Lamingtons, little Australian Sweet Cream Sponges
Lamingtons, essential Australian cakes
I grew up with lamingtons.They're incredibly popular in Australia
Lamingtons are responsible for the peculiarly Australian phenomenon of the Lamington Drive, a communal effort, usually by a school group, to make lamingtons in absolutely mind-blowing quantities. You don't have to make them for hordes of sponge-starved strangers, a dozen is enough to get you hooked.
There are three iconic Australian dishes, Roast lamb, Pavlova and the lovely lamington. It takes a little time to master the lamb and the Pav, but every primary school child can make a lamington.
All you need is a sponge, chocolate icing and dessicated coconut
Cook Time
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Serves:
Ingredients
- Sponge Cake
- Icing Sugar
- Cocoa
- Dessicated Coconut
Instructions
- You can use any square sponge cake. Make it yourself if you're a dab hand with a sponge but a store-bought cake is just fine. Remember the best lamingtons are made with the freshest sponge.
- That's all! Were you expecting difficult instructions? You can make lamingtons in 5 minutes.
- Slightly chill the sponge so it's easier to work with, then cut it into two inch squares
Cook Time
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves:
Now to Make the Icing for the Lamingtons
- 1 cup icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- 1 dessertspoon cocoa
Instructions
- Pour the dessicated coconut onto a flat tray, baking dish or large plate.
- Make up the icing sugar. Mix with either hot water or milk, or a mixture of both
- Mix it to a paste thick enough to stick onto the surface of a sponge cake square
- Here comes the fun part! Dip the sponge squares into the icing mixture. Roll the sponge squares into the ccoconut
- Put the coated sponge squares onto a wire tray to dry
Dessicated Coconut
Desiccated coconut is different than the more common 'sweetened' coconut sold in most supermarkets.
Desiccated coconut has a sweet coconut flavor and a dry, not sticky, texture. See if you can find it (it's very handy in the pantry) but, if you can't pick up dessicated coconut, just use any dry shredded coconut.
Have a Look at my Lamingtons!
Make a Cake without Making a Cake
Look what you can do with a cake mix!
Have you ever gone to take some eggs out from your pantry and found the cupboard bare? You wanted to make a cake but half the ingredients are missing?
Busy mother? Sometimes there's just no time to make a cake from scratch.
Have a look at these wonderful ideas for ordinary cake mix cakes. Get the cake mixed up, baked and out of the oven in half an hour. Quick, easy, and they taste homemade.
Take a Bite from a Lamington
Serve your lamington
You can slice lamingtons in half and fill with whipped cream. Add a dollop of strawberry jam for an extra taste.
If you prefer to forgo the cream, just slice the lamingtons and and spread with jam.
Or serve them just as they come, the old fashioned way.
Lamingtons with Jam
Serve lamingtons with a good hot cuppa
Lamingtons are super for morning coffee or afternoon tea.
Serve your lamingtons with a good hot cup of your favourite in these pretty polka-dot cups and saucers from Yedi Houseware. The Set of 6 Cups & Saucers in fine porcelain comes in its own Satined-lined hatbox with elegant and pretty artwork
$38 and ships for Free with Super Saver Shipping.
Have you had lamingtons before?
Confess your lamington experience
All comments are very much appreciated. You don't have to have a sweet tooth (or two) to leave yours
© 2010 Susanna Duffy
