Karla Goodwin founded popular Auckland bakery Bluebells 12 years ago. She talks to Alana Rae.
You learnt the tricks of the trade at Primrose Bakery in London. What was the main thing you took from that experience and applied to Bluebells?
I already knew how to bake and absolutely loved it, so it was probably the icing of the cupcakes and decorating. Primrose Bakery is a small business, or at least it was back then. For me, working there really opened my eyes to the ins and outs of running a business and it was something I wanted to bring back to Auckland. It’s funny – I think back to how motivated and determined I was. I never gave up on that dream. So many people that I spoke to thought I was absolutely crazy – the crazy cupcake lady! Even a family member when I told them said that it was never going to work.
And when you think back to 2014, cupcake bakeries were an untapped area in New Zealand.
There were a lot of similar bakeries in the UK when I was there – like Hummingbird and Primrose. I felt like we didn’t have that here. Whenever people say to me, “Cupcakes are so last year, they’ve had their time, they’re going to die out” – I just think about how, 12 years later, we’re still here.
You have such classic flavours and decorating styles – what’s the process like when you want to bring in something new?
We tend to stick to what we know and what we know sells. Obviously new trends come along. Right now, vintage cakes are quite popular, and it is a design that we were playing around with when we began Bluebells Cakery. It’s interesting how that’s come around again – that 70s style of decorating. But we try not to be too out of the ordinary. We like to stick to classic flavours with a bit of a twist. Red velvet was never a flavour I ever really wanted to do – it was popular in London but not for the Kiwi home baker, mostly because we didn’t grow up with that flavour. But it then ended up being the one that got asked about quite a lot when we introduced it.
What’s your earliest baking memory?
I remember always baking batches of biscuits on weekends and they wouldn’t last long. My dad would devour them. Also, peanut brownies – always from the Edmonds Cookery Book. The classic peanut brownies, classic chocolate chip. I always loved filling the biscuit tin. I was, weirdly, more into making biscuits, Russian fudge, coconut ice – I guess the cakes came later on.
Which baker inspires you the most?
I love Nigella Lawson. She has such an “anything goes” mentality and doesn’t skimp on any ingredients. I love watching her cooking shows; having it on in the background is quite soothing. I feel like there’s no cooking shows like it any more. Rachel Khoo as well – her book and TV show The Little Paris Kitchen are great.
Our banana cupcakes have always been a popular flavour. Wonderfully moist and light, and perfect for using up your ripened bananas. The cream cheese icing and the caramel sauce make a lovely combination, but the cupcakes also work well with a chocolate or passionfruit cream cheese icing.
Banana Cupcakes
- ¾ cup + 2½ tbsp (200g) caster sugar
- 2 free-range eggs
- 2⁄3 cup + 2 tbsp (200ml) canola oil
- 1½ cups (200g) + 1½ tbsp plain flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 brown, spotty, over-ripe bananas
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-bake). Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.
Measure the sugar, eggs and oil into a large bowl and whisk on high speed with a handheld electric mixer for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy in colour.
Sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl. In another bowl, mash the bananas until soft and free of lumps.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk until combined. Lastly, add the mashed banana and whisk until mixed through.
Divide the mixture between the cases, filling to at least two-thirds full.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean or they bounce back when lightly pressed.
Cool in the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
When cool, top with the vanilla cream cheese icing and drizzle caramel sauce over the top. Decorate as you choose.
These cupcakes will keep for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring them back to room temperature before serving.
Makes 12
Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing
- 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 175g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 425g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat the butter in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and free of lumps.
Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and well-incorporated.
Add the icing sugar in two batches, mixing well after each addition.
Add the vanilla and beat on high speed for a few minutes until the icing is light in colour and fluffy.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge; it will keep for up to a week.
Before using, bring it back to room temperature (if needed) and beat again until fluffy.
Makes 31/3 cups
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 450g caster sugar
- 180g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract
- 250ml full-fat cream
- sea salt to taste
Place the sugar in a shallow saucepan on a medium heat and stir every so often until the sugar starts to dissolve.
Once the sugar has completely dissolved, add the butter and vanilla extract and stir until melted. Make sure the sauce does not burn.
Take off the heat straight away and slowly pour in the cream while whisking. Add sea salt to your liking.
This sauce keeps for up to a month in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature before using as a drizzle or filling.
Makes 3 cups
Pistachio & Macadamia Shortbread
A simple shortbread recipe can be transformed in so many ways. I love the addition of the macadamias and pistachios in this recipe. The chocolate also adds a wonderful flavour, but feel free to leave out this step.
- 3 cups (375g) plain flour
- 1 cup (150g) icing sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (70g) finely chopped macadamia nuts
- ½ cup (70g) finely chopped pistachio nuts
- ½ tsp vanilla-bean paste
- 260g unsalted butter
- good-quality dark chocolate, melted for dipping (optional)
Sift the dry ingredients, the chopped macadamia nuts and half the chopped pistachio nuts into the bowl of a food processor. Add the vanilla and butter, and pulse until the dough forms a ball.
Form the dough into a square log shape. Place the remaining pistachios in a baking tray and roll the dough in the pistachios until covered.
Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, slice pieces of dough about 1cm thick and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake for 15 minutes until the edges start to turn golden, gently swapping the positions of the trays halfway through the baking time. You can dip these in melted dark chocolate and scatter with chopped pistachios if you prefer.
These biscuits will keep for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes 20
An edited extract from Bluebells Cakery Classics, by Karla Goodwin (Penguin, $50).
