“I try to look at the analogy and the symbolism of various ingredients when I create something new,” says , owner and baker of Sydney's .
A good example of this is a cake called Lucky, named after the son of chef , known for her Cantonese-Australian restaurants.
Ingram first had the idea for the dessert in early 2022, but didn't get to present the cake to Kwong until September. It turned out to be a significant time – it was the 10th anniversary of Lucky passing away.
For this cake, Ingram decided to use fruits that are considered lucky in Chinese culture, such as pomelo and tangerine.
“I tried to incorporate all those flavours into something meaningful, first and foremost. And then after that, the textures come.”
Nadine Ingram had planned to make the Lucky cake for months. When she finally did, her timing was incredibly significant. Source: Alan Benson
Different textures were created from layers of macadamia 'Rocher', tutti frutti curd, lemon delicious pudding, kumquat and tangerine compote. Finally, calendula petals were added, for healing.
“Lucky is now the inspiration for Kylie’s restaurant called , and the work she continues to do within her community. I believe when you go in there, you can feel his energy. When the light finds its way through the cracks, it can reveal hidden blessings. I wanted to make a cake to celebrate that.”
Ingram offered the Lucky cake at Flour and Stone during September, followed by a creation inspired by the passing of the next month. The baker wants to continue these baking tributes next year.
Ingram says that her life as a baker was her destiny.
Yes, please: Nadine Ingram's chocolate, raspberry and buttermilk cake. Source: Alan Benson
“I think it's only been as I've been getting older that I've realised baking's been a way for me to express who I am. And I didn't realise that when I was younger.”
It all began when Ingram went to London in 1993. She’d already done an apprenticeship as a chef for four years by the time she arrived.
“I’d always been put in the pastry section, because that was where the girls got put. And when I went to London, they were trying me out in the main part of the kitchen, and they could see pretty quickly that I wasn’t up to speed,” says Ingram.
“They asked me, ‘Did you apply for a position in the pastry, or in the main kitchen?’ And I said, ‘Oh, it doesn’t really matter where you stick me. I just want to be here.’ And then I got put back in the pastry section again.”
When the light finds its way through the cracks, it can reveal hidden blessings. I wanted to make a cake to celebrate that.
For those who are new to baking like she once was, Ingram has some wise words.
“Don't be so worried about it not turning out the first time. I know that's not necessarily very encouraging, but I think it's important after you've had a fail and you're disheartened, to go back and try that recipe again.”
“I've had 30 years' experience and things still don't work out, for whatever reason. I find that astonishing, when people say, 'Oh, I tried this recipe and it didn't work,' and they've never tried it again.”
“It takes time to build a relationship with a cake, with a recipe. Have the patience to be able to understand that you might not get it right the first time, but try again, and open your intuition. Be in sync with your intuition, and trust your gut.”
Flour and Stone's Nadine Ingram. Source: Petrina Tinslay
If you trust your gut enough, you'll eventually develop a sense of taste and know what you like to make.
“I really like to make cakes that feel and look as though they belong in nature. I always reference that when I'm in the kitchen now, when I'm teaching people how to assemble a cake and what to put on it.”
"If you saw that cake in nature, what would it look like?" she asks her students. "It wouldn't have copious amounts of drizzle over the top. I just try to keep everything really, really natural, as if you could stumble across these cakes in nature.”
Ingram attributes this respect for nature to her upbringing in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
The baker tries to keep her cakes as natural-looking as possible.
“It was about remaining very humble, and not being too flashy. And trying to stay true to yourself, and not putting on all these pretenses and airs and graces.”
“I really feel like I bake that way. I try to keep everything very authentic. I’m always questioning providence, where the ingredients come from, in the same way that I question where I come from. I try to remain true to that.”
Making meaning from the past and finding symbolism in ingredients are two things that have come with time, experience, and reflection.
“I think when you're in the first half of your life, you're kind of on autopilot. You're building your career, and you're learning. I’m coming into the second half of my life now, and I'm trying to figure out the path that I've taken, why I took it, what might be next, and what part the cake has played in that.”
“I think the cake has given me my connection to people, and it's identified my service to people as being a guardian, that I'm there for guidance and encouragement. And wisdom, to a certain extent. That's what baking's given to me.”
'The Mostest' is an SBS Food column that sees comedian and food enthusiast Jennifer Wong be your guide. Read as she goes searching to uncover who we are as cooks, who we are as eaters and what we enjoy most. Expect history, incredible tips, must-make recipes and anecdotes all surrounded by food. Love the story? Follow the author here: Twitter , Facebook , Instagram .
