Lamingtons are an Australian bakery food made from cubes of sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in shredded coconut. Theories abound as to their origin, but most involve Charles Wallace Alexander Napier Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, who was the Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901.
Lamingtons are among the Aussie foods I miss the most and crave most frequently. Guess there are no excuses for missing or craving them anymore though!
As our lamingtons were also quite popular with those of our friends who tasted them on the weekend, here's the [US/Canada-oriented] recipe...
Lamington Recipe
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2-3 cups shredded coconut
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch rectangular pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well.
3. Pour the batter into the 8x8 inch pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Cut into 16 squares, then refrigerate for a few hours to give the cake a chance to firm up before icing.
4. To make the icing: In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa. In a saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter until the butter is melted. Add the milk to the sugar mixture and mix well to create a fluid, but not too runny, icing.
5. Procedure: Place coconut in a bowl. Using tongs, dip each square into the icing, then roll it in the coconut. Place onto rack to dry. Continue for each piece.
Original recipe here (the above version is modified to reflect the procedure I used).
