These jelly cakes are the perfect combination of vanilla cake, cream, raspberry jelly, and coconut that tastes so yummy and makes you bake these lamington bites over again! These lamington bites are the exquisite all-time favorite festive treat among all ages.
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Classic Jelly Cakes
The jelly cakes or lamington slices are small vanilla cakes prepared sandwiched with cream, coated in jelly, and tossed in coconut. These lamington bites are so heavenly and delectable that you enjoy a full yummy raspberry jell and crunchy coconut top with a delicate cream-filled sponge in each bite.
These lamington cakes are all-time loved old-fashioned Australian desserts. Classic jelly cakes are round in shape and baked using gem iron. Nowadays, gem iron is difficult to find. So, these cakes can be baked in a patty cake pan or muffin tray. The other alternative is to bake it in a cake pan and then cut it into squares like I used in this recipe.
These jelly cakes, lamington bites, jello cakes, and lamington slices are light, fluffy, taste yummy, and are perfect for any seasonal celebrations!!
Check out my other festive treats recipes like lunch special chicken biryani for Mother's Day, apple walnut crumble and puff pastry for Valentine's Day, kids scary treats for Halloween, chocolate-rich fudge stars, rocky road using Maltesers, and Christmas tree cakes for Christmas to celebrate special day with your special ones!
Ingredients for Lamington Bites
Self-raising flour: I use self-raising flour for making these yummy lamingtons. You can also use all-purpose flour but make sure to add baking powder.
Butter: Softened to room temperature. I use unsalted butter. The best is to keep it outside at room temperature for half an hour before baking a cake. You can also use a salted one.
Milk: Use full cream milk as it provides good moisture and texture.
Sugar: As per your taste
Eggs: Beat lightly to incorporate the air bubbles into it.
Vanilla essence/extract: I use essence in this recipe. But if you have Vanilla extract, please use that for the rich flavor and aroma. You required a teaspoon of this for a vanilla cake and frosting cream.
Raspberry Jelly crystals: To prepare raspberry lamingtons, you need a jelly that you can make using raspberry-flavored Jello crystals. Use any flavored jelly if raspberry is not your preference.
Thickened Cream: The thickened cream for this recipe contains 35% fat content. Make sure whatever cream you take must have at least 30 percent milkfat to get the whipped cream.
Icing sugar: if not available, you can use powdered sugar.
Desiccated coconut: Use unsweetened in sufficient quantity to roll these lamington slices.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make Jelly Cakes?
The jello cakes are easy but take a longer time to prepare. The hardest part of making these cakes is knowing the perfect consistency of the jelly for coating. It must be partly set to stick to the cake slices. It will soak into the sponge if not set to the required consistency, making the cake stained and soggy. If the jelly sets completely, it will be too late to coat the slices.
The perfect consistency is like when it is in a state of jelly but still stir-able.
Watch my Jelly Cakes video below with easy instructions:
Let's go into detailed steps:
Step-1 Jelly preparation
Pour the raspberry jelly crystals into a bowl. Add hot water while stirring to dissolve the crystals, followed by cold water. Keep the jelly in the fridge until half set.
It takes almost 1- 2 hours. Keep in check continuously. The consistency of jelly plays a crucial role in jelly cakes. If the right consistency is not met, you will end up in stained soggy, or uncoated cakes.
Step-2 Vanilla cake
Combine the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla with a spatula or electric mixer in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs in batches.
Add milk and flour in batches. Gently stir together until just mixed. (as shown in the pictures below)
Grease the baking tray and preheat the oven to 180°C. Pour the batter into the greased tray. Bake it for 40-45 minutes.
Cool the cake completely before removing it from the tray.
Step-3 Cream preparation
It's easy to prepare cream using a beater. Just whip together all the ingredients like thickened cream, vanilla, and icing sugar until the cream is thick.
But in this recipe, I whipped cream with a hand whisk. To make this whipped cream by hand, the foremost important thing to take care of is to keep the temperature of the whipped cream as low as possible.
For this:
- Use a chilled bowl and whisk by placing both in the freezer for about half an hour.
- Place the chilled bowl on the ice cubes while whisking the thickened cream.
In a chilled bowl, pour cream, vanilla, and icing sugar. Whisk with a chilled whisk until cream starts to thicken up. Make sure to keep your chilled bowl on an ice cube tray to avoid the risk of cream ending up with butter if its temperature is not maintained.
Step-4 Cake assembly
Remove the cake from the tin. I cut the cake into three equal parts by making two horizontal cuts. Spread the cream evenly on the second part of the cake, sandwich the first part on top, and cut it into squares.
Cut the third part into equal pieces, spread the cream on half of the slices, and sandwich the remaining slices on top. Now you should have one long and one short layer of cake sandwiched with cream. Again, cut into squares (pictures below).
Confession: I mistakenly cut the vanilla sponge into three equal parts in this Lamington recipe. Cut the vanilla sponge into four equal parts for more uniformity and easy cutting of the cake slices.
Coat the square cakes with raspberry jelly by dipping them and then placing the slices on a rack (dip one at a time). Toss the jelly-coated cakes in desiccated coconut (see pictures below).
That's it! And here you go with super delicious raspberry lamingtons. Enjoy jelly cakes!!
Storage
Store in the fridge until you serve them. Enjoy super tasty jelly cakes/ lamington bites!
These lamingtons are best served the day you prepare them because the jelly and cream can spoil quickly. Keep these cakes in the fridge and store them for up to 2-3 days.
How many servings does the recipe make?
The serving size of these raspberry bites depends on how big you like to slice your lamington pieces. I cut big square slices of cake. It comes with around eight pieces of jelly cake slices
Variations
- If you like the variety of flavors, choose different flavored jelly for occasions.
- If you are a cream lover, pipe whipped cream onto the top of the cakes and enjoy!
- You can add coconut while preparing the cake batter and skip the latter part of tossing in the coconut.
Tips
- The right consistency of jelly should be thickened and viscous like egg whites.
- The cream should be cold, not frozen.
- Jelly cakes do not stay longer than 2-3 days due to cream and jelly.
- To save time, prepare the cake a day before. Make cream and jelly and assemble them as you require.
- Cut the Vanilla sponge into four equal parts instead of three as I did in the recipe. It will be easier to sandwich two layers with the other two.
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Recipe
Jelly Cakes Recipe| Lamington Bites
Equipment
- Oven
- Fridge
Ingredients
- 85 g Raspberry jelly crystals (1 packet) for jelly
- 250 ml Hot water for jelly
- 250 ml Cold water for jelly
- 100 g Butter for cake
- 100 g Sugar for cake
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla for cake
- 2 Eggs for cake
- 180 g Self-raising flour for cake
- 100 ml whole milk for cake
- 100 ml Thickened cream/Heavy cream for cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla for cream
- 1 tablespoon Icing sugar for cream
- Sufficient quantity Desiccated coconut Final coat
Instructions
Raspberry Jelly
- Dissolve the jelly crystals in hot water and stir in cold water. Refrigerate until half set.
- It takes around 1- 2hrs. You need to check it repeatedly.
Vanilla Sponge Cake
- Whisk butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl to combine together and add eggs in batches.
- When the batter becomes fluffy and creamy, add flour and milk in batches to it.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking tin and bake for 45 minutes at 180 degree celcious.
- Cool the cake completely before cutting and assembly.
Cream Preparation
- Whisk thickened cream, vanilla and icing sugar together to get a whipped cream.
- Store in fridge until you need it.
Cake Assembly
- Cut the cake into three long slices. Spread the cream on the top of one slice and place the second slice of the cake (without cream) on it. Cut these sandwiched cake slice into squares.
- Similarly, cut the third slice in half. Spread the cream on the half portion and sandwich the other half portion without cream. Cut into squares.
- Dip all the square cake slices into raspberry jelly one at a time.
- Then coat with the coconut by tossing it in a bowl.
- Keep these cakes in the fridge until you serve them.
Video
Notes
- Check tips for additional information on this green leafy vegetable soup!
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Katie says
These are an absolute dream come true! Super easy to make and so delicious!
Aimee D says
I have never seen anything like that! I would be interested to try different combinations.
Abhi says
Yes, please!! I am sure you won't regret your decision.
Nancy says
Thanks for the easy to follow instructions
Abhi says
My pleasure!
Jere Cassidy says
This is such an interesting recipe of coating the cakes in jelly and then rolling in the cocoanut. Thanks for your step-by-step pictures they are so helpful.
Abhi says
Thanks for the kind words Jere!
Shelby says
I love that these are tossed on coconnut! Gives them a great flavor (coconut is my favorite) and some added texture!
Abhi says
Thanks Shelby
Giangi Townsend says
That sound so good. I am not a baker, so appreciate all your instructions. Must prepare this for the holidays.
Abhi says
Thanks, Giangi! Do share how it turned out!
Judith says
I tried this with with a plant based jelly and it turned out well. Tasty!
Abhi says
Good to know the alternative you tried.Thanks for sharing!