Healthy Lamingtons
Over the past few weeks I’ve been mixing and baking in my kitchen in an effort to create the perfect lamington just in time for Australia Day. You will absolutely love my recipe – so simple, gluten free and made from fresh whipped organic eggs, coconut flour, vanilla and raspberry that make them purely delicious. I’ve coated my lamingtons with a thin layer of dark chocolate ganache that I’ve made using a quality dark courveture 70 – 85 % mixed with a little coconut water or alternatively coconut milk for a creamier ganache. The secret to coating your lamingtons is to lightly spread the chocolate gananche thinly and delicately over the raspberry cake – then lightly dip in your coconut. Be gentle – make them with love and you’ll have the most delicious lamingtons you’ve ever tasted.
What’s good about them:
I’ve used macadamia nut oil to make the cake which works really well with baking - giving it a lovely buttery flavour. The oil is also an anti-inflammatory fat, that is kind to your arteries and can support good health and wellbeing. If you want this cake to be nut free make sure to use a good cold pressed coconut oil, butter or olive oil instead. I’ve used coconut flour mainly to make it gluten free and nut free so it’s kind to sensitive digestive systems – Coconut flour also doesn’t give you that high blood sugar / insulin spike that you can often get with refined white flours. Raspberries are high in antioxidants which can help to neutralise free radicals, they also marry perfectly with the dark chocolate making them taste amazing. Dark chocolate contains magnesium, iron and antioxidants and also contains compounds that act as stimulants believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain – responsible for feelings of wellbeing and feeling great !
Makes 25 purely delicious lamingtons
Lamington Cake:
6 organic / free range eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons raw honey or sweetener of your choice (organic maple syrup, few drops stevia etc)
1/4 cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) macadamia nut oil or your choice of (cold pressed coconut oil,
butter or olive oil)
1/2 cup ( 70 g / 2 1/2 oz) coconut flour (see notes)
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
1 cup (150 g / 5 1/4 oz) fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup (75 g / 2 1/2 oz) shredded or desiccated coconut for rolling
Chocolate ganache:
100 g (3 1/2 oz) good quality dark eating chocolate 70 % cocoa – finally chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup / 2 fl oz) coconut milk
Preheat your oven to 160 C / 320 F.
Whip the eggs, vanilla and honey for 10 minutes until light and creamy.
Pour in the macadamia nut oil with the eggs still whipping and mix well.
Add the coconut flour and baking powder and mix until combined.
Pour lamington cake mix into a square 22 cm baking tin lined completely with baking paper.
Sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the top.
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until cooked through.
Cool for 30 minutes before lifting out from the tin to completely cool.
Divide cake into 25 mini squares.
Make your chocolate ganache:
Heat the coconut water or coconut milk if in a small pan until almost boiling. Turn off the heat.
Add the chocolate and stir it through the coconut until you have a smooth silky ganache.
Spread each square of lamington with a little chocolate ganache very lightly and thinly with a small knife on all sides.
Roll in coconut and place onto a tray lined with baking paper to set.
Enjoy.
These delicious lamingtons will keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes + Inspiration
You can get coconut flour from most good health food stores.
RELATED LINKS:
Naked Chocolat Wellness Pack – the perfect Valentines Day gift
Teresa, these look amazing. Where do you get the different flours from? Is coconut flour found in health food stores?
You can get coconut flour from any good health food store. :)
To ganache the top can we use raw cacao powder with the coconut water? Will that work?
OMG!!! Teresa you have down it again! :) not only a brilliant healthy sponge cake recipe though these lamingtons are to die for :) perfect for Australia day celebrations! :) and a real hit with my workmates :)
Could you use raw cacao instead of chocolate?
Yes you can :)
What quantity do you recommend?
My first attempt hasn’t really risen? Only about 2cm high… Is this how they should be? Still cooling now so I haven’t eaten them yet….
These are small delicate mini lamingtons that that should be fluffy and moist. You need to whip your eggs until pale and creamy – this adds volume to your cake. 2 cm is not too bad for a first attempt. Cut into small squares when cold then ice with ganache. :)
The turned out absolutely perfect! Gorgeous and delicious mini lamingtons… Thanks!
Can you use something to replace egg- for a vegetarian
Thanks for sharing this great recipe and great use of macadamia oil. We use macadamia oil as a replacement to butter in most cake recipes – Perfect for Australia Day, look forward to testing them out soon.
Teresa you have wowed me again! Can’t wait to make and share these wonderful little treats for our Australia Day weekend away with friends this weekend! Thanks x
Delicious healthier version of lamingtons (my all time fave) can’t wait to bake some!
how do you “whip” eggs? can you use electric beater?
Just to confirm you need to hold each individual lamington to cover it in the chocolate -
will try before Australia – look decicious!
Is there a substitute for coconut flour?
Teresa talks about this in her Naked Chocolate Cake recipe notes: https://www.thehealthychef.com/2012/09/naked-chocolate-cake/
Darn, I wish I’d read the naked chocolate cake recipe for substitutes for coconut flour before I decided to wing it and just add a cup of almond meal… Ah well, here’s hoping it turns out! It looks pretty darn good in the oven right now :)
You are a mind reader, I have been searching for a lamington recipe all morning. Perfect, really looking forward to trying these! X
How many lamingtons per serve Teresa?
Looking forward to making them on the weekend!
Could you use grapeseed oil instead of the other options?
Oh yum!!! Just made & they are perfect! Didnt bother to ice & coconut just enjoying as a rasberry tea cake lol. Thankyou so much so greatful to you & your site!
These look amazing! If only I could eat eggs
Hi Teressa, thank you for your inspiration and still been able to enjoy something sweet with coffee. I would like to know is it possible to blend the above mixture in the vitamix? We have just purchased one and are keen to use in every way possible.
Hi Teressa, thank you for your inspiration and still been able to enjoy something sweet with coffee. I would like to know is it possible to blend the above mixture in the vitamix? We have just purchased one
Has anyone tried using an egg replacer?
I really can not stomach cocnut water is there something else I could use instead.
you can use regular cream Jane….:)
anyone who invents a healthy lamington is a friend of mine! :)
Made these today and they are just delicious…although me being super forgetful, I forgot the raspberries…so now I will have to go and make them again for Australia Day :) Thanks for the delicious-ness!!
YUM! Can’t wait to try these!
hi Teresa
I can’t find coconut flour anywhere in Singapore, if I use almond meal instead (or wholemeal flour) how much would I need?
thanks very much
Tracy
You can get coconut flour in Singapore – the brand is bobs red mill – can buy at fair price finest, or tanglin mall (either the supermarket or brown rice paradise)
I prepared all the things except “COCOCOCOCNUT flourrrrrr”!!!!!!! By the way I’m staying at singapore
Made a variation of your lamingtons last night, so delicious! Thank you :) http://cookchewconquer.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/gluten-free-lamingtons.html
Made these yesterday, followed recipe and once baked they were a little flat, not to worry, I cut the sponge in half and put the one on top of the other (the raspberry tops together). Cut them into mini lamingtons, I got 20, and coated with the chocolate ganache and coconut. Fantastic and perfect size for little hands :)
Mine were flat too and didnt cook properly. They were burnt around the edges and top/bottom but raw in the middle. I will try using you idea and see if it works!
Hi Teresa, just had to say how much we loved this recipe! Just ticked all the boxes for us & it was such a fun thing to do with my 7 yr old (who gobbled them up). Thank you!! so delicious,..
These lamingtons were pretty good. I cut mine in half and sandwiched together with some raspberry coulis before coating in choc which gave them a bit more moistness and sweetness.
OMG! So very delicious :-) thanks Teresa
These are sensational! They make conventional sugar and white flour laden lamingtons redundant. Like seriously, they would all taste inferior to these tasty morsels! I used a mini muffin tin to make mine, pressed a raspberry in to each one with the vision of making lamington balls. They puffed up so nicely! I coated them with a chocolate mixture I made with cocoa butter, coconut oil and carob and cocoa powder to avoid the sugar in store bought chocolate bars, added some coconut milk and rolled them in some shredded coconut! Wah-lah…Lamington balls. Everyone has loved them and been very surprised to hear they are healthy!
They sound awesome Naomi – Send through your method and chocolate coating and I’ll add it to my post :) [email protected]
You can get the coconut flour at tanglin market place at S$14.90.
I didn’t have a 22cm square lamington tin, so I used a patty pan tin.. and cooked them for 12 minutes. PERFECT! plus I don’t have to worry about the crumbly crumbs from cutting the cake.. They’re just round instead of traditional squares.. Haven’t iced yet, but can tell they’ll be fabulous.
Hi Teresa
I’m so excited to have discovered you and your website. Due to numerous food intolerances it’ll be my go to site from now.
Until now I have been using the gluten free plain and self raising flours for my baking. How do you think they compare with the coconut flour? Can I use them in this recipe?
Thanks for your help
Just, wow. I’ve made stacks of your recipes, and just finished this ahead of Australia Day tomoz- there won’t be any leftover, they are just perfection.
These were so perfect for Australia day, all my friends loved them!
I LOVE the sponge, the 85% cocoa lindt dark chocolate is a bit overwhelming though, I’ll definitely be trying with a milkier chocolate, in reality 100g amongst 25 lamingtons is only 4g of naughty per piece!
I made the mistake of substituting vanilla essence for the extract I’d run out of and the cake is so horribly bitter I can’t eat it. All those waisted ingredients, I’m so annoyed with myself! Its sitting on the bench and I can’t yet bare to chuck it in the bin : ( I guess its a great lesson though. Vanilla essence and extract are not the same things.
Hello! This is in the oven now and already looks amazing :) Instead of using dark chocolate… Would it work if I covered it with homemade raw chocolate? ( cacao powder, coconut oil and sweetener)
Hi Teresa
I only have a 18cm square baking pan. If I use this does it just mean I’ll end up getting less squares but maybe they will be a little thicker. I’m keen to try this for Australia Day guests but I don’t want to buy another pan.
Whipped up a batch of these this morning. The 18cm pan worked well. Very pleased with the result. I don’t think we will wait until tomorrow we may celebrate with them tonight.
Hi just wondering if these are ok to freeze?
Thanks
Hi there
Looks amazing!
Can’t have cocoa or cocoa (but can have cocoa butter). Any ideas for a substitute for the choc ganache?
Thanks :)
Combine melted cacao butter with a little cream or coconut cream and organic maple syrup to make vanilla ganache and for a superfood berry version Add 1 tablespoon Healthy Chef Organic Superfood – it’s awesome with the fresh raspberries in the recipe. T:) x
These were great! I made them with 1 TBSP maple syrup and 1 TBSP rice malt syrup and with the macadamia nut oil. I was unsure what “whipping” the eggs involved so I used an electric whisk for about 5 mins which seemed to work out fine. I made most of them without the chocolate/coconut coating and they were fantastic – they were moist and light and fresh. They were all gone in about 4 days.
I’m in the middle of making these (they’re in the oven) and I had a disaster! Please could you help? I was so pleased with the eggs/vanilla/maple syrup as they whipped. They were beautifully thick and fluffy. Quite delightful. Then I put in the butter and the entire thing just collapsed … like I had sloppy soup with lumpy butter bits whisking about. There seemed to be nothing I could do to save the situation so I added everything else and put it in the oven. There wasn’t enough mixture to spread across the entire tin so I’ve put it in a bread tin! I will let you know how they turn out. However, this was a test-run because I wanted to make them next week for a special occasion. PLEASE could you let me know what to do? I will order some Macadamia Nut Oil for the next round but do I run the risk of the eggs deflating the minute I add the oil? How do I prevent this? I was so excited at how thick the eggs had become. What a waste of 6 good eggs! Hope you can help me from wasting the next lot!! Katherine
6 eggs and 1/2 cup coconut flour… Am I reading this correctly.
What happened to my comment / question (that I submitted yesterday)? I’d really like your help please with why my lovely fluffy thick whipped egg mixture flopped into a wet puddle when I added butter. They were going to be the best lamingtons ever because the whipped egg mixture looked amazing but they turned out to be a disappointing waste of 6 eggs. Please could you let me know how to prevent this problem so that I can try again? Thanks, Katherine
Hi Katherine – when you add fats to beaten eggs, they will always lose volume. The trick is to incorporate gently – such as folding through the butter rather than beating it – much like a genoise sponge. The mix will drop a little as this is normal.Coconut flour is also dense so it does weigh down the eggs. For more height and lightness you will need to make these using a different recipe with unrefined spelt flour, bicarb eggs, etc…T:)
These are soooo good!! We’re a great hit with the family!!