Friday, January 27, 2012

Lamington Angel Cakes

It is not uncommon for me to decide on something I'd like to bake, only to realise at the last minute I'm missing an ingredient. Sometimes it's a crucial one, other times I google madly to look for substitute ingredients to finish the job. Definitely mastering the art of improvisation around here. I had my heart set on making lamingtons for Australia Day and the proverbial missing ingredient happened to be corn flour. I wasn't too comfortable with any substitutes I found online, so resigned to making a totally different sweet.

Until I remembered an alternative recipe I'd used years ago, from a Women's Weekly Cupcakes pocket book. Sure enough, I had every ingredient required... and it meant using four less eggs than I would have in the official lamington recipe. The result was a delightful cupcake version. These remind me of the old butterfly cakes, which I loved as a child. Whilst mine didn't turn out looking quite as angelic as the name suggests (or as the picture in the book demonstrated), they tasted every bit as ethereal. Sweet, soft, flavoursome little morsels, that certainly did the trick for an Australia Day treat. 

Lamington Angel Cakes

90g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
1/4 cup (80g) jam (raspberry or strawberry) 
1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream, whipped

Chocolate Icing

10g butter
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
2 cups (320g) icing sugar
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 180/160 degrees for fan-forced
Line 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases
Combine butter, vanilla extract, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in small bowl
Beat on low speed using electric mixer, until ingredients are just combined
Increase speed to medium; beat until mixture is changed to a paler colour
Divide mixture among cases, smooth surface
Bake about 20 minutes
Turn cakes top-side up onto wire rack to cool
Meanwhile make chocolate icing
Remove cakes from cases
Dip cakes into chocolate icing
Drain of excess; toss cakes in coconut
Stand cakes on wire rack to set
Cut cakes as desired; fill with jam and cream

Chocolate Icing

Melt butter in medium heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water
Stir in milk and sifted icing sugar and cocoa until icing is of a coating consistency



Naturally, I also didn't have any cream on hand 
either... then I recalled my Philadelphia gift packcontaining 
a tub of the new Philadelphia Cream for Desserts... and I was set!

16 comments:

  1. These look fab Julie, I have always wanted to make them! x

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  2. Oh honey, I could annihilate a tray of those right now. They look delish! x

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  3. Julie you have done it again...they look fab...love butterfly/angel/lammington cupcakes!!

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  4. These look like the nicest lamingtons i have ever seen! usually they look kind of dried up and hard! great way to end the australia day week!!! just wish i was more into cooking than i am... i feel so envious when others are putting up their yummy recipes and pretty food pictures!! Hope you have had a great week!!!
    laura xxx

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  5. These look so yummy!! and much better than boring old lammingtons :) I'm definitely going to try those!!!

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  6. Beautiful!
    You have the signature of a true baker - versatility & creativity.
    (I, by the way, do not!)
    :-) x

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  7. They look delicious! And Philly on a lamington - who would of thought - brilliant! Am saving this recipe to my favourites.

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  8. Yum! They look delicious! Might have to try that recipe sometime...
    Hope your Australia day was really fun!

    Rach x

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  9. Holy moly they look good! What a fab take on a Aussie classic. I'm going to have to try this recipe. xx

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  10. How delicious do they look!!!??? OMG!

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  11. These look & sound delicious - perfect for Australia Day!
    x
    Melissah

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  12. scrum-diddly-umptious!! these look so good julie. lamington has been a favourite of mine since a child. thanks for the recipe. xo.

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