Lamingtons

Lamingtons are to Australians what the chocolate brownie is to Americans. These are basically cubes of sponge cake coated in chocolate icing and then rolled in desiccated coconut to finish.




Makes 24 small cakes

Ingredients:

For cake:
125 g unsalted butter, softened
125 g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250 g self raising flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For icing:
200 g icing sugar
50 g cocoa powder
75 -100 ml boiling water
100 g desiccated coconut

Method:
Make the cake: Put all the cake ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Or if you are making the cake batter by hand, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Then beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until incorporated. Sift in the flour and salt and fold into the creamed mixture with milk and vanilla.

Oil and base-line a 18 x 25 cm (7 x 10 inch) cake tin and transfer the mixture to the prepared tin. Smooth the surface with a palette knife and bake in a preheated oven, 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) for 25 -30 minutes until risen and firm to touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then turn out on a wire rack to cool. Leave out overnight.

Make the icing: Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Male a well in the center and beat in the boiling water to make a smooth icing with a pouring consistency.

How to proceed: Cut the cooled cake into 24 squares. Use 2 forks or a big skewer to dip each cake into the icing and then immediately coat with the coconut. Leave to set on a baking paper.



Enjoy!!