Culture Through Cake

Queensland may be at the bottom of the world, but our cake skills span the globe.  At the International Cake Show we meet the car-sized cake maker Daniel Greensill - it took him 6 months working out of his garage.   Zumbo’s Just Desserts - internationally famous cake maker Adriano Zumbo speaks to us from his Noosaville kitchen, and talks about rebuilding after his company collapsed.   By Aletoso - Camilo Murcia — one of the world’s top ten travelling cake makers (based in Brisbane) teaches us some tips and tricks to icing the perfect cake.  

Through memory, tradition and celebration - cake can help you find home, no matter where you are. In this episode we speak to:   Aunty Dale from My Dilly Bag shares how First Nations people have made cakes for thousands of years.  Dimitria Athanasas and her daughter Sia share the meaning behind Koliva - an ancient traditional Greek funeral cake - after Dimitra made it for the Greek Orthodox Church in West End for 12 years.   We learn how to make a Puerto Rican staple from Frank’s mum Jackie, and the only other Puerto Rican we could find in Australia - Will Sanchez aka Chef from The Hood.  

Cake isn’t just fun and sprinkles; cake makes a difference. It's a light in dark times bringing people together when they need it most.    We speak to:  Liz Harfull - author of Tried, Tested and True, who researched over 1000 community cookbooks used for fundraising. Her book includes the very tasty Bert Hinkler recipe from the Bundaberg CWA cookbook - read more about Bert Hinkler on the State Library website.   Alison Alexander, co-author of A Generous Helping: Treasured Recipes from the People of Queensland - made in conjunction with the ABC, to share precious recipes after people lost everything in the 2011 floods.   Pearly Sprinkles - neurodivergent baker featured on Zumbo’s Just Desserts, who runs ‘mindful baking’ classes with children. If you’re struggling with your mental health, there’s always someone you can talk to at Beyond Blue, for eating disorder issues check out the Butterfly Foundation.  

Doing a lot with a little - how the people of Cherbourg fell in love with fried scones and damper, despite the harsh memories of living off rations. We find strength and pride in the community and family through shared food.   We meet some of the Aunties of the Many Threads sewing group (Shirley, Daisy, Janelle, Colleen) in the Domestic science building to learn about growing up in Cherbourg and how to make and eat fried scones and damper.  We follow Bronwyn on a tour of the boy's dormitory, learning about the realities for the people who were brought to the Cherbourg mission and how they were able to take back the mission and persevere.   We sit down with the Aunties for group lunch where they share personal stories of the realities and hardships they and their families have faced.  To take a tour of the Ration Shed Museum yourself, you can book it here. If you want to learn more about the history of Cherbourg, The Cherbourg Memory project has some fantastic resources.  

From Australia’s first female company director to the woman-led mill that produced a family dynasty and revolutionised baking with pre-mix recipes, to the mum of four becoming an international cake mogul - we look at how three women of Queensland have shaped and been shaped by cakes.   Kate Atkinson (nee Maclurcan) - great-granddaughter of Hannah Maclurcan, author of Mrs Maclurcan's Cookery Book: A Collection of Practical Recipes, Specifically Suitable for Australia (Townsville, 1898) and company director of the Wentworth Hotel, reflects on her life.   Ellen Morosini (nee O’Brien) - great-granddaughter of Ellen O’Brien, founder of Defiance Mill in Toowoomba, talks about how a widowed mother of ten ran the mill and created a dynasty.  Cassie Watene - Founder of Cas Cakery talks about starting an internationally successful business from Emerald, in regional Queensland.    Check out Kaitlyn’s sad version of a heart-shaped cake, versus Cas’ beautiful one and her classes here.  

Chances are if you're a Queenslander you're obsessed with pineapple, but how did the original foodie influencer get us to start putting pineapple in our cakes? Featuring: Aunty Dale Chapman of My Dilly Bag talks about growing up in Western Queensland, and her memories of upside-down pineapple cake. Ann and Anne of The Pineapple Princesses blog (inspired by Ruby Borrowdale, featuring over 1000 pineapple recipes) share their tips/tricks for cooking with pineapple. A living relative of Ruby Borrowdale (of Golden Circle’s Tropical Cookbook fame) talks about what it was like having her come to Christmas lunch. Kaitlyn Sawrey’s 99-year-old grandmother shares the secret recipe behind her pineapple pie.   __   Uncle Gary’s version of Grandma Dean’s Pineapple Pie  This makes two in an average dessert bowl    Ingredients:  Base  ½ cup of sugar  4 x dessert spoons of butter  Pinch of salt  1 x egg  5 ½ cups of flour    Filling/topping  2-4 cans of crushed pineapple (depending on how much you are making)  1-2 tablespoons  custard powder, and water to mix  Caster sugar (to taste, adding 1-2 tablespoons at a time)  Cream  Vanilla essence    Method:  Base  In a bowl, mix together the sugar, butter and salt.   Add an egg, then 5 ½ cups of flour, mix by hand until firm but soft.   Roll out base on floured surface, then transfer to pie dish.  Prick with a fork, and then bake in an oven at 250 degrees.    Filling/topping   Add the cans of crushed pineapple and caster sugar to a saucepan and cook on low heat.  In a separate cup, mix 1-2 tablespoons of custard powder with water. Stir until lump free.  Slowly add custard powder mixture to pineapple sauce. Take off heat and let cool.   Whip cream, adding  caster sugar to taste and a dash of vanilla essence.  Pour pineapple filling into baked base, then top with cream to serve. 

How the realities of the tropics changed how we cook and may have led to an Australian icon: the Lamington. Jacinta Sutton from the Collections Team at State Library of Queensland dives into the archives to find the characters who changed the way we cook. Featuring: Jacinta Sutton from the Collections Team at State Library of Queensland dives into the archives to find the characters who changed the way we cook. Alison Alexander, author, foodie and radio commentator shares her Great Aunt’s bushman’s brownie recipe and talks about the struggles of cooking 100 years ago. Emeritus Professor Maurice French, author of The Lamington Enigma: A Survey of the Evidence reveals who he thinks really invented the Lamington. Host Kaitlyn Sawrey makes the original Lamington recipe published in 1900.