Another slice of Chocolate Lamington Sponge Cake please…
Picture perfect Vegetable Moussaka

Despite the midday rain shower, we had a wonderful time at an Australia Day lunch hosted by our dear family friends Linda and Dragan. A meal at their home is always so generous in proportion, presentation and flavour that I am often tempted to eat more than usual. Oh if only humans were endowed with an extra stomach as is the case with bovines. 

In addition to mouthwatering barbecued lamb kebabs, spicy sausages and a selection of crisp summery salads, today’s Australia Day feast also featured a sensational Vegetable Moussaka, made by Dragan. I have dubbed it “The Godfather’s Moussaka”, because he and his wife are Godparents to our children. This moist, multilayered edible masterpiece boasted a smooth golden topping of béchamel and pecorino cheese that looked so perfect, it could have been mistaken for a photoshopped image. An abundance of sautéed sliced potatoes, smokey eggplant, aromatic garlic, onion, tomato and capsicum, along with creamy zucchini and sharp tasting feta combined to form a full flavoured dish. An added surprise were brown lentils, which boosted the protein levels and resulted in a nutritious moussaka with distinct texture.  

I baked the Chocolate Lamington Sponge as part of the sweets selection, inspired by traditional Australian coconut-coated lamingtons. This is an easy to bake, moist and featherlight cake that is simply sliced into 12 pieces and served without the need for fussy accompaniments. If you enjoy chocolate cakes that have taste but are light on the tummy, then this recipe is right up your alley. Plus it is the ideal treat to serve in between innings when playing backyard cricket, a “must do” activity on Australian Day. 


Chocolate Lamington Sponge
This chocolate version is the result of me “fiddle faddling” (as my friend Stephanie describes it!) with Nigella’s original Victoria Sponge recipe. Gosh the house smelt amazing – better than a scented candle. 
Ingredients for the cake
225 g unsalted butter, melted if using a food processor or just softened if turning on the KitchenAid. 
225 g raw sugar (I use the Coles brand organic variety)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
200 g self raising flour
25 grams cocoa powder (I use the Cadbury brand)
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons milk

Ingredients for the topping
75 grams melted dark chocolate (I use the Lindt)
100 grams shredded coconut
white chocolate buttons
1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on a conventional setting. Grease your 23cm springform tin with butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. 
2a) Food processor method – Put the butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs into your food processor and blitz until completely smooth and combined. TIP – I always break each egg into a cup, then add it to the mixing bowl just in case the shell disintegrates or there is something not quite right with the egg. It rarely happens but I prefer to take precautions rather than waste the entire batter.  
2b) KitchenAid mixer method – Put the butter and sugar into the bowl and beat until very pale. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat again until well combined. 
3) Add the remaining ingredients for the cake and blitz or beat again until combined, thick and fluffy. I like to scrape down the mixture with a spatula from the edges of the bowl part way through beating, to ensure the batter is thoroughly mixed through. 
4) Pour into your prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. The cake is ready when it comes away from the sides of the tin. 

5) Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate. Allow to cool completely before decorating. To prepare the topping melt the chocolate over a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave. Neatly smooth this across the entire top of the cake. Immediately cover with coconut and dot over the chocolate buttons.