🥮 National Lamington Day - July 21 Event Cache

When: Friday July 21, 2023

Time: 5:30pm until 6:00pm

Event: No prizes, FTF or hoopla. Just the company of other cachers to celebrate National Lamington Day!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Details on how to make these tasty treats:  

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SPONGE CAKE:

• 4 medium eggs, room temperature
• 125g (½ cup) white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g (¾ cup) plain flour
• 2 Tbsp cornflour / corn starch
• pinch of sea salt
• 50g (4 Tbsp or ½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

• 250g (8.8 oz.) icing / powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (see notes)
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 60g (4 Tbsp / ½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

TO DECORATE:

• 2-3 cups desiccated unsweetened coconut

TO SERVE:

• whipped cream and raspberry jam (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. PREPARE: Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4. Grease the base of a 20c (8 in.) square cake pan, line with baking parchment paper and grease the paper with butter.
2. BEAT THE EGGS: Combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. With the whisk attachment fitted, beat the egg mixture until very pale and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.
3. ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS: Sift over the flour, corn flour and salt, then use a spatula to gently but thoroughly fold the dry ingredients through the egg mixture. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine.
4. BAKE: Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, tap the pan twice on the counter to disperse any large air bubbles, then bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the cake has risen and starting to pull away from the edges of the pan.
5. COOL: Remove from the oven, allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the cake pan, then line a wire rack with baking paper (this stops the cake from sticking to the rack) and turn the cake out to cool completely.
6. SLICE AND FREEZE: When the cake has completely cooled, use a large serrated knife to trim the edges then slice into 9 neat squares. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
7. MAKE THE CHOCOLATE ICING: Whisk the icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter and 7-8 tablespoons of boiling water until you have a thin, pouring consistency. (See notes for tips).
8. GLAZE AND DECORATE: Spread half of the coconut over a large plate. Working one at a time, use two forks to dip and turn each sponge cube in the chocolate glaze until covered. Allow any excess to drip off, then use two forks to roll in the coconut. Transfer to a plate and repeat with all remaining sponge cubes, replacing coconut when necessary.
9. CHILL: Chill the lamingtons for at least half an hour until set. If you’re feeling decadent, you can serve with whipped cream and raspberry jam!

NOTES

• 1 medium egg weighs approx 63g (2.2 oz.)
• If an electric stand mixer is not available, a handheld electric egg beater is also suitable for this recipe.
• Measurements are approximate. 
• Australians, icing mixture is fine to use, it is just icing sugar with some cornflour in it to stop it clumping.
• The chocolate glaze will thicken on standing. Boil the water for the glaze in a saucepan and then set the bowl on top to keep it liquid. You can also give it a quick zap in the microwave if it gets too firm. Don’t be tempted to add more water.
• For best results, unsweetened ‘Dutch Process’ cocoa powder can be used. Aussies, Woolworth's brand cocoa powder is Dutch Processed.