Raspberry Coconut Lamingtons (Printable)
Sponge squares coated in raspberry jam and coconut — a fruity Australian treat.
# What You Need:
→ Sponge Cake
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup milk
→ Raspberry Coating
09 - 2/3 cup raspberry jam
10 - 1/3 cup hot water
→ Coconut Coating
11 - 2 cups desiccated coconut
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
02 - Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with milk. Fold gently until just combined — avoid overmixing.
05 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
06 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Once fully cooled, trim the edges and cut the cake into 12 even squares. Place squares in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up for easier coating.
08 - Warm raspberry jam with hot water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth and pourable. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
09 - Spread desiccated coconut in a separate shallow bowl. Set up a wire rack over a baking sheet for draining.
10 - Dip each frozen cake square into the warm raspberry mixture, turning to coat all sides. Allow excess to drip off, then roll in desiccated coconut, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the wire rack.
11 - Let the coated lamingtons set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The raspberry coating is far less fussy than traditional chocolate ganache and somehow tastes even more indulgent.
- You can freeze the cake squares ahead of time, making the messy dipping step surprisingly manageable on a quiet weekend morning.
02 -
- Skipping the freezer step before dipping will result in cake squares that crumble apart in the jam, turning your neat lamingtons into a raspberry flavored mess.
- If your jam coating is too thick, add another tablespoon of hot water because a coating that is too stiff will pull the sponge apart instead of gliding over it.
03 -
- Use two forks to dip and roll the cake squares so your fingers never touch the sticky coating, which keeps both your hands and your lamingtons looking presentable.
- Day old sponge cake actually works better than fresh because it has had time to firm up, making it more resilient during the dipping process.