Culinary Chronicles
By Yasmin Rahul Bakshi
Reminiscences, food and nostalgia…. There are infinite memories that come alive each day with various foods that I cook or eat.
Lamingtons take me twenty-four years back to a military station – Raiwala. Amidst the jungles in the elephant corridor on the banks of the Ganga within the Shivaliks. Small Cantonment with a big extended family!
Tiger’s top boss was particular about all duties. Be it operational or hospitality – both important in the Indian army. We are known for our valour and glamour!
Food served in official gatherings was ensured by him that it was the best, by the best. Lamingtons were undoubtedly his daughter’s responsibility and chicken sandwiches were on my duty list. While he himself blended tea leaves for flawless cuppas.
With herds of does and bucks in the backdrop as a treat to the eyes, together we barbecued at picnics on the riverbeds to treat our appetites for which the key ingredients were personally selected by him. Again, there too Lamingtons were carried along many times as a dessert.
After a couple of months, we all headed for Pattan – a hardcore militant town in Kashmir, nestled in between the beautiful apple orchards in the vale. Lamingtons were paired there too with warm cups of Kahwa.
These can also be served as sweet meats on Diwali to mark happiness and prosperity.
Ingredients:
SPONGE CAKE –
- Unsalted butter, softened – 125 gms
- Caster sugar – 1 cup
- Vanilla extract – ½ tsp
- Eggs – 3 (room temperature)
- All purpose flour – 260 gms (sifted)
- Baking powder – 3.5 tsp
- Milk – 1/2 cup
ICING –
- Icing sugar – 4 cups (sifted)
- Cocoa powder – ⅓ cup (sifted)
- Unsalted butter – 1 Tbsp
- Boiling water – ½ cup + 2 Tbsp
COATING –
- Desiccated coconut – 3-4 cups
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade
- Sift flour and baking powder together.
- Grease an 8″ × 12″ cake pan.
- Line with parchment paper.
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition so the batter is smooth, not curdled.
- Add half the flour and gently fold to combine, then stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Stand for 5 minutes and lift the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
PREPARE THE CAKE FOR COATING
- Cut the cake into 15 squares.
- Refrigerate for 1 to 1.5 hours.
ICING
- Combine the icing ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Should be of a syrup consistency, not watery.
COATING
- Place the dessicated coconut in a shallow bowl or pan with a large surface area.
- Place a piece of cake in the icing and roll to coat using 2 forks.
- Transfer it into the coconut and quickly roll to coat all over in the coconut.
- Transfer to a tray.
- Repeat with remaining sponge cake pieces.
- Let the lamingtons stand for 1 to 2 hours, or until set before serving.
(Yasmin Rahul Bakshi is a food historian and an accomplished consultant Chef. A widely travelled Army wife from the Mussoorie hills with exposure to international cuisines & preserving recipes with the medium of food photography and digital content creation in the form of stories.)
