It’s almost sacrilegious not to make lamingtons for Australia Day, they’re somewhat of a national treasure. The culinary icon consists of sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and liberally sprinkled with desiccated coconut. As with a lot of famous desserts, it seems the lamington came into being due to an accident in the kitchen. A maid-servant to Lord Lamington, the eighth Governor of Queensland, allegedly accidentally dropped the Governors favourite sponge cake into some melted chocolate. The Governor, who didn’t like waste (wise man) suggested the cake be dusted in coconut to avoid messy fingers, and thus the lamington was born.
I decided to put a slight twist on the traditional lamington by sandwiching it with some salted caramel before dipping it in the sticky chocolate mixture. There are already variations that sandwich it with either cream or jam but the salted caramel really brings it to life and is a delicious surprise when you bite in. Lamingtons are actually super easy, don’t be too scared off by the thought of making sponge – I’ve used a Women’s Weekly recipe as the base for these. They are perfect to take to your Australia Day barbeque and your friends will love you. Enjoy and Happy Australia Day!
Salted Caramel Lamingtons
Makes 16
INGREDIENTS
6 eggs
2/3cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
1/3 cup (50g) cornflour (cornstarch)
½ cup (75g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
2 cups (160g) desiccated coconut, approximately
Chocolate Icing
3 cups (500g) icing (confectioners’) sugar
½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
15g (½ ounce) butter, melted
2/3 cup (160ml) milk
Salted Caramel
250g dulche de leche
½ teaspoon ground sea salt
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease deep 20cm (9-inch) square cake pan.
- Beat eggs in medium bowl with electric mixer about 10 minutes or until thick and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, beating until sugar dissolves after each addition. Fold in triple-sifted flours. Spread mixture into pan.
- Bake cake about 30 minutes. Turn cake, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate icing. Sift icing sugar and cocoa into large heatproof bowl; stir in butter and milk. Stir icing over large saucepan of simmering water until of a coating consistency.
- For the salted caramel filling, combine the dulche de leche and sea salt in a medium sized bowl and mix until well combined.
- Cut cake into 16 squares, then cut each square in half. Place 1 ½ teaspoons of the salted caramel spread on one of the half squares, then top with the other half like a sandwich. Repeat this process for each of the squares. Dip squares in icing, drain off excess by letting sit on a cooling rack for about a minute; toss squares in coconut. Place lamingtons on wire rack to set.
