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.

CHRISTMAS LAMINGTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat sugar and 1/2 cup plus 1 3/4 teaspoons butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift flour and salt together in a bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the sugar-butter mixture. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to form a soft batter. Spread batter evenly into a shallow 10x14-inch baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
• Turn cake out onto a rack to cool, at least 10 minutes. Cut into 30 squares.
• Place dried coconut in a bowl. Combine 3 cups confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon boiling water, and 2 tablespoons butter in a separate bowl. Add more boiling water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until icing is fairly runny. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and red food coloring.
• Line a tray with waxed paper. Pick up a cake square using a fork and coat it in the icing. Allow excess icing to drip off. Coat the cake in coconut; place on the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining cake squares. Allow icing to set for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.