Lamington Logic

Layered Sponge Cake with Coconut Caramel Sauce and Toasted Sweetened Coconut

1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 4
Dessert
Herb's take

Inspired by the Australian classic, this torte layers airy sponge with a lush coconut caramel and a crown of toasted coconut. You’ll tackle soaking, layering, and chilling for maximum textural contrast and a coconutty punch.

Ingredients

Yield
4

Instructions

  1. 01
    Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment and lightly grease.
  2. 02
    In a stand mixer, beat eggs and granulated sugar on high until tripled in volume and pale, about 6 minutes.
  3. 03
    Gently fold in the melted butter, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
  4. 04
    Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt, then fold into the egg mixture in two batches.
  5. 05
    Gently stir in the whole milk just until combined.
  6. 06
    Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. 07
    Cool cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
  8. 08
    For the coconut caramel, combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, and 2 tbsp unsalted butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly.
  9. 09
    Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture turns a pale golden caramel, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
  10. 10
    While caramel cools slightly, toast the shredded sweetened coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until golden, 3-5 minutes. Let cool.
  11. 11
    Slice the cooled cake horizontally to create two even layers.
  12. 12
    Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Spoon half the warm coconut caramel sauce over, letting it soak in.
  13. 13
    Top with the second cake layer and spoon over the remaining caramel. Refrigerate 30 minutes to set the layers.
  14. 14
    Sprinkle the toasted sweetened coconut generously over the top. Gently press to adhere, then return cake to the fridge for at least 30 more minutes before slicing and serving.

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Lamington Logic | Cook with Herb