Homemade Lamingtons are a true Australian classic and so much better made from scratch. Soft sponge like cake coated in delicious chocolate icing and rolled in coconut creates the perfect balance of texture and flavour. These are great for baking ahead, sharing with friends and family, or serving for morning tea, special occasions, or weekend baking. Once you make lamingtons at home, it’s hard to go back to store-bought.
Homemade Lamingtons - Classic Australian Chocolate & Coconut Cake
Homemade Lamingtons Recipe - Classic desserts
Ashley’s Place
12
30 minutes
40 minutes
Australian
Dessert
Light sponge like cake dipped in chocolate icing and coated in coconut. It's a classic homemade lamington recipe that’s perfect for baking ahead and sharing. And I have been told my version is better than store-bought.
Ingredients
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145g Caster Sugar (superfine white sugar)
160g Plain Flour (all purpose)
½ Tsp Bicarb Soda (Baking Soda)
½ Tsp Salt
130ml Milk
150g Unsalted Butter at room temp
2 Eggs at room temp
1 Tsp Vanilla
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200g Icing Sugar Mixture
3 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder (*see note 6)
4-5 Tbsp of Boiling Water
1 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter
110g or 1 ¼ cups of Desiccated Coconut
¼ Tsp Vanilla Essence
Directions
Take your butter, milk, eggs out of the fridge and let it come to room temp. (*See note 1)
Pre-heat oven to 135°C (275F) and line a square 20cm x 20cm baking tray with baking paper (*see note 2)
Chop your butter and add with the sugar into a mixing bowl and beat on a medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes until your butter is lighter in colour. Scraping the bowl halfway and at the end (*see note 3)
Add your flour, salt, bicarb, eggs and vanilla into your bowl and begin to mix on low while you add in the milk slowly so it doesn’t splash all over you. Once you add the milk scrape the bowl down and continue to mix for about 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients are incorporated
Once mixed add into your lined tray and spread out so it is even. Bake away for about 40 mins or until baked, we cook this low and slow to keep it even. The top will still feel quite spongy this is normal. (*see note 4)
Once baked take it out of the oven and leave it in the tray for about 5-10 mins so it can cool slightly before moving it onto the cooling rack. Move it to cool gently so we don’t break it.
Once cooled completely slice it into pieces, 3 across and 4 the other way to make rectangles. Feel free to cut them if you want smaller portions. I cut mine on the baking paper to make it easier to wrap as I just pick the paper up with the cake and wrap around it. It is important you cut before you freeze.
Wrap the cake in glad wrap (plastic wrap) making sure to cover it all and then a layer of foil. This is how to keep your cake fresh and free from freezer burn. Pop into the freezer for at least 4-6 hours make it the day before and leave it overnight. I usually make my cake one day and dip it the next (*see note 5)
Boil your water & weigh out your coconut and get a cooling rack with baking paper underneath, get your cake from the fridge and a bowl for the icing ready to go so you can mix and dip once you make the chocolate
Add the icing, butter, cocoa, vanilla in a bowl and add the boiling water in and give it a good mix. Start with your 4 tbsp mix and then add more if needed. You want the mixture to be on the runnier side not a thick icing or even a thick melted chocolate consistency. You want it thinner so you can dip your cakes I do about 5 Tbsp’s . If it gets too thick or you are running out you can add more boiling water as you go along.
Get 2 forks and add your cake into the chocolate mixture and using the forks move the cake around with the forks so it is covered on all sides. Pull it out of the chocolate and let it drip a little so the excess drips off. And dunk into your coconut still with your forks. Simply turn it around so all sides get covered and then pop onto your baking rack to set a little
Repeat until they are all covered, leave them on the rack for at least 1-2 hours out of direct sunlight. This is so they set slightly
And enjoy! Eat them after they have set or save in a airtight container in a cool dark place for about 3-5 days. You can also freeze them as well if you like.