I’ve never come across gluten free lamingtons in a bakery. They’re one of the cakes I stare at most, wondering how that thin, glossy chocolate coating tastes alongside the fluffy sponge and sweet jam filling. I’ve always wanted to try them and when Cherry Tree Preserves kindly sent me some of their jams, it seemed like the perfect opportunity! Amongst the box of jams were two flavours that stood out the most: gooseberry and elderflower jam and strawberry, rhubarb and vanilla jam. Seasonal, low in FODMAPs and made with good quality ingredients I knew these were to be my fillings and I got set testing sponge recipes right away. I decided on a basic fluffy vanilla sponge but thought that chocolate might overpower everything and I wanted to let the flavour of the jams shine through. Therefore these are more naked lamingtons if you will, subtle and lighter in flavour with just an icing and coconut coating.
Before we go any further – what actually is a lamington you ask? A lamington is an Australian cake, made from squares of sponge cake coated in an outer layer of chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut. The sauce is absorbed into the outside of the sponge cake and left to set, giving the cake a distinctive, delicious texture. A key point is that you need to bake the sponge the day before. This makes it easier to manage when decorating and less likely to break – even more so as these are gluten free. The following day, clear a work space, gather your decorating ingredients and follow the instructions below!
To assemble your lamingtons, place your cooked sponge on a chopping board and peel away the baking paper. Trim away the side crusts and cut the remaining cake into even squares (I went for 15, but feel free to make them bigger or smaller if you like). Then slice each square in half, so that you have 30 thin square layers. Keep them in their pairs so the next stage is easier.
For the filling, spread jam over one of the layers and sandwich the second layer on top. Put to one side and continue until all the layers are sandwiched. It’s tempting to be generous here, but go easy as you don’t want the filling to explode out into the icing (though it will still be delicious).
To make the coating, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Warm the milk and butter in a small pan until the butter has melted. Add to the icing sugar and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
Put the desiccated coconut on a shallow tray. Carefully pick up one sponge sandwich (you can use a fork but I find using my hands easier) and dip it into the icing. Once coated, lift the sponge up, wait until any excess icing has dripped away, then it place it onto the coconut tray. Press the coconut onto the surface of the icing until the outside of the sponge sandwich is covered in an even layer.
Once decorated, transfer the lamington to a wire rack and leave for 1-2 hours or until set. Repeat with the rest of your sponge sandwiches!
Ingredients
For the sponge:
225g gluten free self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon of salt
125g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
75g light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium free-range eggs, at room temperature
125ml almond milk, at room temperature
For the icing:
475g icing sugar
125ml almond milk
1 tablespoon butter
300g desiccated coconut
For the filling:
Cherry Tree Preserves Jam
Method
Make the sponge a day ahead, starting with heating your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a deep, rectangular baking tray, roughly 32cm by 22cm and put to one side.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and whisk with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and whisk once more. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding one tablespoon of the flour mix with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling if you need too.
Sift half the remaining flour over the butter mixture and gently fold to combine. Fold in half the milk. Repeat with the remaining flour, followed by the rest of the milk. You’re looking for the batter to be at dropping consistency – add a tablespoon or so more of milk if needed. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly, right into the corners of the tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes away cleanly. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack (leave the baking paper attached). Once cool, wrap in cling film or store in an airtight container and set aside overnight.
The following day, transfer the cake to a chopping board and peel away the baking paper. Trim away the side crusts and cut the remaining cake into even squares. Slice each square in half, so that you have two thin square layers. Keep them in their pairs so the next stage is easier.
Spread jam over one of the layers and sandwich the second layer on top. Put to one side and continue until all the layers are sandwiched with jam.
To make the coating, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Warm the milk and butter in a small pan until the butter has melted. Add to the icing sugar and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
Put the desiccated coconut on a shallow tray. Carefully pick up one sponge sandwich (you can use a fork but I find using my hands easier) and dip it into the icing. Once coated, lift the sponge up, wait until any excess icing has dripped away, then it place it onto the coconut tray.
Press the coconut onto the surface of the icing until the outside of the sponge sandwich is covered in an even layer.
Once decorated, transfer to a wire rack and leave for 1-2 hours or until set. Repeat with the rest of your sponge sandwiches! The finished lamingtons will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Photographs by Emma Croman!
*Jams were gifted by Cherry Tree Preserves
