A Cake by Any Other Name - Lamingtons

One of the signature desserts of Australia, the Lamington is a simple sweet with origins as fuzzy as it looks. If you can believe any account (and there are many), the quaint little cubes of cake dipped in chocolate then rolled in coconut were named for Lord Lamington, the governor of Queensland in the late 1800s. If you can further believe a particular account, Lord Lamington was said to have despised and dismissed his namesakes as "those bloody poofy woolly biscuits." I say to heck with the old coot, and calls 'em as I sees 'em: Bedlingtons.

Double Coconut Lamingtons - Cake slightly adapted from this recipe (You can also use your favorite basic white cake recipe. Pound cake works especially well.)

Ingredients (Cake)

2 large egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flavorless vegetable oil (such as safflower)
2 teaspoons coconut extract


Ingredients (Frosting) - My own recipe

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 - 1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder (depending on your preference for light or dark flavor)
1/3 cup milk (or enough to make a smooth and pourable coating)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

2 cups dessicated, unsweetened coconut, scattered in a large plate

Method (Cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch square cake pans.

In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. In another, smaller bowl, beat the egg whites with the 1/3 cup sugar until thick, but not stiff. Add milk, egg yolks, oil and extract to the dry ingredients, beating for 3 minutes. Gently fold or stir in the egg whites. Divide batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in center of the cakes is clean when removed. Cool cakes 10 minutes in pans before removing to rack to fully cool. To minimize crumbing and breakage, it is important that the cakes are firm and set before cutting into 2-inch cubes. Chilling the cake before cutting also helps. Allow cubes to sit out several hours to become just a little stale before you dip them in the chocolate. This will correct once the frosting sets.

Method (Frosting)

With a whisk, beat all ingredients in a large bowl until very smooth and loose.

Assembly

Gently lower cake cubes one at a time into frosting, fully covering all sides using a rubber spatula. Do not let the spatula actually touch the cubes. Carefully lift out each cube with a fork supporting its bottom (do not spear the cube), allowing excess frosting to drip back into bowl. Place each cube in the plate of dessicated coconut, tossing and pressing the coconut into all sides of the cube. The coating will be very delicate. Remove each cube with a fresh fork to a plate. Allow the finished cakes to set for at least an hour; the frosting will partially absorb into the cake, creating a firmer coating texture that is easier to handle and eat. Makes approximately 16 2-inch cakes. --

This post is for Suganya of Tasty Palettes, hosting Coconut, the June theme for A Fruit a Month (AFAM), created by Maheswari of Beyond the Usual.

Been There, Done That ~

Coconut Burfi
Maple Walnut Cake
Green Tea Cream Puffs

Other People's Eats ~

Lamingtons
Avial
Coconut Raspberry Layer Cake