Go (coco)nuts for this boozy Lamington recipe!

It’s a topic for heated debate, but wherever the not-so-humble Lamington was invented, whether Australia (the home of our delicious August Gin of the Month) or New Zealand, the winning formula remains the same: a light sponge sandwiched together with jam, dipped in chocolate and adorned with flakes of coconut. Delicious! Here, we’ve made it even more scrumptious with the addition of, oh yes, gin. Enjoy!

For the Gin Jam:
Place a plate in the freezer, then mix the fruit, sugar, lemon juice and a little water in a heavy bottom saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the pan to a rolling boil for 6 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Place a drop of jam on the chilled plate, then return to the freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam – if it wrinkles and feels gel-like it’s ready to use, if not return to the heat for another 2 minutes.

Allow the jam to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the gin. Pour into a sterilised jar.

For the Lamingtons:
Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line a 12”x9” rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.

Using an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt on high speed for around 5 minutes, until the mix is thick and forms a ribbon that momentarily stays on the surface when the whisk is pulled out.

Add the vanilla, then sift in a little of the cornflour and flour, gently folding in. Alternate with the milk, until both have been incorporated. Fold in melted butter until no streaks are showing. Be careful not to overfold.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack.

Once cool, use a serrated knife to slice off the ends, then slice the rectangle in half. Spread a thick layer of jam on top of one, and sandwich the two together. If you’d like smaller lamingtons, you can slice your rectangle in half horizontally through the middle instead, and sandwich these two halves together. Cut the cake into squares, and place into the freezer for at least an hour in an airtight container.

To make your glaze, melt the chocolate, butter and milk together in a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water. Whisk until smooth, then remove from the heat.

Mix in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, then add a tablespoon at a time of warm water until the glaze has loosened – you want it to be runny enough to dip the lamingtons, but thick enough for some to remain on the cakes.

Pour your desiccated coconut into another bowl, then dip the lamingtons into the chocolate. You may find it easier to use a spoon to pour the glaze over all the sides. Wipe the excess off the lamington, then toss them around in the bowl of coconut until they are fully covered.

Place the lamingtons on a wire rack and leave to set for an hour. Enjoy with a large G&T!

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