Salted Caramel Lamingtons

Cook Time 1 hour and 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sponge

160g caster sugar

120g unsalted butter, cold diced

120ml cream

1 tbsp glucose syrup

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped or extract

5g salt

2 eggs

210g plain flour

5g bicarbonate of soda

120ml milk

Lamington Covering

450g dark chocolate

175g unsalted butter, room temperature

500ml cream

Desiccated coconut, for dipping

Method

Place a separate large saucepan over a medium heat for a minute to get hot.

Gradually add the sugar to the pan in three stages. Stir with a wooden spoon or heat resistant spatula to dissolve the sugar and cook it to a deep amber colour in between adding each stage.

Once all of the sugar is in and you have a golden caramel add the cream and butter followed by the glucose, vanilla and salt.

Stir well over a medium heat until you have a thick golden even caramel. Turn off the heat and leave to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

Sieve the flour with the bicarbonate into a bowl and mix in the cooled caramel. Mix well to remove any lumps and gradually add in the eggs. Mix well for a minute and add the milk and again mix well to incorporate.

Pour batter into a square or rectangle, greased nonstick cake tin lined with baking paper.

Bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 160ºC or until the sponge is cooked.

Leave to cool, remove from the tin and trim before cutting into cubes or rounds.

Freeze the cubes.

Place the chocolate and the butter into a tall narrow jug or container.

Boil the cream and pour onto the chocolate, allow to sit for 30 seconds before mixing with a spatula and then emulsifying until smooth with a hand held blender.

Dip each cube of frozen sponge into the covering half way up and place dipped side up onto a tray. Freeze again before removing from the freezer and placing the cubes onto a rack dipped side down.

Heat the covering again in the microwave if needed and then pour over each lamington to cover.

Carefully use a palette knife to lift the lamington into a tray of desiccated coconut and gently cover.