Lemon Myrtle & Macadamia Dessert Cake

Spice up your next dinner party with some Australian native cooking

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup castor sugar
2 tsp lemon myrtle syrup
4 eggs, separated
1 cup flour
1 cup fine semolina
4 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
2 cups coarsely ground macadamias
whipped cream / fresh lemon myrtle leaves for serving

Syrup

2 cups water
2 cups castor sugar
2 handfuls of fresh lemon myrtle leaves

Method

Cream butter and sugar with lemon myrtle spice until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks beating well. Sift flour, semolina and baking powder twice.
Fold into creamed mixture alternating with milk.
Add macadamias mixing gently.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter using a metal spoon.
Do not over mix.
Pour into greased 33x 23 cm tray.
Bake in moderate oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until cooked.

Syrup

Add sugar and water to saucepan and stir until sugar has dissolved and mixture has boiled.
Take off heat and add fresh leaves making sure leaves are well immersed in syrup.
Leave to cool completely. This should be done prior to making cake.
While cake is cooking remove leaves from cold syrup and return to heat.
Gently boil syrup until it is reduced by half and nicely thickened.

To serve

Cake maybe slightly warm or cold. Place cake on plate and pour syrup (either warm or cold) generously over it add whipped cream and leaves to garnish.