Favorite Coconut Lamingtons Recipe |Freezer-Friendly|

WHAT ARE COCONUT LAMINGTONS

Lamingtons are made from sponge cake or butter cake. Cake is cut into squares or rectangles. Each piece of a cake is then dipped into chocolate glaze and rolled in shredded desiccated coconut. Cakes are then left to set. Resting is what gives the cakes their distinctive texture, for which they are known. As they rest, the flavors deepen, and the texture becomes even more tender and delicious.

THINGS YOU NEED

• Find all the tools in my AMAZON SHOP
• 9×13 USA Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Hand-Held Mixer
• Cooling Rack
• Vanilla Extract

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INGREDIENTS

• Sponge Cake
  • Eggs
  • Powdered sugar
  • Oil or melted butter
  • Honey
  • Vanilla Extract
  • All-purpose Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
• Chocolate Glaze
  • Cocoa powder
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Butter
  • Milk
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Dark Rum or Chocolate Liqueur (optional)
• Coconut Coating
  • Unsweetened Dessicated Coconut

PREPARE A BAKING PAN

To make the lamington sponge cake, I use a 9×13-inch pan, or a slightly larger pan is fine, too. Spray the pan with nonstick spray, or butter it and line it with parchment.

SPONGE CAKE

This one-bowl sponge cake comes together quickly. The finished cake is delicate yet sturdy enough to dip in chocolate glaze and coat with coconut. Start by preparing the dry ingredients: sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

Beat whole, room-temperature eggs with powdered sugar for 5-10 minutes until a thick, pale foam forms (steps 1–3). Gradually add oil or melted butter to the egg foam and beat for a couple more minutes (steps 4–5). Then, mix in honey and vanilla extract (steps 6–9).

And now all you have to do is gradually beat in the flour mixture, alternating with room-temperature milk. Run a down the sides and bottom, ensuring everything is well mixed.

BAKE THE CAKE

Pour sponge cake batter into a prepared baking pan. Spread the batter evenly with a spatula (step 1-4).

Bake the sponge cake at 350°F (180°C ) for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (step 1). If the cake is browning too much, cover it with foil. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment and allow the cake to cool completely (steps 2–4). To transfer the cooled cake to a cutting board, place the board on top of the cake. Holding both the cutting board and cooling rack, carefully flip the cake, then remove the cooling rack (steps 5–8).

CUT CAKE INTO CUBES

• Baked sponge cake is about 9×13 inches.
• Trim all sides by about ¼ to ½ inch. Now, the cake should be about 8×12 inches (steps 1-2).
• Use a ruler to mark cuts into the cake 2 inches apart, horizontally and vertically.
• Then I cut the cake into 2-inch squares or smaller, if you prefer.
• I cover the cakes with a kitchen towel while preparing the chocolate glaze so they don’t start to crust.

TIP: When using a very soft cake recipe (for example, a boxed yellow cake), allow the cake to rest overnight before cutting and dipping.

FILLINGS

If you’re not filling the cakes, you can move on to the dipping and coating step. Growing up, we’d make Lamingtons without fillings. Fillings can definitely kick it up a notch and make them extra fancy. They are a great way to add extra flavor and texture. It looks like, after doing some research, the most prevalent fillings include jam, pastry cream, and whipped cream. If you use any of the 2 latter two, keep in mind that both keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

• Popular Lamington Fillings:
• Nutella or other Chocolate, Nut Spread
• Pastry Cream
• German Buttercream
• Whipped Cream
• Jam or Raspberry Cake Filling

HOW TO FILL LAMINGTONS

• Sandwich style (filling is showing)
  • Dip each cake into the chocolate glaze, then coat it in desiccated coconut.
  • Let them sit for 30–60 minutes before slicing each cake horizontally.
  • Fill with your choice of buttercream, whipped cream, or pastry cream.
  • Spread the filling onto the cakes and sandwich them.
  • Or for a more elegant display, use a large star piping tip.

• Sandwich style (filling is not showing)
  • For fillings like jam or buttercream, you can slice the cake horizontally first, then spread the filling between the layers.
  • Refrigerate for several hours to allow the layers to set and adhere together.
  • Then cut the cake into squares or rectangles, dip each piece in the chocolate glaze, and coat with desiccated coconut.
    
• Injection style (‘sink the bismark’)
  • Another way to fill lamingtons is to use a Bismarck filling tip – it is a long, narrow, tube-like piping tip with a pointy end and is commonly used to inject fillings into donuts and eclairs.
  • This method keeps the cake whole; you don’t need to cut it horizontally.
  • Insert the long nozzle into the cake, and squeeze the piping bag filled with filling to deposit the filling inside the cake.
  • Then dip the cake in chocolate glaze and coat it with coconut.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

To make the chocolate glaze, combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk in a saucepan (steps 1–4). Heat the mixture, stirring, until smooth. Gradually add pieces of butter, heating on low until fully melted (steps 5–7). Stir or whisk until the butter is completely incorporated and the glaze is smooth and uniform. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract and, for an extra-special touch, add 2 tablespoons of chocolate liqueur or dark rum if desired.

COAT LAMINGTONS

Pour the warm chocolate glaze into a bowl. Working with one piece at a time, dip each sponge cake square into the glaze. Use two forks to turn and coat it evenly, then let it rest briefly on the fork and gently tap to allow any excess glaze to drip back into the bowl.

Transfer the coated cake to a bowl of desiccated coconut and cover it completely. This step can get a bit messy. You can use either your hands or two forks to turn the cake in the coconut until it’s fully coated. Place the finished cake onto a tray lined with parchment or wax paper. Repeat with the remaining cakes.

TIP: Chocolate glaze thickens as it cools. Reheat the glaze if it becomes too thick to work with.

FAQ & SUCCESS TIPS

MORE COCONUT TREATS

• Double Chocolate Cherry Coconut Cookies
• Coconut Cupcakes via Cooking Classy
• Dessicated Coconut Macaroons
• Whipped Coconut Cream
• Coconut Cake with Roasted Coconut

This post was originally published on June 25th 2010. On May 2nd, 2020, I updated this post with new step-by-step photos, written text, and a video.