Christmas Lamingtons Recipes

LAMINGTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12-inch pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Beat 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just incorporated.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Wrap with plastic wrap and store overnight at room temperature to give the cake a chance to firm up before slicing.
• To make the icing: In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Add the melted butter and warm milk and mix well to create a fluid, but not too runny, icing.
• Cut the cake into 24 squares. Place parchment paper or waxed paper on a work surface, and set a wire rack on the paper. Pour the shredded coconut into a shallow bowl. Using a fork, dip each square into the icing, coating all sides, then roll it in the coconut. Place onto rack to dry. Continue until all lamingtons are coated.

LAMINGTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-by-13-inch baking pans; line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Dust with flour; tap out excess; set pans aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time; beat until incorporated.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Place in oven; bake until a cake tester inserted into middles comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly on wire racks; remove from pans. Turn out cakes onto racks; cool completely.
• Spread one of the cooled cakes with the jam; place other cake on top. Using a serrated knife, trim edges of sandwiched cakes; cut into 24 two-inch squares.
• Place the coconut in a medium bowl; set aside. Place the bowl of chocolate icing over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of gently simmering water. Place a jam-filled cake squarein the bowl of chocolate icing; using forks to turn the square, coat all sides.
• Allow excess icing to drip off; transfer square to bowl of coconut (left bottom). Using clean forks to turn square, coat it with coconut. Transfer coated square to wire rack to stand until coating has set, about 15 minutes. Continue until all squares have been coated.