It’s a day to get together with your mates, fire up the barbecue and eat your body weight in snags, steaks and salad. You’ll also need some classic Aussie desserts to sweeten the celebration. These delicious Lamington cupcakes are the ideal dessert to bring along. They bring a modern twist to this classic Australian confection, plus they are a cinch to make and will go down easier than Pamela Anderson. Serve them with a Lamington Cocktail and you will be instantly popular!
LAMINGTON CUPCAKES with Chocolate Icing
MAKES 12
Ingredients
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup strawberry jam
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350°F).
2. While eggs are cold, separate them, placing the yolks in one bowl and whites in another. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, beat butter and ¾ cup of sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix again.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two parts, alternating with milk, and mix until all is combined.
6. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tarter and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until combined. Do not overmix.
7. Evenly fill muffin cups with batter and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool.
8. Core the centre of your cupcakes and fill with strawberry jam before frosting.
CHOCOLATE ICING
2 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
3 tablespoons milk
10g butter, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
1. Mix icing sugar and cocoa powder together till combined. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add sugar and cocoa mixture and milk and stir. Add more milk if you need and stir until turns into a smooth paste. Take off heat. Place coconut in a bowl.
2. Dip the cupcakes in the chocolate icing and top with shredded coconut. Decorate with a little Aussie flag
