Lamington Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 10 people
This recipe is best started the day before
For cake
Cooking time: 40 minutes
- 1 1/4 cups/310ml/11flozs. whole milk
- 1 stick/113g butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups/300g/10.6ozs cake flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 3/4 cups/385g/13.6ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Milk Soak
- 150g/5ozs evaporated milk
-
150g/5ozs sweetened condensed milk
-
30ml/1oz whole milk
Chocolate Coating
- 125g/4ozs dark or milk chocolate
- 100ml/3.5flozs thickened cream
- 1 cup/85g/3ozs desiccated or shredded coconut
Cream Filling
- 280g/9.8ozs strawberry or raspberry jam
- 50g/1.7ozs cream cheese
- 60g/2ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup/250ml/8.8flozs thickened cream
*Cake flour can be bought at the supermarket. You can also make it at home. To make 1 cup/150g/5.2ozs of cake flour replace 2 tablespoons of plain all purpose flour with cornflour/fine cornstarch and whisk well. I usually mix up a big batch of this and keep it in a container ready for baking cakes as it produces a softer texture.
Step 1 - Line a 20cm/8inch round tin (not springform) on the base and sides with parchment. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. In a saucepan heat the milk and butter until the butter has melted and stir in the salt (do not boil, just scald the milk). Set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
Step 2 - In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes until syrupy thick and very pale yellow (almost white). Add the hot milk mixture and whisk for 15 seconds or until incorporated. Then fold in the flour mixture on low speed in four lots until smooth (do not overmix). It will be a very liquidy batter. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or until the centre springs back when gently pressed. Cool in the tin overnight if you have time.
Step 3 - Whisk the evaporated, condensed and regular milk together in a jug. Slice the cake in half horizontally and place each layer on a plate with a rim. Poke holes in each cake half with a skewer, especially around the edge where the cake can be a bit dry. Pour the milk mixture across each cake gradually. I pour a bit, let it soak and then pour more. Don't add it all at once and if you feel like it can't absorb everything stop adding it. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to soak it all up.
Step 4 - Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and then heat the cream until almost boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and place a plate over the bowl. Leave to sit for 5 minutes. Then stir the cream into the chocolate. It should be smooth with no lumps. If there are still lumps, microwave the mixture for 30 seconds at 75% temperature and mix until smooth. Sit for 5 minutes or until it starts to become thicker and spreadable.
Step 5 - Spread the chocolate around the sides of the bottom cake half and press coconut into the sides before the chocolate sets. Repeat with the top half of the cake. Place the bottom layer on a cake stand or plate. Add more milk mixture now if you think the cake can take it. Spread jam over the bottom half.
Step 6 - Make the stabilised whipped cream. Place the cream cheese and sugar in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until combined (around 1 minute). Add the cream and vanilla and whisk until peaks form that can hold their shape. Be careful not to overwhip. If you see it starting to overwhip and start to become grainy, add 2-3 tablespoons of cream to the mixture and whisk this in. Place in a piping bag fitted with a #867 or French star tip. Pipe circles around the edge of the cake and then in the centre. Then add the top cake layer.
This cake must be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.