Lamington Slices with Raw Raspberry Jam, Vanilla Cream, and Chocolate
Squares of tender almond-coconut cake layered with raw raspberry chia jam and vanilla cashew cream, dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. A nourishing, no-bake take on the Australian classic.
Yield: One 8x8 pan, 16 squares · Active: 45 min · Total: 4–5 hours, mostly freezing · Best in North America in summer, when raspberries peak (frozen raspberries work year-round) · Best eaten: midday or early afternoon
Lamingtons are squares of sponge cake dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut, sometimes sandwiched with jam and cream. They're a beloved Australian treat, named, by most accounts, after Lord Lamington, governor of Queensland around 1900.
Almond-coconut cake base
1 cup cashews (soaked and drained; soaked cashews make the base moist enough that you may not need the coconut oil)
1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
⅓ cup coconut cream (or full-fat coconut milk), plus more as needed
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup melted coconut oil (optional; see above)
1 tsp vanilla powder (or the seeds of ½ vanilla bean)
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Process everything in a food processor until it comes together into a soft dough. Coconut flour is very absorbent, so add more coconut cream a tablespoon at a time if it's crumbly. Press it firmly and evenly into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment, leaving some hanging over two sides. Freeze 20–30 minutes.
Raw raspberry chia jam
1½ cups raspberries (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Blend (or mash with a fork for a chunkier jam), then let it sit 10–15 minutes to thicken as the chia seeds gel. Spread it over the base and freeze 30–60 minutes, until set.
Vanilla cream layer (optional)
2 cups cashews (soaked at least 2 hours, then drained)
½ cup coconut cream
¼ cup melted coconut oil
3–4 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla powder or pure vanilla extract
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Blend until completely silky, 1–2 minutes. Spread it over the set jam and freeze 2–3 hours, until firm.
Chocolate coating
Option 1: Simple cacao coating
½ cup raw cacao powder
⅓ cup coconut oil
⅓ cup maple syrup
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Warm the coconut oil in a small pot over low heat until just melted, then whisk in the cacao, maple syrup, and salt until smooth and glossy. Let it cool slightly before coating.
Option 2: Silky cacao butter coating
⅓ cup cacao butter or coconut oil, melted
¼ cup coconut cream
¼ cup raw cacao powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Gently warm everything together over low heat, whisking, until smooth and glossy. Let it cool slightly before coating.
To finish
1½–2 cups unsweetened shredded or desiccated coconut
Coat and set
Cut. Lift the frozen slab out by the parchment and cut it into 16 squares with a hot, dry knife.
Coat. Choose your style:
Lamington-style: Working quickly, dip each frozen square into the chocolate, turning to coat all sides (two forks help), let the excess drip off, then roll it in coconut. The chocolate sets almost instantly on the frozen squares.
Easy slice: Skip cutting first. Pour the chocolate over the frozen slab, spread it evenly, sprinkle generously with coconut, then freeze 15 minutes and cut into squares.
Set. Freeze 15–20 minutes, until the chocolate is firm, and let the squares sit 10 minutes before serving.
Storage: Frozen in an airtight container, with parchment between the layers, up to 1 month; refrigerated up to 5 days.
Nourishment Notes
Raspberries — vitamin C, ellagic acid, and more fiber than almost any other fruit.
Chia seeds — ALA omega-3s, fiber, and calcium. As they gel, they turn fresh berries into jam with no cooking.
Cashews — magnesium, copper, and zinc.
Almond flour — vitamin E, magnesium, and monounsaturated fats.
Coconut flour and shredded coconut — fiber and lauric acid, a medium-chain fat.
Raw cacao — magnesium, iron, flavanols, and theobromine, a gentle stimulant.
Cacao butter — stearic acid, a saturated fat that research shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
Maple syrup — manganese and zinc, with a gentle, rounded sweetness.
As a circadian treat, these land best at midday or in the early afternoon, when your body handles sweets most gracefully in daylight (and the cacao's theobromine won't interfere with your sleep).
Sourcing
Cashews — organic (every cashew sold has been heat-treated, even "raw" ones)
Almond flour — organic and fresh (keep it in the fridge); for truly raw almonds, grind your own from organic, unpasteurized Spanish almonds, like Terrasoul's
Coconut flour and shredded coconut — organic, unsweetened, and sulfite-free
Coconut cream and coconut oil — organic, full-fat coconut cream with just coconut and water (Native Forest Simple comes in BPA-free cans); organic, virgin, unrefined coconut oil
Raspberries — organic, fresh in summer or frozen year-round
Chia seeds — organic
Maple syrup — organic Grade A dark
Raw cacao powder and cacao butter — organic, and ideally tested for heavy metals
Lemons — organic
Vanilla — organic vanilla powder or whole vanilla beans
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall