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Hello!
Today’s Insiders is about simplicity and sweetness, and a cake to share (actually, lots of cakes!).
Even though it seems to have little to do with steam ovens, sharing is the key message this issue. Sometimes, when the world feels heavy and there are problems too big for any of us to solve alone, the simple act of cooking and sharing food brings joy and connection that’s sorely needed. If we can use our lovely appliances to help create those lovely moments, all the better for everyone.
Cake makes people happy, and I’m confident if you bake one of the recipes below to share with family or friends, you’ll be on the receiving end of more than one smile. If you’re lucky, you might even kick off a little movement, encouraging those around you to bake and share with their own communities. We could all do with more sharing, and arguably, more baking to bring extra light to our lives.
Happy steam oven cooking, see you in a couple of weeks.
Emily x
New to Cook
Plum and Cardamom Upside Down Cake
This soft, spiced upside down cake is topped with deep ruby-red plums that bake within the cake, turning into a glossy, jewel-like finish when it’s flipped over after baking. The recipe pairs sweet-tart fruit with warm cardamom, cinnamon and brown sugar for a cake that looks impressive and needs no decoration; ideal for dessert or afternoon tea.
If plums are out of season for you, pears are a fantastic alternative. They go equally well with the cardamom-heavy spicing and the soft crumb of the cake.
From the Archives:
Cakes with fruit are one of my favorite things to bake, and to eat! Here are a few others I’ve shared before…
This glorious apple crumb cake from an Insiders anniversary issue last year.
A very simple loaf cake with both raspberries and chocolate; this is a cake I make frequently (sometimes swapping out the fruit or chocolate for other inclusions). It stays moist for days and it’s brilliant for lunchboxes.
My favorite cake ever, and the first recipe I ever published on the blog, lemon ricotta cake. Many of you are already familiar with it but I never hesitate to share it when I get the chance!
And, finally, not quite a cake but definitely a special bake using fruit – apple tarte tatin. This is a true bistro classic and it’s a perfect showcase of what a steam oven can do. If you’ve never tried to bake one, and you think it’s too difficult, I urge you to give it a go! The alchemy of apples and caramel and flaky pastry is so special, and it’s not as complex as you might think.
A Thing I'm Loving
The thing I’m loving most this week is a social-media-viral recipe that I made for dinner here – it’s not for the steam oven, but I want to share it with you anyway because I know many of you will love it!
The recipe is for open faced wontons, made (extremely) popular by sweet father son cooking duo @saltnpiipa. Go and watch their video; the recipe quantities are in the comments section so you can make it yourself.
It’s such a simple idea; make wonton filling, smoosh onto flat wonton wrappers and then pan fry the resulting squares to make savory, crispy-edged wontons with zero wrapping, folding or pleating. Two of my kids were really taken by the video demo and helped me to make them, and every single one of us loved them so much that we made them again the very next night! It’s a rare dinner that universally excites kids and adults alike, but this definitely achieved it.
Ask Me Anything (AMA)
Our AMA format has changed in 2026, but I still want your questions! This is still your best way to ask me anything you like about steam oven cooking.
I’ll continue to answer some AMA questions via email, but my goal is to respond to more of them as articles on the Steam & Bake website. This makes the answers easier to search and refer back to if the same questions come up again. Whenever a new article is published in response to an AMA question, I’ll let you know here in our Insiders journals.
If you have a question, big or small, please email it to [email protected]. Be sure to include INSIDERS AMA in the subject line so I can easily collect and review all submissions.