Jam Lamingtons
Cake:
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
Filling:
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam, room temperature
Chocolate Frosting:
1 lb (4 cups,454 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (30 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3 Tbs (42 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
Coating:
2 cups (about 6 ounces by weight) finely ground unsweetened dessicated coconut
Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square cake pan. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a small cup, combine the two eggs and vanilla extract and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs/vanilla mixture, one egg at a time, beating well after each egg and adding the second egg only after the first is fully incorporated.
Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the milk. Continue with 1/3 more of the flour, the remainder of the milk, then the final 1/3 of the flour, mixing well with each addition before adding the next.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top, making sure the batter is evenly distributed throughout the pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes , or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow it to completely on the rack. Once the cake is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place the cake in the freezer. Freezing the cake before slicing it helps to prevent crumbing.
When the cake is frozen, cut it into 16, 2" x 2" squares with a serrated knife. Cut each square in half horizontally, taking care to keep the mated halves together.
In a small bowl, stir the jam until it is spreadable and lump-free. Spread a very thin layer of jam between the two layers and sandwich them back together. When all the cakes have been jammed, place them on a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then return them to the refrigerator to allow the jam to set slightly and soak into the cakes.
While the cakes are setting, prepare the frosting and coating.
For the frosting, in a heatproof bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Add the milk and butter and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth and pourable.
Place the finely ground coconut in a pie plate or cake pan for dipping the cakes. Set a baker's rack over a cookie sheet to catch any drips. (Pulse the dessicated coconut in the food processor fitted with the blade attachment to grind the coconut to a fine consistency.)
When the frosting is ready, remove the cakes from the refrigerator. Using two forks, dip each cake in the frosting (or pour the frosting over the cakes with a spoon or ladle) taking care to coat all sides. Let the excess drip away, then immediately roll the cake in the coconut, covering all sides. Set the coated cake on the baker's rack to dry and set. Continue until all cakes are completed.
Lamingtons are best made the day ahead so the coating has a chance to set fully.
Cook's Note: Having been on a recent trip to Australia, where Lamingtons are somewhat of a national treasure, I decided to host an Australian themed Easter dinner and made the Lamingtons in egg-shaped muffin tins. One recipe yielded 9 eggs (4 oz capacity tin). Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full and smooth the top. Bake at 350° F for 15 - 18 minutes, testing with a toothpick at 15 minutes to see if they're done. Once the cakes were cooled, I trimmed off the edge where the cake expanded beyond the form, and took a very thin slice off the bottom of the cake so the egg would sit flat on the plate.
If baking in a convection oven, adjust temperature to 325° F.
Dessicated coconut is very dry, unsweetened coconut. If you cannot find dessicated coconut, you can substitute regular coconut by spreading it out on a baking sheet and drying it out in a 180° F - 200° F oven for 10 - 30 minutes, shaking once in a while to ensure even drying. Take care not to toast it. Unsweetened is best, but sweetened may also be used.
Raspberry jam is the most common flavor I found while in Australia, but any good quality jam could be used, or it could be omitted entirely for a regular Lamington. Just skip slicing the individual cakes in half.
You may have a little frosting and coconut left over. For some quick coconut candies, just stir some chocolate into the coconut until it binds together and heap into bite sized mounds on a plate or pan. Place in the refrigerator to set.
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
Filling:
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam, room temperature
Chocolate Frosting:
1 lb (4 cups,454 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (30 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3 Tbs (42 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
Coating:
2 cups (about 6 ounces by weight) finely ground unsweetened dessicated coconut
Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square cake pan. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a small cup, combine the two eggs and vanilla extract and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs/vanilla mixture, one egg at a time, beating well after each egg and adding the second egg only after the first is fully incorporated.
Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the milk. Continue with 1/3 more of the flour, the remainder of the milk, then the final 1/3 of the flour, mixing well with each addition before adding the next.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top, making sure the batter is evenly distributed throughout the pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes , or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow it to completely on the rack. Once the cake is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place the cake in the freezer. Freezing the cake before slicing it helps to prevent crumbing.
When the cake is frozen, cut it into 16, 2" x 2" squares with a serrated knife. Cut each square in half horizontally, taking care to keep the mated halves together.
In a small bowl, stir the jam until it is spreadable and lump-free. Spread a very thin layer of jam between the two layers and sandwich them back together. When all the cakes have been jammed, place them on a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then return them to the refrigerator to allow the jam to set slightly and soak into the cakes.
While the cakes are setting, prepare the frosting and coating.
For the frosting, in a heatproof bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Add the milk and butter and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth and pourable.
Place the finely ground coconut in a pie plate or cake pan for dipping the cakes. Set a baker's rack over a cookie sheet to catch any drips. (Pulse the dessicated coconut in the food processor fitted with the blade attachment to grind the coconut to a fine consistency.)
When the frosting is ready, remove the cakes from the refrigerator. Using two forks, dip each cake in the frosting (or pour the frosting over the cakes with a spoon or ladle) taking care to coat all sides. Let the excess drip away, then immediately roll the cake in the coconut, covering all sides. Set the coated cake on the baker's rack to dry and set. Continue until all cakes are completed.
Lamingtons are best made the day ahead so the coating has a chance to set fully.
Cook's Note: Having been on a recent trip to Australia, where Lamingtons are somewhat of a national treasure, I decided to host an Australian themed Easter dinner and made the Lamingtons in egg-shaped muffin tins. One recipe yielded 9 eggs (4 oz capacity tin). Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full and smooth the top. Bake at 350° F for 15 - 18 minutes, testing with a toothpick at 15 minutes to see if they're done. Once the cakes were cooled, I trimmed off the edge where the cake expanded beyond the form, and took a very thin slice off the bottom of the cake so the egg would sit flat on the plate.
If baking in a convection oven, adjust temperature to 325° F.
Dessicated coconut is very dry, unsweetened coconut. If you cannot find dessicated coconut, you can substitute regular coconut by spreading it out on a baking sheet and drying it out in a 180° F - 200° F oven for 10 - 30 minutes, shaking once in a while to ensure even drying. Take care not to toast it. Unsweetened is best, but sweetened may also be used.
Raspberry jam is the most common flavor I found while in Australia, but any good quality jam could be used, or it could be omitted entirely for a regular Lamington. Just skip slicing the individual cakes in half.
You may have a little frosting and coconut left over. For some quick coconut candies, just stir some chocolate into the coconut until it binds together and heap into bite sized mounds on a plate or pan. Place in the refrigerator to set.
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