Fluffy Vanilla Lamington Cupcakes

Welcome to a delightful twist on an Australian classic – the Lamington, reimagined as these utterly irresistible Lamington Cupcakes! While Australia Day might be the unofficial lamington holiday, there’s truly no wrong time to indulge in this iconic treat. For those who adore the light, fluffy texture of a vanilla cupcake and the unique combination of chocolate, coconut, and a hint of jam, this recipe is a dream come true. We’ve taken all the beloved elements of the traditional Lamington and transformed them into a convenient, charming cupcake format that’s perfect for any occasion, from casual gatherings to elegant afternoon teas.

• Experience the joy of a soft, moist vanilla cupcake at its core.
• Each cupcake is generously enveloped in a luscious chocolate glaze, forming the perfect canvas for coconut.
• A generous coating of sweet, flaky coconut adds both texture and that quintessential Lamington flavor.
• Discover a delightful surprise with a sweet jam centre, adding a burst of fruity tang.
• Crowned with a swirl of creamy, dreamy whipped vanilla buttercream for an extra touch of indulgence.

While these Lamington Cupcakes are surprisingly straightforward to prepare, they do involve a few distinct components: the cupcakes themselves, the chocolate coconut coating, and the whipped vanilla buttercream. Planning a little extra time ensures a smooth and enjoyable baking process, culminating in a batch of show-stopping treats that will impress everyone.

The Enduring Legacy of the Lamington: A Sweet Australian Tale

Few desserts boast their own appreciation society, but the humble Lamington is not just any dessert. Revered across Australia, its fascinating origin story adds an extra layer of charm to this already beloved cake. Legend has it that back in 1901, Lord Lamington, then Governor of Queensland, had a surprise visit from some unexpected guests. His quick-thinking French chef, or perhaps a resourceful maid, inadvertently dropped a plain sponge cake into melted chocolate. To salvage the situation, they covered the chocolate-dunked cake in desiccated coconut, creating an entirely new, exquisite confection. And thus, the Lamington was born, a testament to culinary serendipity!

Since that fortuitous accident, the Lamington has cemented its status as an undeniable Australian culinary icon. It’s a mainstay at every bakery, picnic, school fete, and especially Australia Day celebrations, symbolizing comfort, home, and national pride. Its simple elegance and delightful combination of flavors – soft cake, rich chocolate, and chewy coconut – make it universally adored. This traditional treat resonates with generations, evoking cherished memories and bringing smiles to faces.

Over time, the Lamington has evolved, with various interpretations emerging. One of the most popular adaptations involves slicing the cake in half and spreading a layer of sweet jam, often accompanied by cream. While some purists argue this is a deviation from the original, I, for one, wholeheartedly embrace this delicious variation. Whether with or without jam, a Lamington is always a treat. In fact, I’ve even experimented with unique flavor profiles, such as these delightful Rose Strawberry Lamingtons, showcasing the versatility of this beloved dessert. My philosophy remains: bring on all the Lamingtons!

Crafting the Perfect Lamington Cupcakes: An Easy Recipe Guide

What makes this Lamington Cupcake recipe truly stand out is its incredible ease of preparation, a feature I particularly cherish in baking. Unlike many cupcake recipes that require butter to be at room temperature and then creamed with sugar, this recipe simplifies the process by calling for melted butter. This not only significantly reduces prep time but also contributes to an exceptionally moist and tender cupcake crumb. The melted butter method ensures a consistently soft texture, making these cupcakes a joy to eat every time.

The batter comes together quickly and easily. Begin by sifting your dry ingredients together, then beat the eggs until they are light and frothy. This aeration is key to a fluffy cupcake. Next, gently fold in the melted butter, beaten eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract with the dry mixture. The key here is to mix until the ingredients are JUST combined. Overmixing the batter can develop the gluten too much, resulting in dense, chewy cupcakes rather than the light, airy texture we’re aiming for. A few very small lumps are perfectly fine and will bake out beautifully.

Once your batter is ready, it’s time for portioning. I highly recommend using a medium ice cream scoop for this task, as it ensures uniform cupcake sizes, which is essential for even baking and a beautiful presentation. Fill each muffin hole about three-quarters full. For baking, I love using these silicone muffin trays. Not only do they yield beautifully shaped cupcakes, but their flexibility also makes for effortless removal once baked, simplifying the entire process.

Essential Tips for Flawless Cupcake Tins

Proper preparation of your muffin tins is a critical step to ensure your Lamington Cupcakes release cleanly and maintain their perfect shape. Skipping this can lead to frustration, so here are some detailed tips:

• For Good Non-Stick Muffin Tins: If you’re fortunate enough to own high-quality non-stick muffin tins, a simple greasing with a little oil or baking spray before adding the batter should suffice. Ensure every cavity is thoroughly coated.
• For Less-Than-Perfect Non-Stick Tins: If your muffin tins have seen better days or aren’t inherently non-stick, you have a couple of excellent options. First, you can grease and then lightly flour each muffin hole. The flour creates a barrier that helps prevent sticking. Alternatively, use paper cupcake liners. While we don’t use liners for the authentic Lamington look, they are a reliable way to ensure easy release, and you can simply peel them off before coating the cupcakes.
• The Art of Cooling for Liner-Free Baking: If you’re aiming for the classic Lamington look without cupcake papers, it’s vital to let the cupcakes cool almost completely in their tins before attempting removal. Hot or warm cupcakes are much more fragile and prone to tearing. Once cooled, gently run a thin, sharp knife around the edge of each cupcake to loosen any stubborn bits before popping them out. This patience ensures beautifully intact cupcakes ready for their chocolate and coconut transformation.

The Iconic Lamington Coating: Chocolate and Coconut

The signature look and taste of a Lamington come from its distinctive coating. Imagine a soft vanilla cake, lovingly dipped into a rich chocolate glaze, then generously rolled in sweet coconut flakes – pure bliss! This two-step coating process not only defines the Lamington’s appearance but also adds a wonderful textural contrast that makes it so unforgettable. With these cupcakes, we embrace this tradition fully.

To prepare the chocolate glaze, you’ll combine icing sugar and cocoa powder, then warm milk and butter until smooth and glossy. The ideal glaze consistency is thin enough to coat evenly but thick enough to adhere well to the cake. After your cupcakes have cooled completely, one by one, gently dunk them into this luscious chocolate glaze, ensuring every surface is covered. Allow any excess glaze to drip off for a cleaner finish.

Immediately after dipping, roll the chocolate-coated cupcake in your coconut mixture, pressing gently to ensure a good, even adherence. We use a blend of desiccated and shredded coconut for the best texture and visual appeal. Here’s a GREAT TIP for keeping your coconut looking pristine: divide your coconut into two batches. Start by using half of the coconut for the first six cupcakes. As you dip and roll, the chocolate glaze will inevitably begin to darken the coconut. By setting aside fresh coconut for the second batch, you ensure all your Lamington Cupcakes have that vibrant, fresh white coconut coating, making them even more appealing.

Surprise Inside: The Jammy Heart

For those who champion the jam-filled Lamington, this cupcake rendition offers the best of both worlds with a sweet, fruity surprise at its core. The jam center introduces a delightful burst of tanginess that perfectly complements the rich chocolate, sweet coconut, and fluffy vanilla cake, elevating the flavor profile to new heights.

Creating the jam center is incredibly simple. I typically use a cupcake corer, which makes a clean, precise hole in the center of each cupcake with minimal effort. However, if you don’t have one, a sharp knife can achieve the same result. Once cored, fill each cavity with about a teaspoon of your favorite jam – raspberry or strawberry are classic choices that pair wonderfully. To seal the jam and provide a stable base for the buttercream, you can cut a small portion from the removed cupcake core and gently place it back on top of the jam.

The Cloud-Like Crown: Whipped Vanilla Buttercream

No Lamington Cupcake would be complete without a luxurious topping, and for this recipe, we crown them with an exquisite Whipped Vanilla Buttercream. This isn’t just any frosting; it’s a testament to how simple ingredients can transform into something truly magical with the right technique.

The secret to this buttercream’s incredible texture lies in extended beating. While it might seem like a long time, beating the softened butter on a low to medium speed for 6-7 minutes is essential. This process aerates the butter, making it incredibly light and fluffy, rather than dense and heavy. The result is a buttercream that melts in your mouth, almost like a richer, slightly sweeter version of Chantilly cream, offering a divine contrast to the cake’s texture.

After the butter is perfectly whipped, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and a touch of salt and cream are added and beaten further. This creates a beautifully smooth, stable, and irresistibly creamy frosting that holds its shape and pipes wonderfully. I purposefully stepped away from my usual ermine frosting for this recipe to create something exceptionally light and delicate, allowing the distinct flavors of vanilla to shine through. The finished buttercream is a sweet, airy cloud that perfectly balances the sweetness and texture of the Lamington Cupcake, making each bite an absolute delight.

Yield and storage

This recipe is designed to produce 12 perfectly indulgent Lamington Cupcakes, making it ideal for a small gathering or for simply treating yourself and your loved ones. Each cupcake is a generous serving of Australian delight.

One of the great advantages of these Lamington Cupcakes is their excellent make-ahead potential and storage versatility. Once decorated, they will keep beautifully in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This makes them a fantastic option for parties, picnics, or simply ensuring you have a sweet treat on hand throughout the week. For longer storage, the cupcakes can also be frozen. Place them in an airtight container, and they will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw the cupcakes in the fridge, and always allow them to come to room temperature before serving to ensure the best flavor and texture experience.

If you, like me, are a dedicated cupcake enthusiast, then you’ll surely want to explore more of my delightful cupcake creations. Be sure to check out these other crowd-pleasers: Passionfruit Coconut Cupcakes, Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes, and Cookies and Cream Cupcakes. Each recipe offers a unique flavor adventure that’s sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Explore More Sweet Creations

• Rose Strawberry Lamington Recipe
• Classic Australian Lamingtons
• Fairy bread lamingtons
• Other Aussie Desserts
• Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

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Lamington Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 19 ratings.

Lamington Cupcakes are those traditional little Aussie cakes turned into a cupcake. A soft, fluffy vanilla cupcake, filled with jam and covered with an easy chocolate glaze and coconut.

The ingredients list may look long but some ingredients are used more than once, I’ve just noted the correct amount in each section.

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Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 215 g plain flour (all purpose flour) (1 ⅔ cups / 7.5oz)
• 30 g corn flour (cornstarch) (¼ cup / 1oz)
• 1 ⅓ cup granulated white sugar (267g / 9.5oz)
• 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 135 g unsalted butter, melted (5oz)
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

FOR THE COATING

• ¾ cup desiccated coconut
• ¾ cup shredded coconut
• 1 ½ cups icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar (195g / 6.9oz)
• 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (notes)
• ⅓ cup light milk
• 15 g unsalted butter (1 tbsp / ½ oz)
• ¼ cup raspberry jam

FOR THE WHIPPED VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

• 226 g unsalted butter, softened (1 cup / 2 sticks)
• 2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar) (260g / 9.2oz)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons thickened cream (notes)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Equipment

• I use these silicone muffin trays for these cupcakes as I like the tall shape they give my cupcakes
• A medium ice cream scoop is perfect for portioning out the batter
• A cupcake corer makes cutting the hole easier but you could use a sharp knife too
• A stand mixer is great but a handheld beater will work too

Instructions

FOR THE CUPCAKES

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Spray a little oil into 12 holes of a muffin try and rub it around to coat (see notes for extra tips).
2. In a large bowl, sift together the plain flour and corn flour. Add the sugar, baking powder and salt and stir well so everything is evenly distributed
3. Beat the eggs well, until they become frothy (you can do this by hand, or with a hand beater or in a stand mixer). Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla, and fold to combine (a few very small lumps is fine).
4. Fill the muffin holes to about 3⁄4 full, then bake for around 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Make sure to turn the tray halfway through cooking so they all cook evenly.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 5-10 minutes before transferring the cupcakes to a wire rack.

FOR THE COATING

1. Mix the two types of coconut together in a bowl (then set half of it aside – see notes). In a separate bowl, sift together the icing sugar and cocoa. To make the glaze, heat the milk and butter together in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and is mixed through. Pour the mixture into the icing sugar and cocoa and stir until smooth and glossy.
2. One at a time, dunk the cupcakes into the chocolate glaze and turn to coat all over. Allow the excess to drip off, then roll the cupcake in the coconut (see notes), pressing firmly to help the coconut stick. Sit back on a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the cupcakes. Sit the cupcakes in the fridge to set for 1⁄2 hour.
3. Cut a hole in the top of each cupcake. Fill with around a teaspoon of jam. Then replace a bit of the section of cupcake that was cut out back on top of the jam, like a seal. You will need to cut it down to fit.

FOR THE WHIPPED BUTTERCREAM

1. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low-med for 6-7 minutes (seems a long time but we’re after whipped butter here). Scrape down the sides half way through then continue beating.
2. With the mixer on low, add the sugar 1 spoon at a time until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the salt, vanilla and cream and beat for 5 minutes at medium speed until it looks light, thick and whipped.

Notes

1. Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (= 4 teaspoons worldwide).
2. For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
3. All ovens vary – test for doneness 2-3 minutes before the recipe suggests. Different muffin pans will also cook at different rates.
4. I love the silicone muffin trays not only for the shape of my cupcakes but also they are perfect for baking them this way with no liners as they are malleable and it’s easy to release the cupcakes from the moulds.
5. Make sure to oil the holes first
6. When the cupcakes are baked, leave them in the trays for about 10 minutes before trying to take them out. To release them, run a knife around the edge to make sure they aren’t sticking anywhere, then you can gently lever them out or tip the moulds over and gently shake free (with the silicone muffin trays, press gently on the bottoms to push them out)
7. If you don’t have these silicone muffin trays or are concerned your cupcakes won’t release easily, you can either grease and flour the holes first or use cupcake liners and peel them off before coating.
8. As you are coating the cupcakes, you’ll notice the coconut starts to turn a bit brown from the glaze so it’s a great idea to only use half of it at a time. Coat 6 cupcakes, then add the fresh white coconut you set aside and coat the rest.

MORE AUSSIE DESSERTS!

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Calories: 569kcal

Author: Marie Roffey

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Snack, Sweets

Cuisine: Australian

Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.