I had my first lamington, with its extra large, fluffy sponge, in my favourite local cafe. I’ve made a few variations since then, but this is a regular. I’ll be honest, the dipping and coating is a messy job, so make sure the cake is completely cool before doing so, to avoid a crumbly mess.
Lemon and pistachio lamingtons
Prep 40 min, plus cooling
Cook 35 min
Makes 12-16
200g unsalted butter, softened
200g caster sugar
Zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
3 large eggs
240g plain flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
60ml milk, at room temperature
To dip and coat
60g white chocolate, finely chopped
200ml double cream
2 tbsp lemon curd
100g pistachios, finely ground
75g desiccated coconut
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/gas 4 and line a 23cm x 23cm baking tin with baking paper.
Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest for three to five minutes until pale and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a second bowl, then pour half of it into the butter mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the milk, followed by the rest of the flour mix, then pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, then remove and leave to cool completely.
To make the sauce, put the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Gently heat the cream and lemon curd in a small saucepan until steaming hot, just before it comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let it sit for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth and the chocolate has completely melted. Set aside to cool.
Mix the pistachios and desiccated coconut in a large, shallow dish. Once the cake has cooled, use a sharp knife to cut the sponge equally into 16 squares (if you prefer them larger, cut into 12).
Dip each cake into the chocolate sauce, coating it on all sides and letting any excess drip off, then roll in the pistachio and coconut mixture. Once all the cakes are coated, leave them to set for at least half an hour before serving.
