Emelia Jackson’s Baking Journey: From MasterChef to Foolproof Cakes
Emelia Jackson, the MasterChef contestant who once conquered choux pastry, has a new story to tell. While she still takes great care in perfecting her baking techniques—especially when it comes to the delicate Genoise sponge—her latest cookbook, You Had Me at Cake, focuses on simpler, more approachable recipes. She jokes that her baking is now “devolving,” but this shift is not a step back—it’s a strategic move towards creating bakes that are accessible to everyone.
The book represents a departure from complex recipes, instead offering a collection of classic desserts refined with technical precision. This balance ensures that even novice bakers can achieve impressive results without the frustration often associated with intricate techniques.
Jackson explains that the process of creating the book was challenging. “It was difficult to rein myself in and create a book that would appeal to everyone,” she says. The result is a celebration of timeless recipes like cafe-worthy banana cake and a simple apple cake, each made foolproof through careful attention to detail.
One standout recipe from the book is the no-bake cheesecake, which uses molten white chocolate instead of gelatine to ensure a smooth texture without the risk of lumps. The addition of whipped cream gives it a light, airy mouthfeel, making it a perfect summer treat. Jackson suggests serving it with strawberries and passionfruit, but for autumn, she recommends pairing it with slow-roasted quinces or bruleed mandarin slices.
Another highlight is the mini lemon thyme polenta cakes, a zesty twist on the classic pound cake. These little cakes are packed with flavor, thanks to the use of lemon thyme and fresh lemon zest. They are baked in a silicone mould and finished with a lemon glaze, adding a touch of elegance to each bite.
Strawberry Passionfruit Cheesecake
This no-bake cheesecake is a crowd-pleaser, combining the richness of cream cheese with the sweetness of white chocolate. The base is made from crushed ginger nut biscuits and melted butter, pressed firmly into a spring-form tin. The filling consists of cream cheese, caster sugar, vanilla bean paste, and lemon zest, blended with melted white chocolate. For a lighter version, whipped cream can be stirred in before setting.
Ingredients
– 2 × 250g punnets strawberries, quartered, to serve
– Base: 150g gingernut biscuits (or your favourite), 80g unsalted butter, melted
– Cheesecake filling: 500g cream cheese, at room temperature, 100g caster sugar, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, grated zest of 1 lemon, 300g white chocolate, melted and cooled, 500ml thickened cream, 3-4 passionfruit
Method
– Line the base of a 20cm spring-form cake tin with baking paper.
– Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor or rolling pin. Mix with melted butter and press into the tin. Chill while preparing the filling.
– Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth. Add the white chocolate and mix well.
– Pour the mixture into the tin and chill until set.
Makes
1 x 20cm cake
Mini Lemon Thyme Polenta Cakes
These little cakes are a playful take on the traditional pound cake, featuring rounded measurements in the ingredients list. The addition of lemon thyme adds a unique herbal note, while the lemon glaze provides a final touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
– Oil spray, for greasing
– 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 200g caster sugar
– 4 eggs, at room temperature
– 150g polenta
– 190g plain flour
– 2½ tsp baking powder
– 1 tbsp lemon thyme leaves, picked
– Grated zest of 2 lemons
– Lemon thyme flowers, to garnish
– Rind of 1 lemon, peeled into thin strips, to garnish
– Lemon glaze: 150g icing sugar, juice of 1 lemon
Method
– Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Spray an 8-cavity round 5.5cm silicone mould with oil.
– Beat the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.
– Add the polenta, flour, and baking powder, then mix until just combined. Stir in the lemon thyme and zest.
– Pour the batter into the moulds, filling them three-quarters full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
– Cool the cakes in the moulds for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
– For the glaze, mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to create a thick consistency. Spread over each cake and garnish with lemon thyme flowers and a twist of peel.
– Let the cakes sit for 30 minutes to allow the glaze to crystallise before serving.
Makes
18
This is an edited extract from You Had Me at Cake by Emelia Jackson. Published by Murdoch Books. Photographs by Armelle Habib. RRP $39.99.
