Chocolate Coconut covered Sponge Cake (Lamingtons)

Let's get started with with this wonderful snack that is very popular in Australia-- the Lamington.  It's a delectable sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut that can be enjoyed by itself or as an afternoon snack with tea or coffee.

Feel free to use cake flour or regular flour and add baking powder.  Also, I used a combination of dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate to give a richer taste.  Unsweetened shredded coconut  may be difficult to locate but I did find that Whole Foods carries it.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour (If using cake flour, do not add baking powder. If using regular all-purpose flour, add baking powder)

2 Tsp of baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup of milk (whole or 1%)

1 stick of butter, melted

3/4 cup of sugar

2 Tsp vanilla extract

Topping: 

2 cups of confectioner's sugar

3 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or breaks of chocolate bar

1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate

1-1/2 Tbsp of butter, room temperature

1 Tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13" x 9" pan with parchment paper and generously cover the parchment paper with cooking oil spray or butter. In one bowl, combine sugar, butter and vanilla and mix with a handheld mixing beater for about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and continue to use the mixing beater on low speed.  Slowly add the flour to the same bowl and gently mix together with a spoon.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick shows no more wet ingredients in the pan.  Cool the cake out of the pan, by lifting the parchment paper and either placing the cake on a wire rack or on a clean baking sheet.  I would recommend making the sponge cake the night before but if you decide to make it in the morning, you'll be able to start the topping by the afternoon/evening.  

For the topping, combine the butter, chocolate and vanilla extract in a saucepan over low heat and continuously mix so that the chocolate doesn't burn.  Gradually add confectioner's sugar to the saucepan and continue to stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. The process takes about 12-15 minutes, depending upon your stove.  Remove from the stove and you can begin dipping the sponge cakes.  The 13"x9" pan can be divided into 24 squares.  A few of mine came out a little odd due to my crooked cutting technique. Dip each square into the chocolate and then into the coconut and place back on a clean baking sheet so that the chocolate can harden.

These will not last long in your house. Enjoy them!