Lamingtons

Lamington's what can I say?  Such an Iconic Australian cake!  You have the plain lamington, the jam lamington, the cream and jam lamington and well all other versions.  I enjoy mine with jam and cream.

I have tried a number of different sponge recipes for this and wow some of them were just weird!

Sponge

4 eggs
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
2/3 cup (150g) cornflour
1/4 cup (30g) custard powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Icing

4 2/3 cups (750g) icing sugar mixture
1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder 20g soft butter 3/4 cup (180ml) milk

Dessicated coconut


Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced. Grease two deep 22cm square cake pans or a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan; lightly flour the pans with a little plain flour and shake out excess flour.

Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl with a mixer until thick and creamy, about 7 minutes.

 Sift dry ingredients together twice onto paper. Sift flour mixture a third time evenly over the surface of the egg mixture.

Using a balloon whisk or large metal spoon, quickly and lightly fold flour mixture through egg mixture until incorporated

Pour mixture evenly into the prepared pans, tilt the pans to spread mixture to the edge. Bake sponges in a moderately hot oven for about 20 minutes or until the sponges spring back when touched lightly in the centre remember not to open the oven during the cooking time or the cakes will deflate.  

Turn immediately onto wire racks, cool right way up, a tip to stop your cakes getting the marks from the cooling rack on it, place a folded tea towel on the wire rack before turning your cake out to cool.

Cut cake into even squares.  At this stage you can freeze the cake for later.

CHOCOLATE ICING: Meanwhile, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a large heatproof bowl; add the butter and milk; heat in microwave for 30 to 40 seconds and stir until icing is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Divide icing mixture into 2 small bowls.

In another bowl place coconut.

 

 



Set yourself up with a production line and start making a mess!  I used 2 forks to dip the cake in the chocolate then just tossed them in the coconut.  Place on a tray lined with baking paper and allow to set the icing.  In this heat is should only take about 20 minutes.

 

Once set and if there are any lamingtons left, you can split them and fill with jam and cream.