Chocolate Lamington Cake

 

Well, it's happened. I am now officially another year older than I was yesterday. How did that happen. I supposed it doesn't really matter . . . it just did. 

Yes, today is my birthday and I am 54, which, technically speaking, is still closer to 50 than it is to 60, which is not a bad thing. 

 

Next year I suppose I will be on the downhill slope towards 60 . . . which I'm not going to think about today.
 

Today is about indulging myself. 

 

You can't have a Birthday without cake can you? 

 

You can't have a Birthday without chocolate can you? 

 

I didn't think so. Especially when you are talking about a cake as delicious as this one is.

 

Chocolate cake with a rich fudge icing, rolled in sweet coconut.  Filled with whipped cream and garnished with more whipped cream.

Chocolate cake doesn't get much better than this. Happy Birthday to me. 

 

*Chocolate Lamington Cake*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Oh, this is such a pretty little cake. Just perfect for a tea party or a little girl's fete. Squidgy chocolate cake, covered in a fudge icing and coconut, with whipped cream piped throughout makes it pretty hard to resist!

170g butter, plus extra for buttering the pan (3/4 cup)
170g caster sugar (14 TBS)
3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
170g self raising flour (generous 1 1/2 cups)
2 TBS cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate)
1 1/2 ounces plain chocolate, broken into pieces
(I like Green and Blacks Organic)
5 TBS milk
1 tsp butter
85g icing sugar (you may need more.  It all depends on the humidity) (2/3 cup)
about 8 TBS dessicated coconut
5 fluid ounces double cream, whipped

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter an 8" by 3" loaf tin and then line it with baking paper. Butter the paper. Set aside.

Cream the butter and the caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and cocoa together. Fold this into the beaten mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out completely onto a wire rack to finish cooling, removing the baking paper and discarding it.

Place the chocolate pieces, milk and butter in the top of a double boiler over some simmering water. Cook and stir until the chocolate has melted. Sift in the icing sugar and beat it together until smooth and thick. You may need more icing sugar to get the proper consistency. Spread the icing all over the cake and then roll it into the dessicated coconut, pressing it lightly to get it to adhere to the icing. Leave to stand until the icing has set.

Cut a V shaped wedge out of the top of the cake. Put the whipped cream into a piping bag with a plain or a star nozzle. Pipe the cream down the middle of the centre of the cut out space in the cake. Replace the cake wedge on top and then pipe cream down either side of the wedge of cake. Serve, cut into thick slices.

This cake does not keep. (Oh darn . . . I guess that means I'll have to eat it all today . . . ) 

Psst!! Amanda wanted to know what Demerara sugar was. Amanda, Demerara sugar is a speciality raw sugar used in baking and for sweetening hot drinks. It's brown in colour and is also known as Turbinado sugar. It has a very coarse texture. Hope this answers your question! 

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