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Classic Lamingtons with chocolate and coconut + 4 new flavours

A traditional Australian sponge cake dipped in chocolate glaze and rolled in desiccated coconut, with 4 new flavours; rum-punch, lemon, walnuts, and chocolate.
Servings 24 small squares
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Glazing 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup desiccated coconut

LAMINGTON CAKE BASE

  • 3 eggs
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 250 g plain, all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 150 ml plain set yoghurt
  • 100 ml oil

Extras for Rum-Punch base

  • 3 tbsp very finely chopped candied fruit
  • 1 tsp orange zest

Extras for Lemon base

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

Extras for Baileys & Walnut base

  • 4 tbsp ground walnuts
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp Baileys

Extras for Chocolate base

  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 7-8 squares dark chocolate
  • 3-4 tbsp rum

DRIZZLE (optional)

rum-punch drizzle

  • 200 ml black tea Indian, Chinese, etc.
  • 5-6 tbsp rum better with Pepito rum punch if available
  • 3-4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • 1 orange zest and juice
  • 3-4 tbsp liqueur or brandy Gran Marnier

lemon syrup drizzle

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar
  • 100 ml water

Baileys drizzle

  • 3-4 tbsp Baileys
  • 100 ml milk

GLAZE

Classic Lamington glaze

  • 150 g dark chocolate
  • 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2-3 tbsp milk
  • 2-3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp double cream

Pink glaze (rum punch)

  • 1/2 cup icing sugar
  • 150 g white chocolate
  • 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2-3 tbsp milk
  • A few tablespoons of rum punch drizzle (see above)
  • a few drops red food colouring

Yellow glaze (lemon)

  • 150 g white chocolate
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp double cream
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • a few drops of yellow colouring

Caramel glaze (Baileys & walnut)

  • 150 g white chocolate
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp double cream
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk

White glaze ( dark & white chocolate)

  • 150 g white chocolate
  • other ingredients are the same as Classic ( see above)

Instructions

  • Lamington Sponge Cake Batter
    Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients plus vanilla sugar and mix until well combined.
    If making classic Lamington, skip step 2.
  • For Other Sponge Cake Flavours
    Make classic Lamington batter and then add ingredients for the flavour you want:
    Rum-punch: Add finely chopped candied fruit, grated orange zest, and vanilla extract.
    Lemon: Add lemon juice and grated lemon zest.
    Baileys & walnut: Add ground walnuts, vanilla extract, and Baileys.
    Chocolate: Add melted dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and rum.
  • Bake
    Grease and flour the tray, then pour in the sponge mixture. (I used a 25cm x 18cm tray.)
    Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 20-25 minutes.
    Cool on a rack after removing from the oven (avoid placing on a plate to prevent sweating).
  • Prepare Lamingtons for Dipping and Glazing
    Trim the edges of the cake for neater squares.
    Cut the cake into squares.
  • Soaking the sponge cake (optional)
    After cutting the sponge cake into squares, drizzle a teaspoon or two of the flavour liquid over each square. This helps add extra flavour and moisture, ensuring the sponge isn’t dry or bland before dipping in the glaze.
    This step is optional and is not the final glazing; it's simply to add extra flavour and moisture to the sponge.
    Rum-Punch - Brew some black tea, Assam is the best. Add 200ml of hot water to one tea bag and let it steep for 2-3 minutes.
    While the tea is still hot, stir in the sugar until it’s fully dissolved.
    Add orange juice, grated lemon zest, rum, and Gran Marnier (orange-flavoured brandy liqueur). If you don’t have Gran Marnier, you can use 1-2 teaspoons of regular brandy instead.
    Finally, add a few drops of red food colouring or Grenadine syrup. (this is if you want it coloured on the inside)
    Lemon - In 100ml of water, heat the lemon juice and sugar. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove it from the heat.
    Baileys & walnut - Mix the milk and Baileys together, then drizzle over each cake square.
    Chocolate - Drizzle each cake square with rum.
  • Glazing
    Classic Lamington - Melt the chocolate, sugar, butter, milk, and cream together over a very low heat. After about a minute, once the chocolate has fully melted, remove it from the heat and whisk until you have a smooth, silky chocolate emulsion.
    Dip the sponge cake into the sauce, gently press it with a fork to help it soak up the liquid, then remove it and roll it in desiccated coconut.
    Rum-Punch - Melt the white chocolate and butter and add icing sugar and milk, remove from the heat. Whisk until you get a smooth glaze, and add a little red food colouring to achieve a pink hue.
    Coat each cake square in the glaze and roll it in desiccated coconut.
    Lemon - Melt the white chocolate, then add sugar, butter, lemon juice and a few drops of lemon colouring. Whisk together until smooth to create a glaze.
    Dip the lemon sponge cubes into the glaze, gently press them to absorb the liquid, and then roll them in desiccated coconut.
    Baileys & Walnut - Melt the white chocolate, then add the brown sugar, butter, milk, cream, and Baileys. Whisk together until smooth to create a glaze.
    Dip the walnut sponge cubes into the glaze, gently press them to absorb the liquid, and then roll them in desiccated coconut.
    Chocolate - Same as for the Classic Lamingtons, but use white chocolate instead.

Notes

The total calorie count for the classic Lamingtons recipe is approximately 3,800 calories. When cut into 24 square pieces, each cake is approximately 160 calories. Please note that these values are approximate and can vary depending on the specific products used (e.g., type of chocolate, oil, etc.).
Calories: 160kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Diet: Vegetarian