Natalie Paull once pointed a brûlée torch flame in the wrong direction – and accidentally set a whole docket rail of dessert orders on fire. She’s endured brownie explosions and baking disasters, too. But people rightly associate Natalie with oven-baked triumphs – like the brilliant sweets from her popular Beatrix bakery in Melbourne. Think passionfruit cloud chiffon cakes, Tart-A-Misu, Moroccan Snickers tarts, cinnamon-glazed apple fry pies (without the fryer’s remorse!) and more. Her sugar-laced cakes have a transformative power – even for people who’ve undergone heartbreak and tragedy. Natalie has received letters of appreciation that have made her cry.

Because Natalie is a big believer in “cake for breakfast”, we talk a lot about desserts – from the blockbuster “floating” cake she made for own wedding, to the four-hour spiced quinces from her Beatrix Bakes cookbook, which have the most surprising story behind them. She also recalls her days working with chef Greg Malouf (after his heart transplant), Maggie Beer, Cath Claringbold and more.

We also cover some of the “all-time favourite cakes” she’s ever eaten around the world, from Kanazawa to Barcelona and beyond (including the “most perfect bite of cheesecake” in Tokyo)!

You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or download it via RSS or directly (or just hit the ‘play’ button above)! You can also find it on Stitcher, Google Podcasts and other podcast players, too. Huge thanks to anyone who takes the time to write an ultra kind review about this show on Apple Podcasts, plus thanks to anyone who subscribes to this podcast and lets me know how much they enjoy listening to it. Including the person who went all the way to Vaner bakery in Tokyo after hearing me rave about it on this episode!

Photography by Bec Hudson & Emily Weaving from Beatrix Bakes by Natalie Paull.