration and love. I’ve always been a bit of an organiser/dreamer at heart. I have found it really helpful to start making plans for future dinner parties, celebrations and trips, even though they’re far into the future, so that I can cram my life full of people again as soon as it’s possible.

Basque Cheesecake

Late last summer, we signalled the end of one of our most beautiful events to date, with wine top-ups and generous slices of this notorious cheesecake. The dessert received such unanimous praise from guests – and a lot of, “it’s burnt, but SO yum?!” – that we thought it fitting to kick off this series with the recipe.

Basque cheesecake was created and made famous by Santiago Rivera, owner of La Viña, in San Sebastian. Though almost three decades old, its big moment came in 2019, when lovers of cheesecake the world over, embraced this Basque adaptation, revelling in its simplicity, gooey inside, and possibly the allure of being able to bake and intentionally burn!

The sweet, creamy core is perfectly contrasted by the deep caramel burnt top, we chose to add seasonal fruit, but it is just as delicious without.   

Basque Cheesecake 

Ingredient List

1kg Cream Cheese

7 Medium Eggs

400g Sugar

500ml Cream

1Tbsp Flour

————————————

Method

Preheat oven to 230°C, ensuring both top and bottom heating elements are turned on.

Break eggs into a large bowl and beat well.

Using a stick mixer, blend the cream cheese with eggs, until well combined.

Using a wooden spoon, fold in the remaining ingredients, beginning with the sugar, followed by the cream, and lastly, the flour. Ensure each ingredient is mixed well before adding the next.

Finish by blending with a stick mixer for 30 seconds, creating a smooth consistency.   

Line a springform pan with parchment paper so that the paper peeks over a couple inches above the rim of the pan as the cake will rise. 

Pour the mix into the pan and bake in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes.

The cake is ready when it has risen, is well burnt on top, and is still quite wobbly.

The aim is to burn the top without overcooking the inside. Slightly runny is perfect in Basque Cuisine.

It will fall and firm up slightly as it cools. Look online for videos explaining the “single vs double wobble”, this will help you find the perfect wobble point for your Basque Burnt Cheesecake!

Thank you to Simon Borghesi for sharing this recipe.

Photography, Gold and Grit.