Lamingtons are another Aussie invention – as iconic to Australia as the Holden Car is. This recipe has been adapted from Ngai, who has amazing recipes.

Butter sponge ingredients

125g butter, softened

220g castor sugar

1tsp vanilla essence

3 XL eggs at room temp

260g Risen Flour Plain Flour

3.5tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

125ml milk – either full cream or Hi Lo

Icing

480g icing sugar, sifted

22g cocoa powder

15g butter

150g water, boiling (yes you do measure the water in grams, more accurate than lines on a jug)

Coating

4 cups shredded and or desiccated coconut

Method

Sponge Cake

1. Preheat oven to 180degC or 160 degC if fan forced
2. Grease a 20cm x 30cm cake pan and line with baking paper
3. Sift Flour salt and baking powder together leaving an overhang so you can lift it out easily.
4. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.
6. Gently add half the flour and fold in alternately with the milk.
7. Gently pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25min until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool in tin for 5min and then lift cake onto cooling rack. 
9. Once cool freeze cake for around 1.5hrs or overnight, this then allows for easy coverage of the icing and coconut as the cake will just crumble if you try and coat while soft.
10. Cut the cake into square sizes of your choice.

Icing

1. Combine ingredients in a heat proof blow and mix until smooth and syrupy. The icing needs tobe thick enough that the coconut sticks. As it cools it becomes thicker, if this happens place the bowl in the microwave for 10 – 20 sec until its runnier again.

Assembly

1. Place coconut in a bowl with a large surface area. 
2. Place a piece of cake in the icing mixture using 2 forks to toss around, then lift out and place in the coconut and coat.
3. Place coated lamingtons on a wrack to dry out.
4. Repeat with remaining squares.

Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

These can be split open and have strawberry jam and cream piped inside for a little decadence.