The sweet story of how a chance meeting led to Australia’s ‘old baby cake’ going viral on Chinese social media

When Paul Adam sees a long queue forming in front of his patisserie in the northern suburbs of Sydney, “That’s when I know I’m going to start working hard,” he says. In the weeks since one of his cakes went viral across several Chinese social media platforms, that has been nearly every day.The gluten-free hazelnut, meringue and chocolate mousse cake, with lorikeets stencilled in icing sugar on top, is, by Adam’s estimation, “only a cake” but it seems to mean much more to the customers queuing for it, some of whom have travelled from interstate, or overseas.The day Guardian Australia visited Du Plessy Pralin & ​Otello in West Pymble, Hong Kong resident Faye Chui told us trying the cake was one of the main reasons she chose to visit Sydney, alongside the Royal Easter Show.The cake’s popularity has surprised Max Li, the vlogger who made it famous

Gail’s to drop soya milk surcharge after campaign by Peta

The bakery chain Gail’s is to drop its soya milk surcharge after a campaign by a leading animal rights charity argued the fee “unfairly discriminated” against customers.Gail’s will offer free soya from 21 May, but will continue to charge between 40p and 60p if costumers want oat in their coffee or tea.With at least one in three Britons now drinking plant-based milks, the animal rights charity Peta welcomed the move to help customers make more ethical choices, but also called on Gail’s to drop its additional charge for oat milk.The charity’s vice-president of vegan corporate projects, Dawn Carr, said: “Charging more for plant milk leaves a bad taste in customers’ mouths, particularly when it is a choice they make for their health, to be kind to cows, or for the planet.“Peta celebrates Gail’s taking the first step in offering soya without the surcharge, but to spare cows from harm and reduce methane emissions, the oat-milk upcharge also has to be ground down

Cheap, reliable egg alternatives: what to use for whipping, baking and high-protein snacking

Australians gobbled down nearly 270 eggs per capita in the last financial year. But with more than 10% of the country’s laying flock culled in the last 12 months, an industry-wide move away from battery farming and rising consumer demand, prices are surging and supplies are tight – with some reports suggesting the shortfall could continue to 2028.Supermarkets Coles and Woolworths still have purchase limits on eggs, so for the egg-reliant times might feel tough – but vegans and those with allergies have long since developed a host of no-fuss alternatives. Here, they share their advice.Since the experiments of a French musician and an American software engineer gave the world aquafaba a decade ago, the unlikely substitute for the humble goog has become ubiquitous in vegan cuisine

How to make devilled eggs – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

The deliciously fussy-looking devilled egg and its pal, the vol-au-vent, were the ghosts of parties past for several decades before their triumphant revival as retro classics. Not only do these old-fashioned canapés look and taste great, but, as we’re belatedly remembering, the boiled egg, in particular, is a nutritional powerhouse far superior to a mere bowl of crisps. Make up to a day ahead, if necessary.Prep 15 min Cook 12 min Makes 84 eggs (see step 1)1 tsp softened butter 1 tsp mustard powder 3 tbsp mayonnaise, at room temperature (see step 8)¼ tsp flaky celery saltA generous shake of hot sauce ½ tsp white-wine vinegar (see step 6)Black pepper, to taste1 small bunch chives Cayenne pepper, to finishIf possible, make these with room-temperature eggs, stored on their side for as long as possible before cooking to centre the yolks and to make for a prettier finished dish. I prefer to buy mixed-sized boxes (large eggs can be painful for the hens; small and medium are kinder), but the timings here will work regardless

Australian supermarket dark chocolate taste test: ‘I feel like a refined, classy lady eating this’

One was ‘bold, confidently sour’, another ‘smelled like soy sauce’. Nicholas Jordan and friends blind test 17 blocks of plain dark chocolate to find the ones that raised the barMy chocolate obsession has been through many phases. The most ridiculous was the bean-to-bar period when, over three sleep-deprived days, I tried to fashion a chocolate bar using a large bowl, a hairdryer and a pair of blenders. It taught me it’s possible for home cooks to make chocolate that’s both delicious and interesting, but it’s absolutely not worth it.That brings me to my current phase, a stage of life that requires frequent chocolate purchases, sometimes in bulk and sometimes immediately

Dear chefs: what are the perfect sides for Easter lamb?

What are the best sides to pair with lamb at Easter? “Lamb has a deep, rich flavour; it’s distinctive, but it’s versatile, too,” say Jay Claus and Syrus Pickhaver of Rake at The Compton Arms in north London. “As long as you render the fat slowly and fully, so the flavour is released and the lamb is tender, you can take it in all sorts of directions.” Something “with good salinity”, be that gherkins or anchovies, is as good a start as any in their book, as is erring towards a “Greek vibe” for Anna Hedworth, author of Service (think “yoghurty, fresh or sharp things, such as tzatziki or salsa verde”). Happily, lamb also lends itself “beautifully to an abundance of fresh herbs, and to spring produce – asparagus, wild garlic, peas, fennel and globe artichokes,” adds Ben Allen, head chef at the Parakeet in north-west London. When it comes to specific sides, however, that all really depends on how you’re cooking the lamb