I recently made a batch of traditional Aussie lamingtons, and as always, everyone simply loved them. If you’ve never heard of them before, let me just say that lamingtons are the Australian counterparts to American cupcakes. Lamingtons can be found in every bakery and café across the country, and like the cupcake, they have recently undergone a revolutionary makeover in flavors, fillings and texture. You will find these delicate little cakes either plain or filled with jam, cream or frosting. The traditional versions are sliced into squares, dipped in a rich chocolate sauce and then rolled in a finely ground coconut.
Nowadays, anything goes.
I decided to try a banana cake version, because I have some really delicious banana cake recipes that I have shared with my readers in the past. You might choose the super moist traditional cinnamon banana cake or the recently shared chocolate banana cake. Both of these cakes are so moist, so you really don’t need a filling if you don’t want to add one. Dipping the cake squares into the chocolate sauce and then rolling it in some coconut or something else of your choosing will be more than decadent.
I made these because I wanted to try the unmistakably delicious combination of peanut butter and banana, made famous by the late, great Elvis Presley. My recent trips to the grocery store revealed a new product on the shelf that I wanted to try – a dehydrated peanut butter powder. I had seen it used as a coating for a few baked goods, but had never tried it myself.
When I decided to make the banana peanut butter lamingtons, I wanted to try the powder in the peanut coating, and it worked beautifully by enhancing the flavor of the peanut coating.
I filled mine with peanut butter buttercream and then froze the cake before slicing and dipping it in the chocolate sauce. The cake is very moist and this step will help in the handling of the cake pieces. Work with 3 or 4 pieces at a time, and keep the rest in the freezer until ready to dip in the chocolate sauce.
The little cakes make such great treats — once your friends and family have tried them, you just might find yourself replacing your cupcakes with the new kid on the block.
The Elvis Lamington
½ recipe of the cinnamon banana cake (without chocolate chips) or 1 recipe of the chocolate banana cake
1 recipe buttercream (plus ½ to 1 cup Jiff peanut butter added to finished buttercream) **or your choice of peanut butter frosting
Double batch of chocolate sauce
3 cups roasted peanuts
2 cups peanut butter powder
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Prepare the banana cake of your choice according to the directions on the links above, choose from either the traditional cinnamon banana cake or the chocolate version.
If you would like to use some European buttercream as filling, prepare the buttercream according to the instructions on the link above or use a peanut butter frosting of your choice. Once you have made the buttercream, whisk in as much of the peanut butter as you like until you are satisfied with the flavor. Once the butter cream is ready, cover it and set it aside at room temperature until the cake has completely cooled.
To make the peanut coating mixture, begin by roasting the 3 cups of peanuts in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. When ready, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Once they have cooled, place them in your food processor along with your 2 cups of peanut butter powder and powdered sugar. Process this all together until it is a finely ground powder with small bits of nuts still visible. Taste and make sure it is sweet enough for you, and if not, add a little more powdered sugar. Take this out of the food processor and place into a medium sized bowl, and set aside.
Once the cake has cooled, cut the cake into 2 sections. Then slice each section in half and fill with a layer of buttercream. If you are going to be using the entire cake, make sure to portion out the buttercream so it will be enough for both halves of the cake. Take each section of filled cake and wrap it in some plastic wrap. Place it on a flat surface in the freezer and allow the cake to freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to finish the lamingtons, remove the cake from the freezer. Trim the edges and cut the cake into the sizes you would like. If you are going to be cutting the cake into small pieces, you may require more of the chocolate sauce and nut mixture, so keep that in mind. Mine were more of an individual dessert size portion, so the quantities I am providing worked out fine. Once you have sliced the cake into squares, put the cake pieces back into the freezer.
Lastly, make the chocolate sauce according to the directions provided on the link above. I use a wire whisk to make sure that everything is incorporated together with no lumps. I leave the whisk in the bowl because I use it as a tool. Once I have dipped the cake in the chocolate sauce, I use a fork to lift it out of the chocolate sauce, and wipe the excess chocolate on the whisk. I also use it as a place holder for the fork to keep my counters clean and free of chocolate.
Work with a few pieces at a time and keep the rest in the freezer until ready to dip. Gently place each piece of cake in the nut mixture and use a spoon to completely coat all sides of the lamington. Place each finished lamington on a paper lined sheet pan. You can serve these right away, but if there are any left, it is best to store them covered in the refrigerator or freezer.
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