Glimpse into Lamingtons

This weekend in Australia is a long weekend, because on Monday, January 26th it is Australia Day. On this day in 1788, the arrival of the First Fleet of the British Ships occurred. It is now a celebration of our diverse country, our history and this beautiful land.

As with all celebrations, iconic food is a must! One such treat is the humble Lamington. Typically, this is a square of sponge cake, covered in chocolate sauce and desiccated coconut. I decided that I must create a grain/gluten/egg/dairy free version, which is also low in FODMAPs, and simple to make. Here is what I came up with, and from all accounts, it is reasonably close considering the limitations!

Cake

4 tablespoons ground chia seeds
3/4 cup green banana flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
100 mls melted coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 bananas, mashed

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Soak the ground chia seeds in 10 tablespoons of water and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
• In another bowl, combine the oil, syrup, and vanilla.
• Stir in the mashed banana and soaked chia seeds until well combined.
• Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well.
• Pour into a lined shallow baking tin. Put into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool.

Icing

2-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup cacao
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

• Combine all the ingredients for the icing and stir well.
• When the cake is cool, coat with the icing and coconut. You can either do this as a whole cake, so that the top is covered, place in the fridge to set, and then flip over and do the other side, then cut into squares. Alternatively, cut the naked cake into squares, and individually coat each with icing and coconut, and set in fridge.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Also keeps well in the freezer.

I hope that you enjoy this treat, whether you are Australian or not! If you are not an Aussie, I hope that you visit this amazing country soon!