Ingredients
Lamington Cake
- 2 2/3 cups (320g) all-purpose flour*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons or 170g) unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (180g) milk, at room temperature
Ganache
- 1 cup (240 g) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (34 g) Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 8 ounces (240g) good quality chocolate, about 55-60% cocoa mass content
Finishing
- 1 jar (13-15 oz) raspberry fruit spread or jam
- 1 cup desiccated coconut (find in bulk or health section of grocery store)
- Few raspberries for decoration
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or butter and flour it and set aside.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix soft butter and sugar until well combined. Add one egg at a time waiting for previously added egg to be fully incorporated and ensuring that mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add yolk.
- Add vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Alternately add flour and milk in 2-3 increments, starting with and ending with flour.
- Scrape batter into pan and place in oven and bake until center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger, about 37-38 minutes.
- Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle turn upside down onto a plastic food film-lined countertop.
- Meanwhile, make chocolate ganache. If chocolate is in chip form, place in a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients. If in bar form, cut into small chip-size pieces and place into a bowl.
- In a saucepan bring heavy cream and sugar to a boil, pour onto chocolate, whisk smooth, and set aside.
- Remove cake from pan. Cut cake lengthwise in half. If the cake has domed (uneven surface), it is best to cut off the dome using a serrated knife so the top is even.
- Cut each cake horizontally in half. By doing so you will have obtained 4 layers in total.
- Place a cake layer on a large sheet of parchment paper or a plastic food film-lined counter.
- Spread 1/3 of raspberry fruit spread onto the first cake layer. Cover with another cake layer and spread with more fruit spread. Repeat with third cake layer and cover it with the remaining fourth layer.
- Chocolate ganache should have sufficiently cooled and have the consistency of frosting. If needed, place it briefly in the refrigerator. If it was left too long in the fridge it will be too firm to spread. If this happens, place it in the microwave and heat for 5-10 seconds at a time to soften.
- Set aside a small amount of ganache for decorating. Spread ganache on top and sides of stacked cake layers.
- Sprinkle top and sides with plenty of desiccated coconut.
- Flip cake on its side to frost bottom and coat with coconut. Flip cake back to its previous position.
- Decorate the surface with ganache and fresh raspberries.