Winter baking: The Caker Jordan Rondel's guide to winter desserts

If the weather over the last few days is anything to go by, winter is well and truly here in Aotearoa. While denim shorts have been relegated to the back of the closet and Frosé is sadly out of season, mulled wine, apple crumbles, cosy evenings and chunky knits are making a welcome return. 

There's something about whipping up a delicious dessert in a cosy, candlelit kitchen while the rain lashes at the windows that is truly poetic - of course, in my household, the poetry would be interspersed with several profanities and batter splattered all over the floor. 

But there's really no better time than the turn of the season to get creative in the kitchen with fresh seasonal produce. Apples, mandarins, lemons, navel oranges, pears, rhubarb and sharp, tangy tamarillos are among the delicious fruits currently available, all of which pair beautifully with the rich and warming flavours of winter - think spices, brown sugar, dark chocolate and butterscotch.

And if anyone knows a thing or two about baking, it's Jordan Rondel, the cognoscente behind cult favourite Auckland bakery and cake shop, The Caker. She gave Newshub some insight into the world of winter baking, including a few of her favourite seasonal treats and what's currently trending on the likes of #FoodTok. She also shared a handful of her own recipes with Newshub if you're in need of some inspiration - so let's satisfy that sweet tooth.

First off the bat, we all know banana bread was the best thing since, well, sliced bread during the pandemic. On TikTok we've also seen sweet-treat trends from Dalgona coffee to custard toast. What do you think the latest trends are in baking at the moment, or what have you been seeing a lot of on the scene?

Lately I've been seeing a lot of cakes, which are intensely decorated with a million different components - think multiple colours and shapes of piped icings, butterflies, flowers, leaves, pearls and sprinkles and glitter, all at once. 

While it's really visually striking, I'm not sure how good the eating experience would be with all that icing and the decorations - which are there more for aesthetics than taste.

With winter well and truly underway, it's a great time to get creative in the kitchen and bake some delicious treats. What are some of your favourite baking recipes for the colder winter months and why?

In winter I particularly love warm desserts with a cold accompaniment like ice cream or mascarpone. My all-time favourite is crumble - in winter I like to use pears and/or apples. 

Another favourite for winter is my banana cocoa breakfast loaf because it's pure yet wholesome comfort, served alongside a hot cup of coffee on a cold morning.

I also love to bake with all kinds of citrus while they're at their prime: my triple citrus cake recipe calls for tangelo, lime and pink grapefruit.

Recipe: Triple Citrus Cake

Serves 12

For the cake

• 200g butter, softened
• 200g caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g ground almonds 
• 50g all-purpose white flour 
• Pinch sea salt
• Zest and juice of one lime
• Zest and juice of one tangelo 
• Zest and juice of half a pink grapefruit.

For the cream cheese icing

• 150g butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 100g cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract.

For the decorations

• Zest and a slice of one lime
• Zest and a slice of one tangelo 
• Zest and a slice of half a pink grapefruit.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-bake. Line a 22cm / 9-inch cake tin with baking paper.
2. To make the cake, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla.
3. Gradually fold in the ground almonds, flour and salt, taking care not to over-mix. Finally, fold through the 3 types of citrus zest and juice.
4. Spoon the batter into the cake tin and spread out to the sides.
5. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. The cake is ready when golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
7. Meanwhile, make the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter by itself until smooth. Add the icing sugar and beat on high until seriously light and fluffy. Gradually add the cream cheese, followed by the vanilla. The icing should be smooth, creamy and thick. 
8. Once the cake is fully cool, ice it however you like, and then decorate with a scattering of the citrus zests and a slice of each.
9. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

What are some of your favourite flavours and flavour combinations for winter baking?

Winter makes me think of spices, brown sugar, dark chocolate, all kinds of citrus as well as pears and apples, mulled wine, cream and caramel. 

For newbie bakers hoping to fine-tune their skills, what recipe would you suggest as a good starting point this winter?

My number one tip is always that it's super important to invest in a good stand mixer because common steps, like creaming butter and sugar, need to be done well for a long time in order to get air into your batter.

In my opinion Kenwood machines are the best on the market, and will be the thing that takes your baking from good to amazing.

My chai latte cake is a great winter recipe to practice with - not too much can go wrong with this recipe!

Recipe: Chai Latte Cake with Condensed Milk

For the cake

• 1/2 cup whole milk
  
• 2 chai tea bags
• 150g butter, softened
• 150g (4.4oz) brown sugar
• 3 free range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g (6.2oz) plain or spelt flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.

For the glaze

• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• Pinch sea salt
• 120g (4.2oz) icing sugar.

For the decorations

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Dried rose petals (optional).

Instructions

1. Place the milk in a small saucepan with the chai tea bags. Brew, stirring occasionally, until just before the milk starts to simmer. Remove from the heat, cool completely to room temperature, then remove the tea bags. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F on fan bake. Line a 22cm / 9-inch diameter cake tin with baking paper.
   
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
5. Gradually fold in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, spices and pepper, and mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix. Finally, fold through the chai-infused milk.
6. Pour the batter into the tin and spread out to the sides.
7. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
9. Meanwhile, make the condensed milk glaze. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, condensed milk and salt. Sift in the icing sugar while it’s still beating, and stop once smooth.
10. Once the cake is completely cool, top it neatly with the glaze and dust with cinnamon and a scattering of dried rose petals, if using.
11. Serve at room temperature. Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to three days.

Describe your perfect cosy winter night-in - what treats would there be and what would you be whipping up in the kitchen?

For me it involves a lovely glass of red wine, which I sip on while I bake a batch of my white chocolate, date and hazelnut cookies.

Music will be playing, an imaginary fire will be lit, while an, also, imaginary bubble bath is running (I have neither a fireplace nor a bathtub, but one can dream, right?)

Recipe: White Chocolate, Date and Hazelnut Cookies

Makes 12 cookies

For the cookies

• 100g roasted hazelnuts
• 100g butter, softened
• 30g soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 100g spelt or regular flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp allspice
• generous pinch sea salt
• 50g pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 50g good quality white chocolate buttons.

Instructions

1. Roughly chop 25g of the hazelnuts, and put the remaining 75g in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground, but be careful it doesn't become butter!
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and maple syrup until smooth.
3. Add in the ground hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, allspice and salt.
4. By hand, fold in the chopped dates, chopped hazelnuts and white chocolate. The dough should hold together when pressed.
5. Preheat the oven to 180C fan bake. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
6. Form the dough into a log (about 6cm wide) and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
7. Unwrap the cookie log and cut into 1cm rounds. Place the cookies on the baking tray, 3cm apart.
8. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden.
9. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.