← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 125 g unsalted butter, soft
• 220 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 250 g Self-raising flour
• 125 ml Milk
• 450 g Icing sugar
• 30 g cocoa powder
• 20 g Butter, melted
• 160 ml boiling water
• 250 g Desiccated coconut

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Butter a 20 x 30 cm tin and line it with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla for 3 min until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour alternately with the milk until smooth.
3. Spread in the tin and bake for 25–30 min until golden and springy and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 min, then on a rack.
4. When completely cold, trim the edges and cut into 15 squares. Chill or freeze them for 30 min: firm sponge is far easier to dip.
5. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, add the melted butter and boiling water and whisk to a thin, smooth icing. Put the coconut in a shallow dish.
6. Using two forks, dip each square into the icing, turning to coat, let the excess drip off, then roll it in coconut. Set on a rack for 30 min to firm up. If the icing thickens as you go, set the bowl over hot water.

Tips

• Day-old sponge crumbles less when dipping, so bake the cake the day before if you can.
• For the jam-and-cream version, split each lamington and fill with raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats BBC Good Food Joy of Baking