A little bit of a twist on the most delicious traditional treat Australians have shared with the world. Who would have thought spongecake, chocolate and coconut would be such a magical combination?
An Australian, that’s who 🙂
The spongecake is dense, but soft and rich, and when it melts onto your tongue along with the white chocolate, you melt right with it – just like any dessert should make you!
Happy Australia Day mes cheris! Wait no, let me try that again. Can’t really be my what-I-remember-of-French person (I’ll leave that till Bastille Day shall I?)
Now, take deux. I mean two! 😉
Happy Australia Day mates! Toss some sausages on the barbie will ya?
Aaah… much better 😛
This year, Australia Day (at least for me) is all over the shop. I suppose not all over the shop in a bad way at all, just very different.
Hence the title of this post.
Instead of meet ups with friends, and fireworks in the city, I am quietly chilling at home with my mum while my dad is in India. Yeah, it is kinda weird not having everyone around on a holiday day.
Especially since public holidays, when my daddy doesn’t work, are so exciting cos we usually stay up a little later the night before (though I will tell you now, the usual stay up time is 10:30pm 😛 ) – Still though!
Besides that, my family isn’t exactly in its usual state either. Firstly grandma’s ankle is slightly fractured so she’s barely moving around the house, and I have gotten used to the noises of her and my mother ‘exchanging words’ in the kitchen at all hours of the day.
This silence is a bit unnerving to be honest, though I suppose it’ll start up soon enough!
Also, my brother (like tradition), has gone out to chill with his mates and devour his weight’s worth of meat dishes, but when he comes home it will be just for a second before he has to leave for his internship, which is interstate.
My question, really, is where is everyone on Australia Day?
If that weren’t enough to make me question the very essence of January in 2015, today is. not. hot. Now I don’t know if you understand this, but when it is nearing the end of January in Australia, we expect heat waves.
Oodles and oodles of nature’s warm breath causing windows to fog up from humidity and my hair to clump and stick into an unnatural afro of epic proportions.
We expect Bondi Beach to be packed to the tee with so much sand being carried back home in people’s swimwear that half the beach is bare come nighttime.
And it has been so ridiculously hot that movement (such as getting out of bed) causes the sweats to start, each day this past week until BAM – Australia Day hits.
And now today, it is quite pleasantly cloudy, with rain the night before and a chill in the air so that a cardi would not go amiss. Um, I’m sorry WHAT? The one day we expect heat, if not insist for it (since nothing is more Australian than summer), the weather listens to our pleas for cool air.
Um… thank you?
Despite this waaay different Australia Day for me personally, Australian citizens themselves are keeping the traditions going true blue (see what I did there?) 😀 Just check out all the adventures you could get up to today all over the country!
And it is just the tip of the dirtberg (because the idea of icebergs in Australia is a joke, we are not that close to Antarctica!)
#Strayaandproud 😀
Everywhere you look there are cheesy party picks all over the country, from inflatable kangaroos (unless you have real ones in your backyard) to novelty flags flying around and that really does add to the atmosphere!
Despite having so much to do to join the nation in celebrating our special day, I decided to celebrate the fact that my Australia Day is all over the place this year by twisting a classic dessert!
National colours meet Coconut. Coconut meet Lamington. Oh you’ve met before? ‘Course ya have ya litl buggers! That was my mistake 😛
Why not get your green and gold on and join me on this holiday with some extra special dessert? 😀
Or, try a few of these recipes on for size 🙂
Enjoy and hope you all had a marvellous long weekend *muah muah*
Green & Gold Lamingtons
Barely Adapted From: Little White Lamington Recipe
Ingredients:
Spongecake
- 250g butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 4 eggs
- 150g caster sugar
- 100g brown sugar (light)
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2/3 cup self raising flour
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup full cream milk
Icing + Decoration
- 1 cup full cream milk
- 300g white chocolate chips
- 800g icing sugar/mixture, sifted
- 1 large packet desiccated coconut
- Green and yellow food colouring
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a 20 by 30cm baking tin with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars till light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and essence and beat in till creamy.
- Sift the flours together into a bowl containing the almond meal.
- With the setting on low, tbs by tbs, beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the 1/4 cup full cream milk.
- Beat till just combined and then spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or till a skewer inserted comes out clean and the cake is golden brown.
- Let cool in tin for 10 minutes before moving onto a wire rack to cool completely (if you can refrigerate it after cooling that is better)
- Cut cooled cake into around 20 squares.
- Divide the desiccated coconut between two plates and add in a few drops of green food colouring to one, and yellow to the other. Use your hands to massage the colour through the two dishes of coconut.
- Make icing: In a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the white chocolate and full cream milk together. Stir until smooth, remove from heat and stir through the sifted icing mixture until a smooth icing forms (it will not be thin)
- One at a time, use a fork to dip the cake into the icing till coated (do not leave it long, otherwise the cake will break apart from too much softness).
- Gently shake off excess icing and choose a colour of coconut to dip it into it. I rolled it through the coconut using the fork and a spoon carefully, till the icing is completely covered by the coconut.
- Let sit on a wire rack to dry and continue the process till the cake pieces, coconut or icing finishes.
- Refrigerate in a box lined with baking paper, or serve (best served at room temperature).
Disclaimer: Go Bake Yourself collaborated with eBay and dgm on this post. However, any opinions expressed are honest and her own.
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What awesome lammos! Love the colours, very Aussie.
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These look like fluffy marshmallows :p so cute!
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OMG so cute- they look like fluffy marshmallows 🙂
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I think these are the most patriotic lamingtons I’ve seen! I’d love to actually maybe try making pandan lamingtons…now that would be an awesome green colour!
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Happy belated Australia Day. With all the upheaval in your world, good thing you had some nice treats!
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Look at all those colorful Lamingtons, yum!
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Love learning something new….I’ve never heard of Lamington. You’ve sold me on them. Yours look very moist and coconut y. YUM!
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Happy belated Australian Day! Must you bake stuff that’s so inviting? I wish I lived near you somewhere…..but then again I have enough on my plate trying to get the pounds I have gained in last few months. The colors of thos lamingtons are beautiful.
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Happy belated Australia Day!! I love the green and gold coconut. 🙂 I would definitely eat one of each. 🙂
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They looks fabulous! What a way to celebrate! Hope you had the best Australia Day! x
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I’ve never heard of Lamington’s before. I really enjoyed learning about them, and Australia Day! Thank you for sharing!!
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I love the colors of your lamingtons. They look like they would be a dessert cheery dish to have on a cold day here in New York.
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I haven’t tried lamington yet, I need, love this Australian national colored lamington, sure it is delicious.
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What a brilliant twist on Lamingtons! They look amazing. I hope your grandma is already feeling better.
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I hope you had a great Australia Day, CCU! Your little coconut-coated Lamingtons look so delicious! Since the green and gold are our football team’s colors these would be fun to bring to a playoff party next year 🙂
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Hope you had a great Australia Day! Looks like a delicious way to celebrate.
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I wish we had heat waves at the end of January here in Atlanta – Clearly, I am in the wrong hemisphere!
GAH!
I ❤ these Lamingtons – I've heard so much about them – but never had one – boyoboy do they look scrumptious!
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these beauties are just one of the reasons i love australia!!
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Sorry to read about your Grandma’s ankle…hope she’s up and about soon.
Happy Australia Day! Your lamingtons look delicious!
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Lamington’s are on my bucket list to make – I’m marking yours b/c the crumb on those cakes looks so soft!!
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A Happy Australia Day!!
These gold and green tinted lamingtons look so pretty… will be making a batch for our nephews sometime…they love the chocolate coated ones.That sponge cake you baked looks so good…we wanted to have a bite….a beautiful recipe as always,thanks 🙂
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I WANT THAT PILLOWY HEAVEN IN MY MOUTH!!! 😦 Can you make it gluten and sugar free please???
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Hi Uru, your lamingtons look wonderful, Happy Austraiian Dayt!!!
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What festive Lamingtons Uru!!! I’m sorry your Australia Day wasn’t filled with the usual festivities. You sure wouldn’t know by the looks of these delicate pillows of goodness. I do hope your grandmother’s ankle is on the mend. I’m sure there will be boisterous conversations in the kitchen very soon:)
I totally missed wishing my Australian blogging pals a Happy Day. Sorry about that. (well at least I did on my blog:) Any time you get tired of those balmy nights or days for that matter, you can send some of that heat this way. We’d gladly swap you for some snow, lol…Thanks so much for sharing, Uru. Hope things get back to “normal” soon:)
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Despite the quiet Australia Day, I hope it was special. Your lamingtons look perfect for the occasion!!!
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Happy Australia Day! These look lovely, I’ve not had lamingtons for a long time!
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Happy Australia Day…please send us any extra heat waves ASAP (we just got 2 feet of snow yesterday!). I’ve never heard of these but they look very yummy and fun.
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Very new to me but they look fabulous…I’m sure they taste great:)
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This looks so yummy, and I had no idea it was Australian! CRAZY!! Thanks for sharing! ❤ – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
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Happy Belated Australia Day! I miss Australia! I saw some raw vegan Lamingtons somewhere, but they look incredibly colorful!
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That’s really taking sponge cake to the next level–love!!
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Happy Australia Day! i’d love to try your lamingtons… I thought they were colorful marshmallows at first glance!
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This is fantastic! Love the cheerful colours 😀
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Lamingtons are the best! Love the colours too. Happy belated Australia Day 🙂
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Hope you had a lovely Australia day! I’m not such a fan of desiccated coconut so I have not tried lamingtons. Your lamingtons look like a great (and colourful) way to celebrate Australia day.
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Just learned about lamingtons and have fallen in love. You’ve done good stuff here!
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Dude, my birthday is on Australia day! I definitely should have made this!
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Three cheers for your super Aussie green and gold lamingtons! They are awesome!!!
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Ooh I always wanted to make Lamingtons! These are so pretty! It’s funny to hear you talk about how hot it is when we have snow! 🙂
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Happy Belated Auzzie Day CCU! Not only do your lamingtons look festive but so moist inside. Great little cake. I have tried many of these here in HK but yours looks heaps better.
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So this is how Lamingtons look like! Never knew what they were until today. Thanks for the education. And Happy Australia Day (belated)! Green and gold – winners!
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What a nifty idea with the green and gold lamingtons!! 😀
Happy Australia Day Uru! (although it has passed…)
and I hope your grandmas ankle gets well soon!
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I’m trying to figure out why I’ve never heard of this dessert… but I am so in love with it now :). Thanks for the introduction
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What lovely lamingtons! Happy Australia Day!
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Happy Australia Day! These look great and I’m only slightly jealous of your bloody heatwaves in January.
From a shivering English person in 6 layers, at her desk, with a hot water bottle.
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Happy Straya Day ol mate. Sounds like yours was a quiet one, wasn’t feeling it much this year either. The weather wasn’t great in the Berra. Sigh! I did have me a barbie, ate snags, and downed a VB #lies (I cracked the VB for a photo) I got in a spot of sun baking, played cricket and settled in for a few episodes of Home & Away. So Australian, I am! 🙂
Your lamingtons are freakin gorgeous, love the colours, so much prettier than the traditional kind.
Have a happy week lovely lady.
Cheers,
Anna
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Happy Australia Day Uru! Lovely looking lamington and I love your colourful twist on them! 😀
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Happy Australia Day Uru! Great looking Lamingtons and beautiful colors too!
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Loving the green & gold! I could eat Lamingtons all day and these must be seriously good (not forgetting) patriotic too! Hope your straya day was awesome 🙂
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Happy Australia day! These cute little lamingtons look delicious! Definitely a magical combination!
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What an interesting take on traditional lamingtons Uru 🙂
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Mmm, Australia Day looks yummy! We had our first lamington last year at a fair. 🙂 Yours are so pretty!
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Happy day to you, CCU! I would love a little bit of this cake! Happy celebrating!
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love the green and gold lamingtons! I agree – yesterday’s cold weather was just not right! Here’s to getting back to reality after the long weekend #dontWanna
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I love anything coconut, so these lamingtons look so wonderful! I SO wish I could have one right now. =) Happy Australia Day!!!
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Wow! Wow! Wow! Look at those! 😀 They look fabulous. Uru! Happy Australia Day my friend! xo
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Ohhh yum yum yum yummmm.
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I have no idea what those are ;-), CCU, but I love them!
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Happy Australia Day! If you’re not happy with your cardigan weather, I’ll gladly trade you the blizzard happening outside my window. 😛
These lamingtons are so cute. They look like perfect party treats! 😀
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Happy Straya Day 🙂
Love the coloured laminations, very patriotic, and delicious!
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Such crazy colorful lamingtons! I’ve never seen them in any hue other than white or pink, so I love your unique palate here. It looks positively spring-y. 🙂
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Happy Australia Day! These Lamingtons look like a tasty way to celebrate. 🙂
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Gosh, these colourful treats are so inviting!
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Happy Australia Day! These little bites of coconut goodness make me hungry!
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Happy Australia Day, mate! 🙂 Such a fun post and educational, too! The colors are lovely and festive! Hope your Grandmother isn’t hobbling for too long!
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Love your green and gold lamingtons. Happy Australia Day!
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You’ve having a cold wave? Well, a somewhat warm wave? Amazing for this time of the year. Thoroughly fun post. Happy Australia Day!
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These green and gold lamingtons look fabulous! Happy Australia day!
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Gorgeous lamingtons! That green one looks particularly good, Uru.
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I thought these were marshmallows!! So pretty!! even better surprise they are not. Happy Aussie Day!!
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Lamingtons are popular in South Africa as well. 🙂 Yours look lovely!!
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G’day Happy Australia Day and love your green and gold spirit always!
Cheers! Joanne
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I remember seeing all the signs in the world for Australia DAY! Too bad I wasn’t in Australia when the celebrations were taking place! 😦
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Love Lamingtons, and your green and gold look just beautiful. Happy Australia day!!
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I love the Australian national colours of your lamingtons. And I know they taste good too. 🙂
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