'LAMINGTON' LAYER CAKE

'LAMINGTON' LAYER CAKE

This layer cake is inspired by the Aussie lamington. It's not spongey and light like the traditional lamington, it's more rich, moist and buttery, with a real chocolate in the ganache topping rather than the usual thin cocoa powder based icing and a buttercream filling rather than a simple whipped cream. With oozing raspberry, strawberry and vanilla bean jam, and an outer crust of coconut, it certainly ticks the boxes for some of those unique lamington flavour combinations that make it an Australian favourite.

‘LAMINGTON’ LAYER CAKE

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

375g unsalted butter (soft - room temperature)

3 cups caster sugar

5 extra large eggs (free range always)

3 cups plain flour (sifted)

3 teaspoons baking powder (sifted and combined with flour)

125 g butter milk

125g milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Buttercream frosting

250g unsalted butter (soft – room temperature)

500g pure icing sugar – sifted

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

50g thickened cream

RASPBERRY/STRAWBERRY JAM

SHREDDED COCONUT

Ganache topping

150g dark chocolate

100g thickened cream

60g unsalted butter

METHOD

Cake

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, gently beating until just combined.

Combine buttermilk, milk and vanilla together.

Gently and slowly add 1/3 of milk mixture, beat until combined

Gently and slowly fold through 1/3 of the flour/baking powder mixture, until combined.

Continue adding milk and flour mixes, alternating, and finish off with flour last.

Pour into 3 cake tins, around 18cm diameter, lined with baking paper and sprayed with vegetable oil.

Bake at 165-170°c, until no longer liquid in the centre, and lightly golden in colour. Cool in cake tin.

Buttercream

Beat softened butter for a few minutes until and light and creamy

Add icing sugar, ½ cup at a time, and beat at high speed after each addition.

Finally, add vanilla and thickened cream, adding extra cream if a softer consistency is desired.

Chocolate ganache topping

Melt all ingredients together until just melted (either in microwave or bowl over simmering water), let cool slightly.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

Starting with one cake, top with 1/3 of the buttercream frosting, then spread with 1/3 cup of jam.

Place second cake on top of buttercream and jam, then spread the cake with 1/3 of the buttercream, and 1/3 cup of the jam.

Place remaining cake, with base facing up, on top of the buttercream and jam, then ‘crumb ’coat the assembled cake with a thin layer of the remaining buttercream.

Place cake in freezer for at least a few hours.

When cake is very cold and buttercream firm, cover cake with warm ganache, then press shredded coconut against ganache to stick.