6-Ingredient Lamington Wreath

Step 1: Place frozen strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, crushing strawberries with a wooden spoon, for 10 minutes or until sugar has dissolved and then bring to the boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until mixture is syrupy.

Step 2: Remove from heat and strain syrup mixture through a fine sieve into a jug and discard solids.

Step 3: Wash and dry pan and then return syrup to pan and stir in vanilla bean paste and bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 12 minutes or until slightly thickened and now remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Step 4: Using an electric mixer, beat cream and remaining sugar until just-firm peaks form. and then add 1/3 cup strawberry syrup to cream and fold through to create a rippled effect.

Step 5: Carefully spoon cream mixture into a large snap-lock bag. Snip 2cm off one corner and pipe a 23 cm ring on a flat serving plate to form the base (this ring will secure the lamingtons to the plate).

Step 6: Pipe a little cream mixture onto 1 face of 1 lamington and place lamington on its side on cream ring to start assembling the wreath and pipe a little more cream onto 1 face of the next lamington and place in front of lamington on plate and sandwich together and then repeat process with remaining lamingtons and cream mixture to form the wreath.

Step 7: Reserve 12 fresh strawberries and hull and finely dice remaining strawberries.

Step 8: Cut 3 of the reserved strawberries in half and top wreath with the whole, halved and diced strawberries. Spoon over remaining syrup mixture and serve immediately.

Step 9: NOTES - use frozen strawberries so this can be made all year round and remain affordable and it also saves time as you don’t need to hull them or you can use fresh strawberries instead but will need to hull them.

Step 10: There are 18 lamington fingers in a packet, available from the supermarket (therefore you will need to buy 2 packets and 10 fingers left over).