Classic Australian Lamingtons

Lamington squares piled on a serving plate with the top one broken in two.

5 from 3 votes

The quintissential Australian treat Lamingtons are a delicious cake to snack on. Soft and airy sponge squares dipped in a chocolate coating and rolled in dessiccated coconut.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Australian

Servings: lamingtons

Calories: 360kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
Baking Pan- 23cm/9-inch square

Ingredients

Sponge cake

230 g unsalted butter room temperature
250 g granulated sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
250 g plain flour (all-purpose) sifted
3 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine salt
120 ml whole milk room temperature

Icing

300 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
35 g cocoa powder
180 ml boiling water
60 g unsalted butter melted
170 g desiccated coconut

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the Sponge Cake

Preparation. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease with butter the base and sides of a 23cm (9-inch) square baking pan. Line with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium for 3 minutes until pale and creamy.
Add the eggs. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until combined. If they start to curdle, add a tablespoon or two of flour and the mixture will come back together again. Scrap down the base and sides of the bowl.
Add in the dry ingredients and milk. In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and add in the salt. Whisk to combine. Add into the batter, half the flour mixture. Beat until combined. Add the milk and beat until combined, scraping the base and sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour and mix until a few flour streaks remain.
Bake the sponge. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 mins until a skewer comes out clean. The cake should spring back when lightly touched in the centre. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut the sponge and freeze. Once the cake is cool, use a serrated bread knife to trim the outside edges off the cake then cut the sponge into 16 squares. Freeze for 30 to 40 minutes - until the sponge is very cold but not frozen through.
Make the chocolate glaze. To make the icing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.

To Construct

Mis en place. Remove the sponge squares from the freezer. Add the chocolate glaze and desiccated coconut into separate shallow bowls with two forks close by. Have a wire rack sat on a baking tray close by.
Coat the sponge in chocolate. Using two forks to hold a square, dip the cake into the chocolate icing to coat all sides, lift it out of the icing and allow the excess to drip off.
Roll in desiccated coconut. Place the coated sponge into the bowl of desiccated coconut and sprinkle the coconut all over. Roll again pressing the coconut into the icing with your fingers. Place the lamington on a wire rack and repeat the process with the remaining sponge squares.
It's best to leave the Lamingtons on the rack to set for an hour or so.
Note: The chocolate icing will thicken gradually, set it over a bowl of boiling water and add a tablespoon of two of boiling water into the icing to loosen it again, if you need to.

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

To store: Plain or jam-filled Lamingtons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cream-filled Lamingtons will have to be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To freeze: Plain or jam-filled Laminingtons can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature.

TIP 1: Freeze the sponge. Freezing the sponge makes it way easier to coat the sponge in chocolate icing without it crumbling apart.

TIP 2: Don't make the sauce ahead of time. As the sauce cools, it thickens and makes coating the sponge difficult. Wait until you have cut the sponge, frozen it, and got everything ready.

TIP 3: Let the excess icing drip off. A lot of icing sits on the sponge when first coating it, takes a couple of seconds for the excess to drip off.

TIP 4: Press in the coconut. Once you've rolled the chocolate-coated lamingtons in desiccated coconut, sprinkle more on each side and use your fingers to press it in. It ensures firm coverage.

TIP 5: Let the lamingtons sit for a couple of hours once made. This rest time really benefits them as it allows the icing to absorb into the sponge. The same happens with the jam if you decide to sandwich them with jam.

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