Lamington Cake
On both sides of the border here in North America, we have our national holidays; one is Canada Day (July 1st) and the other is Independence Day in the States (July 4th) as well as in Mexico (September 16th). The same applies across the globe 🌍 with other countries.
Tomorrow on January 26th, it’s Australia Day and for the occasion, I couldn’t resist showcasing one of their most popular desserts… Lamington Cake! Dipped in chocolate frosting and then coated with coconut flakes 🥥, these little sponge cake squares are so moist and delicious!
Just like Pavlova, another famous Aussie sweet, these tasty classic little guys have some history behind them. Somewhere around 1900, the recipe was published in a newspaper 📰 – originally, it was called Lady Lamington’s Chocolate Coconut Cake. It gained popularity and got shortened down to Lamington Cake.
Who created it?
It doesn’t matter which recipe it is, everyone wants ownership and that includes countries – how many times has someone approached me stating that a certain dish was not from that area but theirs… countless 🙄! One thing is certain, it was named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1896 – 1901.
I’m sure there are many variations of this treat and I’m no exception! Many like to halve the squares and then put jam in between. My version is simpler… I add orange juice and zest 🍊 to the batter. Trust me, these added ingredients make a delicious impact on the end results.
After the cake is baked and cooled off, it is cut into 1 ½ to 2-inch squares – you might want to use a ruler 📏. Many will also cut the outside edges to make it more even… I don’t because by the time the pieces are dipped in chocolate then tossed in coconut flakes, they will look perfect to me… and my tummy 😊!
To prevent them from falling apart when dipped in chocolate and coated in coconut, they’re transferred to the fridge to firm up. Some freeze them… I prefer chilling them for at least 3 hours 🕒. This little extra step will make the dipping/coating task easier without crumbling the squares.
Just before they come out from the fridge, we start the chocolate frosting in a bain-marie (double-boiler). I use a good quality cocoa powder and the brand is Hershey’s Cocoa Special Dark. To achieve a nice smooth consistency, it’s important to sift the cocoa powder as well as the confectioners’ sugar.
I totally forgot to add one step in the video… 🎥
As I was rushing to finish the editing, I skipped the part of the clip where I add pure vanilla extract to the chocolate frosting so here it goes… After stirring until the mixture is nice and smooth, add 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract and mix well. Remove the bain-marie from the heat and proceed with the dipping.
Lamington cake is not just a mouthwatering dessert, it’s also a culinary icon! It’s such a popular treat across the country, it has its own national day which falls on July 21st! With the addition of orange juice and zest, this is a delicious 😋 twist on an Australian favorite!
Bon Appétit! 🍽
Here are more scrumptious cake recipes for you to try… 🍰
– Blueberry Cake
– Creamy Cheesecake
– Chocolate Beet Cake
– Biscoff Icebox Cake
– Black Forest Cake
– Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
– Tropical Pineapple Upside Down Cake
and for even more dessert recipes 🍩🥧, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
Lamington Cake
Hover to scale
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature plus more to grease the cake pan
- 3 large free-range eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp. orange zest
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice tips & tricks
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted tips & tricks
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
TOPPING
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, or as needed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan. Place parchment paper large enough to have overhang on both sides and press down to coat. Flip the paper and press down to coat; set aside.
- In a bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar and butter. Using the paddle attachment, process on medium-high speed until blended.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition and cleaning the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add orange zest and vanilla; process until blended, about 45 seconds.
- Add half dry ingredients and half milk; process on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients, milk and orange juice; mix until just combined, cleaning the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and level it out using a spatula.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes before lifting the cake from the pan to a wire rack. Place another wire rack on top and quickly invert it. Gently peel off the parchment paper and discard it.
- Place wire rack again and reinvert the cake. Let it cool completely on a wire rack for 30 minutes before slicing into 1 ½ to 2-inch squares.
- Place the squares into a container and transfer to the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- In a bain-marie over medium-low heat, add butter pieces and melt it.
- Add sifted cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar; add milk. Stir until the mixture is smooth without lumps. Stir in vanilla extract and remove from the heat.
- Working with one square at a time, dip it in the chocolate. Using a couple forks, flip and toss it around until entirely coated.
- Let excess chocolate frosting drip off before transferring onto a wire rack sitting over a baking sheet
- After a few are done, coat them in shredded coconut flakes making sure they’re nicely covered. Place them back on the rack to dry while doing the others.
Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!
