Don’t Be Square; Try Sweet Lamingtons For Australia
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Kathy Hunt 1·26·17 Share SHARE
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After a season of baking and gorging on gooey cookies and cakes, the last thing I wantto think about is more rich sweets. Yet parties still happen, dinners continue to takeplace and I have desserts to make. For a light yet pleasing mealender I opt for thesmall, delicate square cake known as a Lamington. Sized for one serving and dipped ina chocolate glaze followed by a dusting of shredded coconut, it makes a deliciouschange from winter’s heavy treats.
My first bite of a Lamington happened at a coffee shop in Melbourne, Australia. Thiswas a fitting spot, for Australians have long claimed this sweet as their own. They bakethem for Australia Day on Jan. 26, which marks the 18thcentury arrival of the British,and for National Lamington Day on July 21.
A sweet treat with a long history
Sliced Lamingtons. Credit: Copyright 2017 Kathy Hunt
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The sponge cake being dipped into chocolate. Credit: Copyright 2017 Kathy Hunt
Several origin stories for Lamingtonsexist. Most involve Charles WallaceBaillie, known formally as LordLamington, governor of theAustralian state of Queensland from1896 to 1901.
The Australian LamingtonAppreciation Society maintains thatone of Lord Lamington’s servantsaccidentally dropped his favoritecake into melted chocolate. Ratherthan have her discard the sticky sweet, Lamington advised her to roll it in driedcoconut, a novel ingredient at the time. By coating the cake in coconut, he could stilleat it without getting his hands dirty. Why he wouldn’t have just used a fork remains amystery.
Two tales involve Lamington’s French chef Armand Galland In one Galland created
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Two tales involve Lamington s French chef, Armand Galland. In one, Galland created
the recipe as way to use up dayold sponge cake. In the other he took what he had in
the Government House pantry — leftover vanilla sponge cake, chocolate and coconut— and whipped up a teatime treat for unexpected guests.
Yet another story credits early 20thcentury cooking instructor Amy Schauer of the
Brisbane Technical College. She supposedly concocted this confection in honor of Lord
Lamington’s wife.
Australians aren’t the only ones asserting ownership. New Zealanders point to the 1888
painting “Summer Pantry” by J.R. Smythe as proof that the Lamington is their creation.
In this watercolor, a small, halfeaten cake appears on the counter of a cottage near
New Zealand’s Wellington Harbor. They believe the cake depicted is a Lamington.
It all starts with the sponge cake
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Sponge cake is the base for Lamingtons. Credit: Copyright 2017 Kathy Hunt
No matter who came up with the Lamington, the basic recipe remains the same. Slice a
vanilla sponge cake into 1 1/2inch to 2inch squares. Dunk the cubes into a dark
chocolate glaze and dust them with sweetened, shredded coconut. With that, you have
this classic dessert.
While these cakes taste delicious as is, variations do exist. Sometimes bakers slice the
squares in half and then spread jam between the halves. Jam in place, they squish the
halves back together and dress them with chocolate and coconut. Others wait until the
cakes have been coated before halving and adding preserves to them.
At Kiwiana in Park Slope, Brooklyn, chefowner Mark Simmons features both achocolate and a fruit Lamington on his menu. For the latter he dips squares of sponge
cake into a fruit glaze, blankets them with dried coconut and then slices and fills his
dazzling cakes with fresh fruit.
“I use the fruit that’s in season and good at the time and freshly whipped cream,” says
the New Zealander, who currently offers raspberry Lamingtons at Kiwiana.
Other chefs have been known to use plum jam, lemon curd, vanilla or chocolate custard
or whipped cream as their fillings. Purists, though, leave the insides of their Lamingtons
bare.
Most agree that what makes a great Lamington is the sponge cake. “Use a delicious
sponge, perhaps a day old so it’s better able to soak up the glaze,” Simmons says.
If you’re unfamiliar with sponge cake, think about Swiss rolls, ladyfingers, Victoriasponge, trifles or tiramisu. If you’ve ever tried one of them, you’ve had sponge cake.
It’s the backbone of all these sweets.
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What differentiates sponge from other cakes is its high proportion of eggs to flour. This
gives it the airy, springy texture for which it’s known. Often butter or oil is omitted,
which increases its lightness.
To create a sponge batter, egg yolks are beaten together with granulated sugar until
fluffy. Meanwhile, egg whites are whisked until stiff and glossy. They are then slowly
folded into the yolk mixture, alternating with small amounts of sifted flour.
By whipping air into the eggs and egg whites and gently folding all the ingredients
together, the cake needs no other leavening agents. Air provides all the lift it requires.
The next time you find yourself stumped over what to take to a party or simply want a
lighter, different dessert to end the evening meal, try Lamingtons. With their ethereal
texture, delicate flavors and ease of preparation, they’re sure to make fans of you and
your guests.
Lamingtons
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Lamingtons are typically dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. Credit: Copyright 2017 Kathy Hunt
If you don’t have time to bake a sponge, you can substitute a storebought spongecake. It may not be quite as delectable as homemade, but in a pinch it’ll do.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 25 to 30 minutes
Total time: 45 to 50 minutes
Yield: 12 2inch squares
Ingredients
For the cake:
7 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup allpurpose flour, sifted
For the filling:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon goodquality strawberry or raspberry jam
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1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon good quality strawberry or raspberry jam
For the topping:
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup water
3 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 9inch springform pan with
parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla extract
until light in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the 1/3 cup sugar
and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
4. Using a spatula, gently fold a third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Once
the egg whites have been incorporated, fold in a third of the sifted flour. Repeat until
you have a soft, fluffy batter.
5. Evenly spoon the batter into the springform pan. Place the pan in the oven and
lower the temperature to 325 F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden in color and a
toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. To cool, invert the cake on a wire cooling rack. After an hour, remove the cake from
the pan. You may need to use a thin, sharp knife to separate the cake from the pan
before removing it. Cool completely before slicing. Note that you can leave the cake out
overnight uncovered before slicing and icing it
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overnight, uncovered, before slicing and icing it.
7. Using a sharp, thinbladed knife, slice the cake in half widthwise. Remove the tophalf and set aside. Spread a thin layer of jam over the other half, coating the entire topsurface. Place the top half back onto the cake.
8. Using a serrated knife, trim the edges on the cake so that you have somewhat of asquare shape. Slice the cake into 12 squares.
9. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, vanillaextract and water. Place the shredded coconut in another bowl.
10. Using a fork or tongs, dip a cake square into the chocolate glaze. Allow the excessto drip off before dunking the cake into the coconut and covering all sides with it.
11. Place the finished Lamington onto a sheet of parchment paper and allow the glazeto set. Repeat until all the Lamingtons have been made.
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Kathy Hunt
Zester Daily contributor Kathy Hunt is a food writer, cooking instructor and author of the seafood
cookbook "Fish Market." Her writings on food and travel have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Los
Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun and VegNews, among other publications. Currently she is writing the
nonfiction book "Herring: A Global History" for Reaktion Books. Kathy can also be found at
KitchenKat.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
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