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Katherine Sabbath’s Layered Lamington Sponge Cake

  • serves 12

  • Preparation time: 45 minutes

  • Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate sponge cake
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar

Classic vanilla sponge cake
• 1/2 cup cornflour
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To decorate
• 400 mls thickened cream, whipped
• 150 grams (approx 1/2 cup) raspberry jam
• 1 cup coconut flakes, lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Easy dark chocolate Ganache:
• 200 grams (approx 1 1/2 cups) high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 300 mls thickened cream

Coconut meringue shards
• 8 large free-range egg whites
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 1 tsp coconut essence

Method

Step 1:
To make chocolate sponge cake, grease and line a 10 inch round springform cake pan. In a large bowl, sift cocoa powder, flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt together. In another large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, pale and tripled in vol-ume (approximately 6 minutes). Gradually sift flour mixture over egg mixture while simultaneous-ly folding in with a large metal spoon until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared tin. To level batter, gently spin tin on kitchen counter. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake has shrunk away from the sides slightly and springs back when gently touched. Carefully turn out onto a wire rack lined with baking paper and then leave to cool.

Step 2:
To make classic sponge cake, grease and line a 10 inch round springform cake pan. In a large bowl, sift flours and 1/4 teaspoon salt together. In another large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, pale and tripled in volume (approx-imately 6 minutes). Gradually sift flour mixture over egg mixture while simultaneously folding in with a large metal spoon until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared tin. To level batter, gently spin tin on kitchen counter. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake has shrunk away from the sides slightly and springs back when gently touched. Carefully turn out onto a wire rack lined with bak-ing paper and then leave to cool.

Step 3:
To make dark chocolate ganache, place cream in a glass or ceramic microwave-safe bowl. Micro-wave on medium (50%) for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds with a metal spoon. Add choco-late and stir until combined and chocolate has completely melted. Stand at room temperature until thickened.

Step 4:
To make coconut meringue shards, preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced. In a baking tray lined with baking paper, warm the sugar in the oven until the edges begin to dissolve slightly. Remove sugar from oven and reduce the oven temperature to 100C. In a clean bowl and with an electric mixer, whisk the eggs whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar whilst whisking continu-ously until the mixture becomes glossy and forms stiff peaks. Add coconut essence and whisk until combined. Spoon meringue mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread out evenly using an off-set spatula. Bake for 40-45mins. Allow to cool completely and then break into uneven shards.

Step 5:
Now for the best part, cake assembly! Using a long, sharp knife, level the tops of both cakes and then cut each cake into two even layers. Place the bottom layer of chocolate sponge cake onto a cake stand or plate and then spread with a generous layer of raspberry jam. Gently spread a layer of whipped cream over the raspberry jam and sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes. Next, place a layer of vanilla sponge cake on top of this and repeat the process until the last cake layer is assembled, without topping the last layer with raspberry jam and cream. Drizzle the top of your lamington cake with a generous lashing of chocolate ganache. Decorate by adorning the top with an arrange-ment of coconut meringue shards, then sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes and embellish with fresh raspberries.

Notes