They were “confused”: A home baker has become famous online for selling elaborate South American cakes in the Blue Mountains bushland, and we’ve got three more cakes to try.
Customers walk a kilometer through Blue Mountains bushland to join the queue outside House of Suns, a small bright yellow bakery that opens once a week and sells out within an hour.
The shelves fill up at 9 a.m. on Saturdays with delicious Latin American desserts by self-taught baker Romina Gardella, who opened House of Suns out of her family’s off-grid Springwood property in March.
Although the housewife had quietly dreamed of opening her own bakery one day, she never expected that the roadside stall, hand-built from old wooden pallets and relying on trust box purchases, would gain so much attention.
“At first we had a few people who were going for a walk in the woods, and they were surprised to find a piece of cake at this yellow stand in the middle of (Martin’s Lookout Trail),” Gardella said. “They were like, ‘Are they crazy.'”
A few weeks later, Gardella arrived to a long line of customers standing on the sidewalk.
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“I came to the booth at nine o’clock to prepare, and there was a line of people, and more people arrived when I was collecting, and it was amazing,” he said.
Word had spread on social media, and people were drawn to Gardella’s story. The mother of three moved from Chile to Australia 17 years ago and fell in love with a Blue Mountains man with a talent for African drumming.
For the past 10 years, they have raised their three young children, each with a name that refers to the sun. Gardella said House of Suns is named for them — a way to bring her family together as she pursues her own dream, and rediscovers herself after becoming a mother.
“I love to bake. I can’t stop thinking about what I’m going to learn next and that’s why I put something new on the menu every week,” Gardella said.
“It’s also a way to show where I came from and the tastes I grew up with.”
On some Saturdays you can find a stall with alfajora, shortbread biscuits with dulce de leche “a little like melt time”; panqueue, cake put something “like a pancake, but not a pancake” with orange curd; or torta amor, love cake. The latter sells better, said Gardella.
“It’s divine. It has layers of crisps, then vanilla custard like a crème patisserie, and whipped cream with raspberries.
“It’s all very Chilean: I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, I want to respect what I know.”
The flavors are new to many customers, but there is also a growing group of South Americans who drive from Sydney to enjoy a dessert they haven’t eaten in years.
“It was so special to have someone try a piece of cake and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I haven’t had that in 30 years,'” Gardella said.
There aren’t any plans to open a brick-and-mortar store yet, but for Gardella, his current success is enough.
“My heart feels so grateful for everyone who comes,” he said.
“Sometimes you think, can I really do this? Am I good enough? Will people come and eat my cakes? And then this happens, and it tells you, ‘Yes, you can.’
Three more roadside bakeries to try
Bakery Shed, Quakers Hill
Self-taught baker Marilyn Matic and her “master taste tester” husband Tony Matic opened their little pastel bakery in June, and it quickly became popular. Customers use the modern loyalty box to pay for their homemade sourdough bread, brownies and cookies via cash, QR code or PayPal. “It’s been a real conversation piece,” said Tony. “We have people traveling from the city to visit us.”
Open 8am Sat
Pye Road, Quakers Hill, instagram.com/thecookiestarsydney
Lily’s Local, Arcadia
Before there was Luca in Castle Hill, there was Lily’s Local in Arcadia. Former MasterChef contestant Larissa Dominello opened the delightful roadside bakery in 2023, taking inspiration from Tasmania’s Bruny Island Bakery. But what started as a way to build community “rose to levels I couldn’t reach”, with customers traveling to Newcastle for honey cakes, date puddings and black olive focaccia. After a short break to launch Luca and her husband Luke Dominello, Lily’s Zone is expected to open before the end of winter.
Open 8am Sun (check social media for reopening date)
Cobah Road, Arcadia, instagram.com/lilyslocal
Braeside Bakery, Blackheath
Young Blue Mountains resident Mylah Ashby set up her farmgate booth in August, featuring hand-built shelves, a trust box that accepts card payments, and a small outdoor area to rest after a long drive. Each week she stocks homemade bread and treats, including brown butter chocolate chip cookies, pear and ginger cake, and jars of lemon ginger marmalade.
Open 8am Sun
33 Braeside Avenue, Blackheath, instagram.com/braesidebakery
Bianca Hrovat – Bianca is Good Food’s Sydney dining and restaurant editor.
