Caramelised White Chocolate Lamington Slice

I love lamingtons so much. They were probably my favourite treat as a kid, and probably the only thing that contained chocolate that I genuinely really loved. 

I loved when I found a lamington at a bakery that had lovely soft icing, not the kind that set really firmly. I remember taking a Chinese exchange student who stayed with us a week or two to the local French bakery and insisted that she try one - she was only in Australia for a couple of weeks after all, and tasting a lamington is a must do when someone visits! And oddly the French bakery made very good lamingtons!

I also remember getting those small lamingtons from a packet in the supermarket in my lunch box sometimes at school. I’d probably hate them if I tried one now, but back then they felt like I had hit the lunchbox jackpot.

Quite a few years ago I realised chocolate was no friend to me, and decided I must stop eating it (in any form) to avoid the side effects I was experiencing. And one of the most difficult things to give up was lamingtons. I made them at home a couple of times (recipe here), and they are well worth the effort, but sadly not if you actually can’t eat them. 

I’ve been thinking about a white chocolate version for a while, and finally I have given it a go. I have made the whole lamington making process much more simple by making a slice rather than individual lamingtons. I have also incorporated one of my favourite things, caramelised white chocolate. Please use good quality white chocolate (Lindt couverture or similar with a cocoa butter content of around 30%) for this. 

I am really happy with how this lamington slice has turned out, and to have a new version of a lamington I can enjoy!

Let me know in the comments if you give this recipe a go!

NB. Do not try using any white ‘baking’ chocolate you can find in the baking isle at the supermarket. As these chocolates are not pure white chocolate, the caramelisation process will not work.

Caramelised White Chocolate Lamington Slice

Ingredients:

125g unsalted butter (softened) or margarine

165g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs 

250g self-raising flour

105ml milk

80g mixed berry or raspberry jam

Ingredients for the Icing: 

100g good quality white chocolate (see note above recipe)

280g icing sugar

7g unsalted butter, softened

65ml milk 

40g shredded coconut

freeze dried raspberry, about 1 tsp if powdered or 4 raspberries if whole

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a lamington tin (rectangle tin with dimensions approx. 30 x 20cm) with baking paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. 

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add half the flour and half the milk and mix. Add the remaining flour and milk and mix on medium speed until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and smooth the top. Place teaspoons of jam over the mixture, and using a knife to swirl the jam into the batter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cake is light golden in colour and springs back to the touch. 

Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

Allow to cool completely before making the icing. 

To make the icing, preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius/110 degrees Celsius fan. 

Line a small baking tray completely with foil, and place the chocolate in a single layer in the centre of the tray. 

Place in the oven for 5 minutes, then stir. Repeat every 5 minutes for about 25 minutes or until the chocolate has smoothly melted as is a lovely golden colour. 

The chocolate will seem grainy for the first 10-15 minutes, don’t worry just keep stirring every five minutes and the chocolate will become a smooth consistency again.

In the last five or so minutes you can decide how caramelised you want your chocolate - leave in the oven for an extra five minutes after stirring for a slightly deeper golden colour, and caramelised flavour. 

Once you have caramelised your chocolate place in a medium bowl, and whisk together with the icing sugar, butter and milk until it reaches a smooth consistency. Cover the cake with the icing, allowing it to fall over the sides. 

In a small bowl mix the coconut with the freeze dried raspberry (crush up any whole raspberries between your fingers before mixing), then cover the cake with the coconut. 

Cake can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Lamingtons

For those who don’t live in Australia, a lamington is made using sponge cake and coating it in chocolate icing and coconut. I think they came about at some point to use up day old sponge. They are definitely worth a try! Sometimes they are sold with a layer of jam and/or cream in the middle as well. I like my lamingtons simple, with no cream or jam. Just made with good ingredients, and probably fresh sponge! Day old sponge is great to use, I just find fresh sponge easier to work with when coating them in the icing. 

This particular recipe comes from my favourite Aussie cook, Bill Granger. I have made them a couple of times before and they have been very popular. I have altered the quantities of chocolate in the icing recipe, as I like the combination of milk and dark chocolate together better than just dark chocolate on its own. You can use whatever you like or have at home, just keep the total chocolate quantity the same. 

Any type of coconut can be used to cover the lamingtons. I really like using coconut chips, however if you can’t find them just use shredded, desiccated or flaked coconut. Also, make sure you have more coconut ready than the recipe indicates. I always find I am grabbing more handfuls of it out the bag when I am decorating the lamingtons. It’s probably just because it’s quite messy and I end up with lots of coconut all over the bench! 

I try to work quite fast when decorating the lamingtons, as the chocolate will start to set before you have used it all up. You also need to get the coconut on each one straight after it has been coated in chocolate so it will stick. Keep stirring the icing to prevent it from setting, and if you need to thin it out a little to make it more liquid, you could a little more milk or some hot water (1 tsp at a time). The icing should be a little thick however, as it will coat the lamington better than a thin icing. 

 Ingredients for the Sponge Cake: 

6 eggs 

150 g caster sugar 

200 g self-raising flour 

30 g unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp hot water

Ingredients for the Icing: 

500 g icing sugar

100 g dark chocolate melts 

100 g milk chocolate melts 

15 g unsalted butter

125 ml milk 

375 g coconut chips 

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease and line a lamington tin (rectangle tin with dimensions approx. 18 x 28 cm and about 4 cm deep). 

Beat the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The eggs should become light and fluffy in this time. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture is thick and the sugar has dissolved.

Sift in the flour and gently fold into the egg mixture with a metal spoon. Add the melted butter and hot water and gently stir to combine. 

Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared tin and bake for 30 mins, or until the sponge is golden and springs back when lightly touched. 

Once cooked, turn the sponge out onto a baking paper lined cooling rack, and allow to cool completely. 

Once the sponge has cooled, cut into squares (about 15-16). Place the coconut in a large shallow bowl, and have four forks ready. You will also need another baking paper lined cooling rack to place the freshly iced lamingtons on to dry. 

To make the icing, heat a sauce pan with a little water until it is simmering. Place all the icing ingredients (not the coconut), in to a heatproof bowl or saucepan that will fit on top of the saucepan of simmering water. Place the bowl with the ingredients over the simmering water and stir continuously until all the ingredients have melted and combined to form a smooth thick icing. Do not allow the simmering water below to touch the base of the bowl above, as the chocolate may burn. 

Remove the icing from the heat. Using two of the forks, dip one of the sponge squares into the icing. Using the remaining two forks, toss the chocolate coated sponge in the coconut, and place on the prepared rack to set. Continue with the remaining sponge squares, stirring the icing occasionally to stop it setting. 

Leave the lamingtons on the baking paper lined rack until the icing dries. They are best eaten the same day they have been made, however will store in an airtight container for a couple of days (in the fridge if the weather is particularly humid or hot). 

Recipe originally from Bill Granger ‘Everyday’  (Murdoch Books, 2006), p.192.