• 125 grams butter, soft

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 eggs, at room temperature

• 1 3/4 cups self raising flour

• 1/2 cup milk

• 4 cups Icing Mixture

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1/2 cup boiling water, plus extra if needed

Final covering

• 2 cups desiccated coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. 

2. Line a 30cm x 20cm slab tin. Make sure the baking paper covers the sides as well. If the baking paper overhangs the top of the baking tin that’s even better. Sometimes spraying it with cooking oil before you insert the baking paper can help you when spreading the mixture evenly in the baking tin.

3. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla into a bowl and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat the butter and sugar mixture until it is pale and well combined.

4. Add the eggs one at a time and make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next egg. After adding the last egg, whip the mixture on high for 30 seconds to incorporate some air.

5. Add half of the sifted flour and half of the milk and mix well on a slow speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

6. Then add the remaining flour and milk. And again, mix well on a slow speed.

7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and carefully spread the mixture evenly over the base. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cake springs back if you press the middle of the cake.

8. Remove the cake from the oven and stand for 10 minutes (or so) on the bench top to allow the cake to cool.

9. Once the cake is cool, it’s time to cut it into even squares.

10. Remove the baking paper and cake from the pan and place it, landscape (long edge closest to you) on a cutting board.

11. Using a light touch, cut through the middle of the cake so that you have two even pieces either side of your middle cut. Then cut each side into 3 even pieces/strips (using 2 cuts on each side). Having cut both sides, you should have 6 even strips of cake. Now turn the cake to a portrait orientation (short side closest to you), find the middle and make a cut from top to bottom. Then make another even cut either side of the middle cut to make 4 even strips.

12. You should have 24 ‘squares’ of cake.

13. Place the whole cut cake (still on the baking paper) back into the baking tray and cover it. Then put it in the freezer for an hour.

14. Whilst the cake is in the freezer make the icing. Place all the ingredients for the icing - icing mixture, cocoa powder, butter and boiling water - into a large mixing bowl. The bowl needs to be big enough that you can manoeuvre the cake in the pool of icing. The mixture will thicken as it stands on the bench waiting for the cake to freeze. It may also form a crust on top. Don’t worry if this happens. Just give it a good stir, and perhaps add a tablespoon of room temperature water and it will be ready to go.

15. Add the coconut to a large shallow bowl.

16. Now for covering the cake pieces. It’s best to use a light gentle touch. Definitely don’t roll the cake pieces. 

17. For the icing I find it’s best to turn the cake squares gently with 2 forks. Once covered on all sides, pick up the piece of caky by pressing the forks gently on the top and bottom edges and lifting and allow the icing to drip off before adding it to the coconut.

18. Sometimes the icing may thicken as you cover the cake squares. If this happens simply add some room temperature water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the icing is thin enough to work with.

19. Place the iced cake gently into the desiccated coconut. Don’t toss it. Use the forks to splash the coconut over the cake. Turn it once if needed but this is not the time to be heavy handed.

20. Remove the covered cake and place it on a platter or serving dish.

21. Place the cake into the fridge to ‘set’ for about half an hour. This step is not entirely necessary but it does mean you may not be completely covered in coconut when you eat the lamington.

22. Make a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy this buttery, cakey, sweetness.