Chef Charné Sampson is renowned for her bold, spice-infused creations. Here, she generously shares her fundamentals of baking to demystify the process and inspire confidence, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned baker ready to elevate your game.

Charné’s journey into the culinary world began with baking for extra cash in high school. She says those early baking experiences piqued her interest in patisserie, and she tried various things.

“When I did my internships, I would try to see what the pastry sections were doing and learn little tricks. I think starting out baking in high school helped me gain the confidence to try different flavours and techniques, and to think somewhat out of the box,” says the chef.

 

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Baking fundamentals for beginners

For Charné, mastering the fundamentals of baking rests on three pillars. Her three non-negotiable rules for complete novices are:

1. Understand the instructions. “Read the recipe first and make sure you understand the method.”

2. Precision is key. “Weigh everything exactly as instructed. Baking is not like cooking where you don’t have to be precise.”

3. Get the temperature right. “Ensure ingredients are at the correct temperature and preheat your oven if necessary.”

For beginners often baffled by specifications and ingredients, Charné advises using the freshest, good-quality ingredients as they will affect the outcome of your recipe.

She also advises getting to know the kinds of ingredients you’ll be working with, such as the difference between bread flour and cake flour: “It’s important to know which flour to use when as it will affect the texture of your bake. If you aren’t sure about certain ingredients in a recipe, do some research to see what effect it’ll have on what you’re trying to make.”

3 things to know about your oven

Every oven is different and can be unpredictable. Here are Charné’s top tips for getting to know your oven:

1. Check your settings. Convection ovens have a fan setting allowing for fast, more even cooking, while conventional ovens do not have a fan, so cooking is slower and can be uneven.

2. Get your levels right. Check whether the top, middle or bottom are best to use for baking.

3. Check for hotspots: Test the temperature of your oven and whether some spots are hotter than others.

Testing for doneness? Charné recommends tried-and-tested methods as the best options – the toothpick test for cakes and, for bread, simply turning the loaf upside down, tapping it and listening for a hollow sound.

Advanced baking techniques to elevate your sweet creations

Ready to go beyond the basics? Charné offers insights into the advanced baking techniques that can make an ordinary recipe amazing.

"Something as simple as the look of the dessert and the plating can elevate a dish into something extraordinary." Charné recommends working with different textures and getting the balance of crunchy, creamy and acidic elements right. “Practice by trying different recipes and tasting them.” She adds that using dry ice or liquid nitrogen can also provide different textures to your desserts.

Spice 101 for bakers

While Charné frequently experiments with diverse flavours, she often leans on classic dessert spices such as cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom for their warmth, and uses bolder flavours more subtly for desserts.

She suggests incorporating spices including ginger, cardamom, or a chai spice blend into cakes if you’re intimidated by spice. “Start out by adding spices to your basic batter and, once baked, taste to see whether you’ll add more or less the next time to get the right balance.”

Your icing or ganache can also incorporate spices. Charné suggests a cold milk-and-spice infusion overnight for icing, or infused cream for ganache. “Strain to remove the spices before using the liquid to ensure you still get that smooth texture,” she advises.

Achieving her signature "waves" of flavour requires control. “The layers of flavour with dessert for me all start with the main ingredients I use for a particular dessert, for example banana, strawberries or blood orange.

“I then look at which spices will complement those ingredients and find the best ways to combine them to create a harmonious spice blend,” says Charné. She adds that spice doesn’t have to be in every element of the dish as you don’t want to overwhelm the palate. Creating a spiced mousse or marmalade is a subtle way to bring out flavours. “This way, you experience different layers and flavours with each bite of the dish.”

Ready to embark on your own delicious journey? Remember, even chef Charné started out making cupcakes! So, preheat that oven, measure precisely, and discover the profound joy of creating something truly special from your own kitchen.

Check out our cupcake recipe collection here.