Description
These Australian favorites are simple to make but sure to impress. Once you master the basics of a sponge cake and glaze the flavor options are nearly endless. Enjoy yours with a good coffee or flat white for a little taste of Down Under at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Sponge Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs at room temp
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 6 Tbsp milk
Chocolate glaze
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup boiling water
Optional:
3/4 cup jam of your choice, we use sour cherry jam
shredded coconut for coating – my family doesn’t like coconut so I deviate from the classic and only sprinkle some on top
Chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add your eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. You can use either a stand mixer or a handheld mixer.
- Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the flour and milk alternating between the two and folding in each addition.
- Spread the batter into your prepared pan. Bake 22-26 minutes until the cake is golden and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then gently remove it from the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing it into layers or preparing to coat it with a glaze.
- Once the cake is completely trim the sides to create a perfect square. If layering with jam, slice the sponge cake in half horizontally. Spread one layer with jam and top with the other layer of cake.
- Slice into squares or rectangles depending on how large you want each lamington to be.
- Place your cake in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up before putting it in the glaze.
- While the cake is in the freezer, prep the glaze. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and boiling water. Stir until a smooth glaze is formed.
- Remove the cake from the freezer and using two forks toss each lamington in the glaze until fully coated. Place each glazed cake on a wire rack over wax paper to allow the excess to drip off. After a few cakes have been glazed gently sprinkle shredded coconut and pistachios on top of each one before the glaze fully sets.
- Let the lamingtons set for 30-60 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- If you want to coat the cakes in coconut like the classics, process your shredded coconut in a food processor to chop it up. Place the coconut in a shallow bowl and toss each lamington in it after coating the cakes in the glaze.
- The glaze recipe can easily be doubled if needed.