The ultimate Australian dessert: Edible wreaths made from LAMINGTONS are the latest festive food trend to sweep the nation
- Australians are shunning tradition to get creative in the kitchen this Christmas
- Bakers are making edible wreaths out of homegrown favourite lamington cakes
- The festive dessert can be made in six steps with six ingredients costing just $27
- Pavlova, trifle and pudding are traditional Christmas Day desserts Down Under
Australians are getting creative in the kitchen this Christmas, shunning traditional favourites like pavlova and trifle in favour of making edible wreaths from the nation’s most iconic cake: the lamington.
Beloved across the country, a lamington is a classic Australian cake made from squares of sponge coated in a layer of chocolate sauce and desiccated coconut.
Lamington lovers are rejoicing after photos of the wreath were posted in a household group on Facebook, showing bakers how to make their own version using individual cake fingers, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
The festive creation has been hailed as the ultimate Australian alternative to overly indulgent desserts, with many planning to use the wreath as a centre piece on Christmas Day – and you can make your own with six simple ingredients for just $27.
Australians are shunning traditional desserts like pavlova and trifle in favour of edible wreaths made from lamingtons this Christmas, which can be made with six simple ingredients for $27
To build the wreath, bakers will need at least four packets of lamingtons, one tub of thickened cream, a punnet of fresh strawberries and one large bag of frozen strawberries, along with kitchen staples caster sugar and vanilla extract.
Cook the frozen strawberries and half a cup of sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring until the mixture has become thick and syrupy.
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve before returning to the pan and adding a drop of vanilla essence. Simmer the mixture until thickened and set aside to cool.
Beating the cream and remaining sugar with an electric mixer, slowly add one third of the cooled syrup, folding to create a rippled pink-and-white effect.
The festive creation has been hailed as the ultimate Australian alternative to overly indulgent desserts, with many planning to use the wreath as a centre piece on Christmas Day
Carefully spoon the cream mixture into a large snap-lock bag and pipe a large ring onto a flat serving plate to outline the base of the wreath.
To assemble, pipe the cream onto one side of each lamington, sticking the fingers onto the base ring in an upright position to form a circle.
Once the wreath has been completed, decorate with whole fresh strawberries, drizzling any remaining syrup on top to finish.
The DIY dessert received widespread praise on social media, racking up thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, with many branding it better than traditional home favourite, pavlova.
The easy DIY dessert received widespread praise on social media, with many branding it better than traditional home favourite pavlova
Many said they would make the wreath instead of rich desserts which often go to waste after sumptuous Christmas lunches
‘What a super smart, quick and simple idea! Looks very pretty as well, thank you for sharing,’ one woman said.
Others said they would make the wreath instead of rich desserts which often go to waste after sumptuous Christmas lunches.
‘I actually think I will make this on Christmas Day instead of dessert – after eating the main meal I have found most people don’t really want dessert the last few years. This is a great alternative!’ said one woman.