Friday Food: Lamington Inspired Cup Cakes

It's the time of the year when Australia Day happens. I am weary of all the debate and discussion, let's just say I am glad and grateful to live in Australia. These cup cakes are from a recipe in the newspaper, which is like a magazine really, and they are inspired by The Lamington. The Lamingtons of my childhood were plain sponge, coated with chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut, we never split them and filled them with jam, or jam and cream. Sometimes they were coated with almost set jelly and then rolled in coconut to make jelly cakes.

The recipe says to cut a small part off the top of the cooked cup cake, spoon some jam in and then replace the top. I was taking these to the vet with me and I had no time for niceties, so I folded some of my Mum's raspberry jam through the cake batter. I had no coconut flakes so I just used desiccated coconut which is always on hand.

The doctors and nurses at The Vet said they tasted very yummy!!!

 

Lamington Cup Cakes   makes 16

• 180g butter, softened
• 275g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
• 225g plain flour
• 1/2 tspn baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam, and traditionally it is raspberry.

Icing

• 3 cups pure icing sugar
• 2 tbspn good cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup very hot water
• 1 tbspn butter
• 1 cup desiccated coconut

NB An Australian tablespoon is 20ml or 4 teaspoons, while a UK and USA tablespoon is only 15ml or 3 teaspoons.

Preheat the oven to 180*C and put 16 muffin papers into the trays. I am lucky to have two trays which are old fashioned with straight sides, rather then the more splayed sides of a muffin tray.

Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time and finally the vanilla extract.

Sift the flour and the baking powder together and then fold into the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk, making sure that a little flour is saved for last. Then gently fold through the raspberry jam. If you prefer another flavour of course you can substitute.

I always use a 1/4 cup measure or ice cream scoop to fill the muffin papers. It helps them to cook evenly and they are all the same size. These cup cakes will not rise a lot, and should have a flat top to make them easier to ice. Bake for 20-25 minutes, mine took 25, until they are slightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed on top. If you use a skewer to test, it should come out clean.

Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing, sift the cocoa and icing sugar together into a bowl. Pour the very hot water onto the butter and when it is melted, pour it into a well in the centre of the bowl. Mix until the icing is smooth.

When the cup cakes are cool, ice them generously and then sprinkle on the coconut. I found the amount of icing to be overly generous, but then I can't eat chcocolate icing. Perhaps it is the perfect amount??

The serve and enjoy next Thursday, or any day, for Morning Tea.

Comments

[RoseRed]

I saw this recipe and I must say my first thought was why not just make lamingtons? But now I have to admit that your idea of swirling jam through the cupcake mix is inspired! And the ice cream scoop to fill each hole in the tin! Can't believe I haven't thought of that! Do you have one of those scoops that sort of had a slide thing that pushes the mixture out? (hope you know what I mean!)

[Ann]

Those cup cakes look so yummy. I love lamingtons too. I also like the idea of using an ice cream scoop for the mixture - that's a clever idea. But I don't think I will be doing any baking as it's too hot.

[bella's mum]

They are very lucky vets and they look delicious as all your cooking does.

[Kate]

oh, I think they are now on the must-try list! Thanks for sharing these yums, Cindy.

[Monika]

I just learned this Christmas that the squares my family loves so much as Christmas baking, was called Lemingtons! Who knew? I've learned it on the internet of course.

[April]

Commonwealth baking, it doesn't get any better than that. Those look absolutely delicious. American baking is always too, too much.

[mrspao]

I might have to make these for my Aussie friends who are having an Australian party next weekend :)