Last week I promised my work mates some baked goods on Friday. I was keen to do something with chocolate (oh how unlike me right?), but I wanted a recipe where I didn’t have to go and buy lots of ingredients. I’ve been going through my massive magazine collection and found this cake that looked yumo!

Typical me doesn’t read instructions all that well and added ALL the vanilla into the cake and wondered why it was asking to put more vanilla in the icing! So folks, if you are going to make this one, pay attention as to how much vanilla goes into the cake!

It was yum! Whilst for some reason when I took my first taste I was a bit upset as it wasn’t as soft and spongy like a lamington, I had to remind myself it was actually a “cake”. Everyone who got a slice loved it.

If you want, you can slice it in half and put in cream and jam.

Lamington Cake
Valli Little & Amanda Biffin

190g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla bean pasta or vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 1/3 cups (350g) self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup (250ml) milk
220g dark chocolate
1 cup (25oml) thickened cream
1 cup desiccated or shredded coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake pan.

2. Process butter and sugar in a processor for 2 minutes until light. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, pulsing after each until just combined.

3. In 3 alternating batches, add flour and milk, pulsing to combine. Pour into pan and bake for 55-60 minutes until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto a rack to cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, stir chocolate, cream and remaining vanilla in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until smooth (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Chill for 20 minutes to thicken. Spread this icing over the cake, then sprinkle top and sides with coconut.

Serves 8-10.