Celebrate: Rosella & Lemon Myrtle Bar Cakes

The festive season is upon us, so we’ve partnered with our good friends at Lighthouse Baking to bring you a selection of delicious cakes using native ingredients that are perfect for celebrations of all sizes! Our Rosella & Lemon Myrtle Bars pack a lot of punch into a small package – take yours to the park for a festive picnic, or when dropping over to the neighbours for Christmas drinks. Each bite is a mouthful of comfort and joy!

Cake

150ml rice bran oil

3/4 cup raw caster sugar

2 tsp chia seeds soaked in 1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup apple puree

2 cups Lighthouse Premium All Purpose
Self Raising Flour

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

15g lemon myrtle powder

1 level tsp ground nutmeg

lemon myrtle leaves, to decorate

Syrup

12 rosella flowers, washed with the seed
pods removed

1 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup water

50mls lemon juice

pinch of salt

Icing

175g butter, softened

270g icing sugar mixture, sifted

125g cream cheese, softened at room temperature

(for a vegan option, use dairy-free alternatives)

Method

Preheat oven to 180C (or 170C fan forced). Lightly oil and flour 6 mini loaf tins.

Place the oil, sugar, apple puree and soy milk-soaked chia seeds into a mixing bowl. Sift in the flour and bicarb soda, and add the ground lemon myrtle and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins. Place on a large baking tray and cook for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

For the syrup, place sugar and water into a small saucepan and mix well together until sugar is dissolved. Place saucepan on stove at high heat and bring to the boil, simmering continuously for 15 minutes. Take pan off the heat and carefully add the lemon juice, watching out for splatters. Add the rosella flowers two at a time to the syrup, stirring gently to just coat. Remove each rosella and arrange on baking paper, right side up, so they’ll keep their shape as they cool. 

For the icing, combine butter, sifted icing sugar and softened cream cheese in a bowl and whip with an electric mixer on high for approximately 10 minutes until smooth. 

Decorate each cake with a dollop of frosting, drizzle with the syrup and add a rosella flower and a lemon myrtle leaf.

RECIPE: NAOMI ZAVACKAS, STYLING: LYNDEL MILLER, PHOTOGRAPHY: MINDI COOK. CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH LIGHTHOUSE BAKING.