On the weekend I gave one of my talks/workshops called Garden to Gourmet which is basically a talk going through the ins and outs of successful herb growing. I also delve into the word of some lesser know herbs and spices and a few bush tucker plants, Lemon Scented Myrtle being one of them.

Backhousia citriodora makes a wonderful native hedging plant

I had taken the time to bake a Lemon Scented Myrtle Butter Cake for everyone to taste during the tea break. Everyone enjoyed it so much that I promised to add to my website eat it Cooking with Claire section. ☺

So here it is!

Lemon Scented Myrtle Cake

Ingredients:

125g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
1½ cups plain flour sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder sifted
¼ teaspoon bicarb soda sifted
½ cup milk
4 fresh lemon scented myrtle leaves

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C. Grease 20cm cake tin round and line with baking paper and place 4 slightly torn lemon myrtle leaves on the bottom
2. Place butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and milk in a bowl and beat on a low speed with an electric mixer until combined.
3. Increase the speed to high and beat the mix until smooth
4. Spoon mixture into cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until cake tester popped into cake comes out clean.
5. Allow cooling in cake tin on a wire rack for 5 min and then turning out onto wire rack and allowing to cool.
6. Then dust with icing sugar and lemon scented myrtle leaves as a garnish on top.

If you are pressed for time you can take the lazy cooks route and just use a butter or vanilla cake packet mix.

Lemon Scented myrtle flower are very attractive to butterflies and bees due to their high nectar content.

Leaves contain the oil citral which is used not only in cooking but cosmetics, perfumes, cleaning products, soaps and much more

So what is this superstar bush tucker plant that everyone keeps raving about?

Backhousia citriodora ‘Lemon Scented Myrtle’ or ‘Lemon Ironwood’ as it is commonly known is a native rainforest tree/shrub. Growing when in the rainforest anywhere up to 12m plus, but in the backyard in full sun position probably more like 4-6m.

The ‘Lemon Scented Myrtle’ likes a semi-shade to sunny location with soil that is rich in organic matter and they will look their best when receiving regular watering/rainfall. Once established, they will tolerate extended periods of drought.

The beautiful cream powder puff flowers appear in summer and are a bee magnet. The Backhousia can be hedged,  made into a specimen small tree or even be kept happily in a pot.