There is obviously some debate as to whether the Lamington originated in Australia or New Zealand, so let’s settle this right now. The story goes that the Lamington was created by complete accident after the cook of Lord Lamington dropped a piece of sponge cake into chocolate sauce back in the 1800’s. Was this in New Zealand you ask? The answer is no, this whoopsie was brought to life across the ditch in Australia. Case closed!
Regardless of who’s accident this was, The chocolate lamington has become a staple in many bakeries nationwide. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s still as kiwi as the pavlova.
I had lots of fun putting this recipe together, and none of it was an accident funny enough. I’ve kept the integrity of the classic lamington and baked a sponge right on top of a fudgy chocolate and coconut brownie base. Much like any winning lamington, the sponge obviously needed to be covered with chocolate icing and plenty more coconut. No accidents here, just a delicious slice that needs to be enjoyed here and over the Tasman.
- 100g Plain Flour
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 220g Brown Sugar
- 30g Cocoa Powder
- 40g Desiccated Coconut
- 150g Butter
- 1 Egg
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 100g Plain Flour
- 30g Cornflour
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 150g Caster Sugar
- 60g Butter
- 3 Eggs
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 30g Chocolate
- 1 Tablespoon Water
- 60g Icing Sugar
- 30g Cocoa Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Desiccated Coconut
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Turn oven on to 190°c bake and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper.
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Starting with the base, melt butter in a large pot then set aside to cool slightly.
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When the butter has cooled, add sugar, egg, vanilla and mix until smooth.
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In the same pot, sift in the flour, baking powder, cocoa and then add the coconut, mixing well to incorporate.
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Pour base mixture into prepared tin, smooth and place in the fridge while you make the sponge.
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Using a free-standing mixer beat the eggs, slowly adding the sugar in increments before adding the vanilla. Continue to beat egg mixture for approximately 10 minutes until pale and fluffy.
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In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and melt butter in another small bowl, again setting aside to cool.
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Add dry ingredients to egg mixture along with the cooled and melted butter. Fold through with a spatula until just combined, don’t over mix.
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Pour cake mixture over top of the base, place tin in the centre of the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes. After the first 30 minutes, remove the slice from the oven and cover with tin foil to avoid the top darkening too much. Return slice to the oven and bake for the remaining 20 minutes or until sponge springs back when touched or skewer comes out clean. Allow the slice to cool in tin.
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While the slice is cooling, start on the icing. Place chocolate and water in a small pot over top of a larger pot of boiling water. Allow the chocolate to melt and continue mixing until smooth.
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Remove melted chocolate from the heat and sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, mixing until it forms a paste. Add milk and vanilla and continue to mix until smooth.
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Using a spoon, pour or drizzle the chocolate icing over top of the sponge. Making sure you create a good and even coverage.
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Finally sprinkle plenty more dessicated coconut over top of the chocolate icing, just like a real Lamington. Place the slice in the fridge to cool and set completely before cutting with a shape knife. Enjoy.
Flashback!
Above were the first and only photos taken of this recipe when it was shared for the first time in March 2016. Since I really enjoyed creating this fun recipe and evidently others enjoyed baking it, I really wanted to tidy this content up with some new photos. Happy baking!
Absolutely love this slice!!! I am not the best baker and to my surprise it was very easy to make. The slice itself was tastey and lasted fresh for days in a container. I’m sure it would have lasted longer, but it disappeared very quickly. Current making it for the second time!