For the May Daring Baker’s Challenge Marcellina from Marcellina in Cucina dared us to make Lamingtons. An Australian delicacy that is as tasty as it is elegant.
As per Marcellina, a Classic Lamington is a cube of vanilla sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and then coated with dessicated coconut. It is said that the cakes were named after Lord Lamington who was the Governor of Queensland, Australia from 1896 to 1901. One of the stories that came about was the one that tells of Lord Lamington’s maid-servant accidentally dropping a freshly baked sponge cake into some melted chocolate. Apparently Lord Lamington disliked wastage so he suggested coating the chocolate coated cake in desiccated coconut to avoid messy fingers. A true Australian delicacy - A simple sponge cake coated with chocolate icing and tossed with dessicated coconut. Ingredients Instructions Preheat oven to moderate 350°F. Prepare a 9”x 13”baking pan by lining with nonstick paper. In a stand mixer bowl place eggs, sugar and salt. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high for 15 minutes.While the eggs and sugar are beating sift the cornflour and baking powder at least 3 times. After 15 minutes add vanilla and beat on high for another 5 minutes. The mixture should have at least tripled in size, be light in color and very foamy. Sift flour mixture over the egg mixture. I like to use a whisk but you can also use a large metal spoon to lightly fold the flour in. Some people like to use a wooden spoon but I find it too heavy. Heavy handling now will result in a flat tough sponge. If you are using butter, thoroughly fold it in now but lightly. Spread mixture into your prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Some cooks at this stage drop the pan onto the bench top to even out the air bubbles! I have never had that much courage!
Bake in preheated moderate oven for 22-25 minutes. The sponge will rise quite a lot but then settle back down.
When baked the sponge will have shrunk very slightly from the sides and should feel springy when pressed gently.
Turn the sponge out immediately onto a wire rack to cool and reverse sponge so as not to mark the top. Allow to cool. It is best to keep the cake for a day before making the Lamingtons as the cake will be easier to handle.
Chocolate Icing
Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the butter and ½ cup milk. Set the bowl over a pan of hot water. Stir until icing is smooth adding more milk to thin the icing if needed. I find I need more than ½ cup but not quite ¾ cup of milk.
To assemble the Lamingtons:
Cut the sponge cake into 24 rectangular pieces 6 across and 4 down. To be particular you can trim the crusts.Keep the icing over the hot water to keep it melted. Place desiccated coconut in a shallow bowl.
Dip each piece into the chocolate icing, allow excess to drip off.
Toss gently into the coconut. Stand cakes on a wire rack to set, about 2 hours.
Few things to keep in mind - It is best to use day old sponge since the process of slicing the cake into rectangles, icing and rolling in desiccated coconut is much easier. Desiccated coconut is coconut meat that has been shredded or flaked and then dried to remove as much moisture as possible. Of all the forms of dried coconut this is generally the finest. Most commonly used as the coating on Lamingtons. Shredded coconut is similar to desiccated coconut but has a coarser texture. Use unsweetened desiccated coconut.
The sponge is a little difficult to master but the key is a light hand, accurate measuring, room temperature eggs, and knowing just how long to bake it. Oh, and don’t open the oven door to peak or your cake will flop.
Thanks Marcellina for a great challenge.
Enjoy!
Your Lamingtons look wonderful and I would say that you mastered that sponge..well done! Thank you for participating!
marcellina recently posted..Lamingtons - May 2015 Daring Bakers Challenge
Thanks Marcellina. I loved the recipe…thanks for hosting the challenge!
Your Lamingtons are beautiful! Better late than never, right? Your site is pretty! You’re quite the photographer. See you at the next challenge.
thank you so much Julianna:)