Lamington Layer Cake
After making 120 little Lamington squares for ANZAC Day, I didn’t manage to eat one. My friends Carla and Maria were also saying that the Lamingtons disappeared too quickly, so it was then that I decided maybe I should make us all one big layered Lamington cake! I actually doubled the recipe to make 4 little cakes that each have a diameter of 23cm. Although I really wanted a high 4 tier cake, (for photographic purposes) I think this cake is probably better as a single dose, divided between the two round tins. (And that is how I have written the recipe). Should you wish to make traditional Lamingtons, you can add a single dose to a 20cm x 30cm cake pan, and cut it into squares once the cake has cooled. Sometimes it is best to make lamingtons the day after you have made the sponge cake, but this recipe seems to work well the day the sponge is made (which was what I did on ANZAC Day).
Lamington Layer Cake
- For the Cake
- 4 Eggs
- 200g Caster Sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200g Plain Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 110g Butter, melted and cooled
- For the Icing
- 75g Butter
- 250ml Milk
- 65g dark cocoa powder
- 435g Icing Sugar
- To Assemble
- 1 large bag dessicated coconut (500g)
- 400ml freshly whipped cream
- Raspberry Jam
- Preheat Oven to 180°C. Grease and flour cake tins.
- Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy.
- Sift the Flour and Baking Powder together over egg and sugar mixture, gently combining all ingredients. (you can do this by hand or put mixer on low.
- Add melted butter, a little at a time, and continue mixing on low – medium until completely combined. Pour mixture, dividing in half between the two cake tins.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Turn cakes onto a wire rack to cool.
Preparaion of Icing
- Melt butter in a large saucepan, and then add milk. Turn off heat. Using a whisk, add sifted cocoa, and stir/whisk until completely combined.
- Pour into a large bowl, and add the icing sugar a cup at a time, whisking until completely combined without lumps.
- Put coconut on a large plate.
- Holding the cake, spoon the icing over to cover, and then lay on coconut and ensure coconut coats the cake evenly. I tried doing this by dipping the whole cake into the icing too…. Whatever method you choose, be prepared for it to be messy! Place cakes on the cake cooling rack to drain any excess icing.
- Whip fresh cream. Fill the cake layers with raspberry jam and cream, and place in refrigerator until ready to eat. (Remove cake 20-30 min before serving so cake isn’t too cold).
If you wish to make traditional Lamington squares, use two forks to dip the cake into the chocolate icing, drain off any excess and then roll cake in the coconut until evenly coated. Place Lamington squares on cake cooling rack to drain any excess icing. These can be refrigerated, and even frozen. Bring to room temperature before serving. (You can also add a layer of raspberry jam in the middle of your Lamington square by cutting it in half before covering in chocolate and coconut).