Inspired by Lorraine and Claire, I attempted my first ever batch of lamingtons for Australia Day. They worked so well that I had to make a second batch the following day!
Named after Lord Lamington, former Governor of Queensland, lamingtons are an indisputably Australian cake, and the backbone of many a fundraiser as I was growing up.
Like Claire, I used an old Australian Women’s Weekly recipe, specifically one from the now out-of-print Cakes and Slices Cookbook. The recipe included the unusual step of adding melted butter and hot water to the sponge, resulting in a light cake, which absorbed the icing like..um..a sponge.
I substituted coconut thread for the dessicated coconut, much to the delight of both Big Boy and Pete, neither of whom are fans of the latter, and tinkered just a little with the methodology.
Sponge:
- 6 large (59g) eggs
- ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
- 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
- 1/3 cup (45g) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) hot water
- 15g (1 tablespoon) butter, melted
- coconut thread, or dessicated coconut, about 3 cups (250g)
Icing:
- 4 cups (500g) icing sugar mixture (confectioner’s sugar)
- 1/3 cup (40g) cocoa (I used dutched)
- 15g (1 tablespoon) butter, melted
- ½ cup (125ml) milk
1. Line a 23cm/9″ baking tin with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 175C/350F or 160C/320F with fan.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cornflour. In a cup, stir together the hot water and melted butter.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs together with an electric mixer until thick, then gradually add the sugar, beating well between each addition. The batter will be thick and frothy.
4. Carefully fold in the sifted flours, then quickly but gently fold in the hot water and butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 35 minutes.
5. Stand for five minutes in the tin, before removing to cool on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding.
6. Cut the cooled cake into 25 squares, trimming any rough edges as required.
7. In a large heatproof bowl, sift together the cocoa and icing sugar mixture. The original instructions are to then add the milk and butter, and stir the mixture over hot water until smooth. Instead, I heated the milk and butter in a microwave-proof cup, and gradually whisked it into the icing sugar and cocoa until smooth.
8. Using a fork, dip the cake squares into the liquid icing, then toss them in the coconut threads. Allow to set on a wire rack.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 