Chocolate Lamingtons
And so the debate goes on. Origin unproven, but there’s one thing we all agree on — we love lamingtons! Ours have a layer of raspberry jam running through the middle. Best served with lashings of our vanilla whipped cream.
Makes 12 small cakes • Preparation time 45 minutes • Cooking time
30 minutes
300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) self-raising flour
40 g (1½ oz/1⁄3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
340 g (12 oz) butter, softened
330 g (11¾ oz/1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
6 eggs, at room temperature
100 ml (3½ fl oz) milk
Lamington Dip
160 g (5¾ oz/1½ cups) dark cocoa powder
500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar
100 g (3½ oz/2⁄3 cup) chopped dark chocolate
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) boiling water
320 g (11¼ oz/1 cup) Raspberry Jam
350 g (12 oz/51⁄3 cups) thread (shredded) coconut, for coating
1 quantity Vanilla Whipped Cream, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 12-hole standard
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) muffin tin.
Sift together the flour and cornflour, and set aside.
Use an electric mixer with a beater attachment to beat the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla and then beat in the eggs one at a time. If the mix starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of the sifted flour. Fold in the rest of the sifted dry ingredients, then add the milk and mix until just ncorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the sponge springs back when gently pressed on top. Cool in the tins before turning out.
For the lamington dip: Sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar into a medium bowl. Add the chopped dark chocolate and pour over the boiling water. Whisk until combined and the chocolate has melted. Strain through a sieve to remove any lumps and allow to cool.
To assemble: Cut each sponge in half and sandwich together with the raspberry jam. Carefully dip each one into the lamington dip, drain off any excess chocolate and roll in the coconut threads to coat. Place on a wire rack to dry.
Serve with vanilla whipped cream.
Note: Store in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days.
Raspberry Jam
Makes about 1.25 kg (2 lb 12 oz/4 cups) • Preparation time 30 minutes plus 10 minutes standing time • Cooking time 40 minutes
1 vanilla bean
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz/8 cups) raspberries, fresh or frozen
495 g (1 lb 1½ oz/2¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
juice of 1 lemon
Split the vanilla bean in half lengthways, then scrape the seeds from the halves using the tip of a sharp knife.
In a heavy-based saucepan, put the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean and seeds, and 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water. Stir constantly over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 5 minutes.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for approximately 20–25 minutes until the mixture will jell when tested on a cold saucer.
Discard the vanilla bean. Stand the jam for 10 minutes to settle before pouring into hot sterilised jars.
Note: Store in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months. Once opened, keep in the fridge and use within 1 month.
Vanilla Whipped Cream
Makes about 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) • Preparation time 10 minutes • Cooking time nil
½ vanilla bean
300 ml (10½ fl oz) thin (pouring) cream
1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
Split the half vanilla bean lengthways, then scrape the seeds using the tip of a sharp knife.
Combine the cream, vanilla seeds and sugar in a bowl and use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks.
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