Description
These Raspberry Lamingtons are a delightful twist on the classic Australian treat, featuring light and fluffy hot milk sponge cake squares dipped in a luscious raspberry glaze and coated in desiccated coconut. Perfect for tea time or dessert, they offer a balance of tender crumb, tangy raspberry flavor, and sweet coconut crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Hot Milk Sponge Cake
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- 2 cups cake flour (220 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Raspberry Glaze and Coating
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1¼ cup water (divided)
- 10 ounces frozen raspberries (thawed)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (250 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Warm the eggs: Place the eggs, still in their shells, into a bowl of warm water to gently warm them up. This step helps the eggs whip to a higher volume for a lighter sponge cake. Let them sit while preparing pans and other ingredients.
- Prepare the pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch square cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper to ensure the cakes release easily after baking.
- Warm milk and butter: In a saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and butter until the butter melts completely. Keep this mixture warm on the lowest heat setting while whisking the eggs.
- Beat eggs and sugar: Crack the warmed eggs into a large mixing bowl and add 2 cups (400 grams) of granulated sugar. Beat on high speed for 8 to 15 minutes until the mixture has tripled in volume and turned pale yellow, forming a thick, airy base.
- Fold in dry ingredients: Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt over the whipped egg mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients in with a spatula just until barely combined, leaving some flour streaks visible to avoid deflating the batter.
- Combine milk mixture: Stir the vanilla extract into the warm milk and butter, then slowly pour this into the batter. Fold carefully by hand to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly without deflating the mixture.
- Divide and bake: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 34 minutes, checking at 30 minutes by inserting a toothpick which should come out clean when done.
- Cool the cakes: Once baked, place the pans on a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans before removing.
- Prepare gelatin: Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over ¼ cup of water in a small dish and let it soften for 5 minutes.
- Cook raspberry syrup: Heat the remaining 1 cup of water and 1 cup (200 grams) of granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the thawed raspberries and cook for 5–8 minutes.
- Strain syrup: Pour the cooked raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard raspberry solids left in the strainer.
- Activate gelatin: Microwave the softened gelatin mixture for about 10 seconds until syrupy, then whisk it into the raspberry syrup until fully dissolved.
- Make raspberry glaze: Sift powdered sugar into a bowl, then gradually whisk in the raspberry syrup until smooth. Add red food coloring if desired. Chill the glaze in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Prepare cakes for coating: Trim the cooled cakes’ edges with a sharp knife and cut into 2-inch squares (or preferred size). Place the squares on a plate and freeze for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Set up dredging station: Place the chilled raspberry glaze in one bowl and the desiccated coconut in another to create a two-bowl coating system.
- Glaze and coat cakes: Remove cake squares from the freezer. Holding each piece with a fork, spoon raspberry glaze over all sides, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Then, spoon coconut over all sides of the glazed cake. Place each coated square on a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
- Chill to set: After coating all lamington squares, refrigerate them on the baking sheet for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the glaze to fully set before serving.
Notes
- Warming the eggs before whipping helps achieve a lighter, more voluminous sponge.
- Be careful not to overfold the batter once flour is added; this keeps the sponge light and airy.
- Freezing the cake squares before glazing helps them maintain shape and prevents them from absorbing too much glaze.
- Use fresh or thawed frozen raspberries for best flavor in the glaze.
- The red food coloring is optional and simply enhances the raspberry glaze’s color.
- Store finished lamingtons in the refrigerator, covered, and consume within 2-3 days for optimal freshness.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 34 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Australian
Keywords: Raspberry Lamingtons, Lamington recipe, Raspberry dessert, Coconut cake, Australian dessert, Hot milk sponge cake, Raspberry glaze
