Raspberry Lamingtons

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Raspberry Lamingtons are a delightful explosion of flavor and texture in every bite! These iconic Australian treats feature light and fluffy vanilla sponge cake, dipped in a sweet raspberry glaze, and then rolled in a blanket of shredded coconut.

cake stand with a stack of raspberry lamingtons.

Why You'll Love This Five Star Dessert

Each mouthful is a delightful dance between the soft cake, the tart and tangy raspberry glaze, and the satisfying crunch of the coconut.

Easy to Make: This recipe comes together quickly and easily, requiring minimal effort for maximum flavor payoff.
Fun and Colorful: The vibrant pink raspberry glaze and snowy coat of coconut make these lamingtons a feast for the eyes!
Bite-Sized Perfection: These little cakes are perfect for portion control and satisfying sweet cravings without overindulging.

So, grab your mixing bowls and get ready to whip up a batch of these irresistible Raspberry Lamingtons!

Ingredients You'll Need

This Raspberry Lamingtons recipe relies on a combination of pantry staples and fresh or frozen raspberries to create a taste of Australia.

Here’s what you need to make these raspberry lamingtons. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the entire recipe:

Eggs
Milk
Butter
Sugar
Cake flour
Baking powder
Salt
Vanilla
Gelatin
Raspberries
Confectioners’ sugar
Water
Desiccated coconut.
Red food color drops

The red food color is optional. For some reason after adding the confectioners’ sugar to the raspberry sauce the color changes to a purplish color. The red food color restores the glaze to a pretty raspberry-red color.

Desiccated coconut is dried shredded coconut. It is a little drier, and shredded a bit finer than standard shredded coconut. Either one will work but the desiccated coconut will cover the Lamingtons better.

Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How To Make Raspberry Lamingtons

You have three phases when making lamingtons: bake and cool the cake, make the raspberry gelatin sauce, and assembly (coating the lamingtons).

Make A Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Preheat Your oven to 350°F, and grease and flour two 8-inch square cake pans and place some parchment paper in the bottom of the pans.
Place the eggs (while still in the shell) in a bowl of warm water. This will warm them up, which helps to whip to a higher volume. Let them sit while you prep the cake pans and the ingredients.
Place the milk and butter in a saucepan and warm over low heat until the butter melts. Lower heat to low while beating the eggs.
Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat on high speed for about 8 to 15 minutes. The eggs should triple in volume and become pale yellow in color. (see tips)
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the egg mixture and fold in with a spatula until it is just barely combined. (You will still see some flour streaks).
Add the vanilla to the warm milk and butter mixture. Pour into the batter and stir by hand, scraping sides and bottom to ensure all the flour is incorporated. Divide batter between your baking pans.
Bake for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Begin checking at 30 minutes. When the cakes have finished baking, set the pans on a wire rack and let them cool in the pans.

step by step guide for making a hot milk sponge cake.

Make The Raspberry Glaze

You can make this tart and tangy raspberry glaze while the sponge cake is cooking.

In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the top of ¼ cup of the water and allow to soften for 5 minutes.
Set a small saucepan over medium-high and heat the remaining 1 cup of water and the sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the raspberries and cook for 5-8 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and strain the mixture, pressing down to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the seed residue in the strainer.
Place the gelatin in the microwave and heat until syrupy (about 10 seconds). Whisk the gelatin into the raspberry mixture.
Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl, pour the raspberry syrup over the sugar and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the optional red food coloring. Chill in the the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, or until it's starting to thicken.

raspberry sauce for dipping sponge cake and making lamingtons.

To Assemble The Lamingtons

Once the cake is cool, cut it into squares. Cut the cakes into any size that you like. For an 8-inch square cake you should have about nine 2-inch squares after trimming the cake edges. Also, trim off the golden top and bottom surface of each square of cake to allow the glaze to soak into the entire cake square.

PRO TIP: Placing the cut cake squares into the freezer for 20 minutes will firm up the cakes and they will be easier to coat.

Coat with the raspberry glaze by holding the cake with a fork while spooning the sauce over each side of the cake.
Repeat the process with the coconut, using a clean spoon to sprinkle the coconut onto the raspberry glaze. Set the coated cake square on a wire cooling rack for a couple of minutes for the excess glaze to drip off.
Place the finished lamingtons on a wire rack to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

step by step process of making raspberry lamingtons.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe.

Chocolate Glaze: For a chocolate twist, substitute the raspberry glaze with a chocolate ganache made by melting together chopped dark chocolate and heavy cream.
Sprinkles Fun: Get creative and decorate the finished lamingtons with colorful sprinkles instead of the coconut.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips for making this raspberry lamingtons recipe:

For baking level cakes without rounded dome tops, use oven-proof cake baking wraps. Simply moisten with water and wrap around the pan before filling with the cake batter.
When making the raspberry glaze you can use either fresh or thawed frozen raspberries.
For a smooth glaze, strain the berry mixture to remove the seeds, then stir in the heated gelatin while the glaze is still hot.
Place all the glazed and coconut coated cakes in the refrigerator to set before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Perfect for a decadent afternoon tea, a delightful dessert, or a fun baking project with loved ones, these little pink beauties are guaranteed to steal the show!

Related Recipes

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this dish.

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Storage and Reheating

Store leftover lamingtons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The coconut coating may soften slightly, but the lamingtons will still be delicious.
For longer storage, you can store leftover lamingtons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Lamingtons can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap cooled lamingtons individually in plastic wrap or place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. Thaw frozen lamingtons overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of milk besides regular milk?

Absolutely! You can substitute the milk in the cake batter with almond milk, soy milk, or another plant-based milk alternative.

Is there another option for the coating besides coconut?

Chopped almonds, pecans, or pistachios can add a delicious textural contrast. For a festive touch, roll the lamingtons in colorful or chocolate sprinkles.

More Five Star Desserts

Print Recipe

4.43 from 21 votes

Raspberry Lamingtons

These small, 2-inch cubes of soft sponge cake squares are drenched in a luscious raspberry glaze and coated in coconut.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: Australian

Servings: Lamingtons

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Hot Milk Sponge Cake:

5 eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups sugar 400 grams
2 cups cake flour 220 grams
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Raspberry Glaze

2 teaspoons gelatin powder
1 cup 200g sugar
1¼ cup water
10 oz. frozen raspberries thawed
2 cups 250g confectioners sugar
¼ teaspoon red food coloring (optional
2 cups desiccated coconut

Instructions

For the Hot Milk Sponge Cake:

Place the eggs (while still in the shell) in a bowl of warm water. This will warm them up and help them whip to a higher volume. Let them sit while you prep the cake pans and the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Grease and flour two 8-inch square cake pans and place some parchment paper in the bottom of the pans.
Place the milk and butter in a saucepan and warm it over low heat until the butter melts. Keep the pan on the lowest heat setting to stay warm while you beat the eggs.
Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat on high speed for about 8 to 15 minutes. The eggs should triple in volume and become pale yellow in color. (see notes)
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the egg mixture and fold in with a spatula until it is just barely combined, you will still see some flour streaks.
Add the vanilla to the warm milk mixture and pour the milk in the batter. Stir the mixture by hand. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
Divide the batter into the cake pans.
Bake for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Begin checking at 30 minutes.
When the cakes have finished baking, set the pans on a wire rack and let them cool in the pans.

For the Raspberry Glaze and Coconut Coating:

In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the top of ¼ cup of water and allow to soften for 5 minutes
Set a small saucepan over medium-high and heat the remaining 1 cup of water and the sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the raspberries and cook for 5-8 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and strain the mixture, pressing down to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the residue in the strainer.
Place the gelatin in the microwave and heat until syrupy…about 10 seconds. Whisk the gelatin into the raspberry mixture.
Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl, pour the raspberry syrup over the sugar and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the red food coloring if using. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until it is slightly thickened.

To assemble:

Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
Using a sharp knife, trim the edges off the sponge cake and cut into 2-inch squares or any size you want. Place the cut squares on a plate and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes.
Set up a 2-bowl dredging system, with the raspberry mixture in one bowl and the coconut in the other bowl.
Remove the cake squares from the freezer. Holding a cake square with a fork, spoon raspberry glaze over the cold cake, turning to cover it completely and letting the excess drip back into the bowl. With the fork still inserted in the glaze-covered cake, hold it over the coconut bowl and spoon coconut on all sides of the cake. Place the cake on the wire rack.
When all the cake squares have been coated with glaze and coconut, place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to set.

Notes

When beating the eggs to the ribbon stage use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer.
Warmer eggs will whip up to higher volumes than cold eggs. Place the eggs (while still in their shells) in warm water for about 5 minutes to get them slightly warmer than room temperature. If the eggs are not warm enough, you will not be able to whip as much volume into them. Alternatively, you can place the bowl over simmering water while you whip the eggs until they get lukewarm. When they get warm, take them off the heat and continue whipping them until they triple in volume.
Beat the eggs and sugar until they triple in volume. The mixture will become pale yellow and when you stop the mixer and raise the whisk, the mixture will fall back in a ribbon-like pattern. This process takes about 8 to 10 minutes in a stand mixer and about 15 minutes with a handheld electric mixer.
When confectioners’ sugar is whisked into the raspberry syrup the color changes to purple. The red food coloring is optional but it will restore the raspberry syrup to a red raspberry color.
The cakes can be cut into any size.
Freezing the soft cut cake squares for about 1 hour makes it easier to handle while coating with raspberry sauce and coconut.
Insert a fork into a cake square and spoon the raspberry and the coconut on all surfaces. This technique is less messy than dipping and rolling.