Coconut Squares with Strawberry Jam

Sweet coconut squares are also known as čupavci or kuštravci in our region, while in Australia, this dessert is known as lamington. The treat is so popular there that Australians have dedicated a day to it, celebrated on July 21st. In addition to the original coconut squares, which look very similar to čupavci, the dessert is often prepared in other forms, such as a cake, loaf, or roll, and jam is frequently added to the beloved treat.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 60 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 30 minutes
  • Difficulty: 1
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 16

Ingredients

Biscuit

  • 3 pieces Egg, fresh

  • 180 g Sugar, white

  • 110 g Butter, unsalted

  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla, extract, imitation

  • 150 ml Milk, whole milk

  • 230 g Flour, Wheat, bread flour

  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder

  • 1 pinch Salt, table

Glaze

  • 250 ml Milk, whole milk

  • 200 g chocolate, dark

  • 100 g Butter, unsalted

  • 5 spoon Marmalade, orange

  • 200 g Coconut, flakes

Steps

  1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Mix the sifted ingredients well. Melt the butter slowly in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let the melted butter cool to lukewarm.

  2. Add sugar to the eggs and beat them on high speed for a few minutes until their volume doubles and they turn pale yellow. Mix the melted butter and vanilla extract into the beaten eggs, then gradually alternate adding milk and the dry ingredient mixture (flour, salt, baking powder) while gently mixing.

  3. Once you have a smooth batter without lumps, stop mixing. Pour the batter into a prepared baking dish. Spread it evenly over the entire surface using a spatula and smooth the top. Bake the sponge cake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

  4. Transfer the baked sponge cake to a wire rack and let it cool.

  5. Trim the baked edges of the cooled sponge cake, then cut it horizontally in half. Spread the bottom layer with hot jam and cover it with the other half of the sponge cake. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. This step is important because freshly baked sponge cake tends to crumble when cut and can fall apart when dipped, resulting in less attractive squares.

  6. Prepare the chocolate coating. Heat the milk in a saucepan. Roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl. Add the butter, then pour the hot milk over it and let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Mix the ingredients well with a hand whisk or spatula to create a smooth chocolate coating.

  7. Place the coconut flour in a larger bowl. Cut the cooled sponge cake into 16 squares. Dip each square into the chocolate coating on all sides, then roll it in the coconut. Use a fork to help with this process. Once all the squares are coated in chocolate and rolled in coconut, arrange them on a tray and serve.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 433.5 kcal
  • Fat: 25.34 g
    • Saturated Fat: 16.92 g
  • Carbohydrates: 46.65 g
    • Sugars: 25.41 g
  • Protein: 4.98 g
  • Fiber: 1.32 g

Advice

Instead of strawberry jam, you can use red currant jam.