My husband absolutely adores these little butter cake bricks that have been soaked in dark chocolate rolled in coconut flakes, and slathered with generous lashings of jam and cream. They’re not as difficult as they may seem – yes it’s messy, but it’s a great way to get your kids baking, especially if they love nothing more than getting their hands dirty!
I’ve used a vanilla butter cake as the basis of this lamington recipe. This denser and more textured variation provides a stronger structural integrity that won’t easily crumble when dipped in the rich chocolate ganache. I love the cool relief the whipped cream brings as a mellowing contrast against the intense dark chocolate. The layer of tart jam also brings another dimension to the party, which I think lifts the already glorious lamington to even greater heights. However, don’t be obliged to fill them with jam and cream – sometimes simple is best.
This recipe makes 24 lamington squares or 12 cream and jam lamington sandwiches
For the vanilla butter cake base
125g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour, sifted 3 times
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
Chocolate ganache coating
30g cocoa
50mL milk
200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
175ml water that’s just come off the boil
200g icing sugar
200g desiccated or shredded coconut
Cream and jam for lamington sandwiches (optional)
300ml thickened cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
½ cup jam
Method
Part 1: Vanilla butter cake
Grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington tray, lining the base with baking paper. Preheat oven to 175°C.
In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter until pale, then slowly add the castor sugar, beating well after each addition. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Fold sifted flour into creamed mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour, being careful not to overbeat the batter.
Pour into the prepared tin, smoothing the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing into 5cm squares.
Part 2: Icing the lamingtons
For the chocolate ganache.coating, combine the cocoa and milk in a bowl, and whisk until smooth. Add the hot water and whisk until combined. Then add the finely chopped chocolate and whisk briskly until all the chocolate has melted. Finally, add the icing sugar and vigorously whisk to smooth out any lumps.
Next to the bowl of chocolate, place a shallow bowl filled with the shredded or desiccated coconut (this will become a bit of a processing line as you dip in chocolate and roll in coconut).
Starting with one square, dip it into the chocolate, and gently toss it around a few times in the mixture to make sure all sides are thoroughly coated.
Using two forks, fish out the square, letting the excess chocolate run off into the bowl.
Place the chocolate square in the bowl of shredded coconut, and using two clean forks, toss some coconut over the square to cover it, patting the coconut down gently. Lightly lift up the square with the forks and roll it around in the coconut a few more times, continuing to pat down the coconut into any bald spots. Lift onto a wire rack to set. Repeat this process with remaining squares and leave them for an hour to set.
These lamingtons will keep for up to 3 days, but are best eaten the day after they are made, once the chocolate has had time to steep and set. However if you use the optional jam and cream, store for up to 2 days (if you can resist).
Part 3: Assembling the cream and jam lamington sandwiches
Using electric beaters, whip the cream until thick and soft peaks are formed. Spoon or pipe cream onto twelve of the lamingtons.
Spoon the jam onto the remaining twelve lamingtons (warm jam in the microwave in 30 second blasts if the jam is too thick), then sandwich the two halves together. Voila!
