Lamingtons - square sponge cakes from Australia

Traditionally made from a small square of vanilla sponge covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

Lamingtons are said to be named after Lord Lamington, who served as the Governor of Queensland in the late 1890s. But why? The story goes that he had some unexpected guests, so his chef dipped vanilla sponge cake into chocolate and coconut, before serving them to the guests.

''World's best desserts are often created by accident.''

Ingredients for the cake:

• 185 g (1 ¼ cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 40 g (⅓ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)

• 200 g (2 sticks minus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened

• 230 g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster sugar (superfine sugar)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 eggs

• 125 ml (½ cup) full cream milk (whole milk)

Ingredients for the chocolate icing:

• 500 g (3 ⅔ cup) icing sugar (powdered sugar), sifted

• 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (bittersweet chocolate, 60% or 70% cocoa content)

• 15 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter

• 125 ml (½ cup) milk, plus more

• 325 g (12 oz) dessicated coconut (shredded coconut)

How to make Lamingtons?

First you need to start with the sponge cake (It needs to be light and fluffy, but it also needs to have a structure (so it can hold its shape when it's rolled in the chocolate icing))

Bake the cake, preferably, the night before.

When the cake is done, remove the edges and slice the cake into bite-sized pieces.

Dip the sponge into the icing and then in dessicated coconut.

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If you need instructions or more details visit:

https://eatlittlebird.com/happy-australia-day-lamingtons/