Black Forest Panna Cotta Lamingtons

1. Preheat oven to 180°C then line a rectangle slice tin (20 x 30cm with deep sides) with baking paper
   
   
2. To make the sponge, whip eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until doubled in volume.
   
   
3. Using a spatula, gently fold through flour and cocoa in three batches.
   
   
4. Trickle butter evenly over surface of the batter and fold gently through until no streaks remain.
   
   
5. Pour the sponge batter into the slice tin and smooth over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, it’s ready when firm and spring to touch in the centre. Remove from the oven and allow to cook in the tin.
   
   
6. To make the panna cotta, soak gelatine in a bowl of cold water and set aside.
   
   
7. Place cream, sugar and scraped vanilla beans in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir cream so the sugar doesn’t stick and burn. Stop stirring and bring to the boil, then remove from heat.
   
   
8. Squeeze out the gelatine leaves to remove excess water and add to the cream. Whisk gelatine gently into the cream until dissolved. Add kirsch and stir to combine. Set panna cotta aside to cool at room temperature.
   
   
9. Once sponge has cooled, leave it in the tin and dot holes all over using a fork. When the panna cotta is cool, pour over sponge and place in fridge to set overnight.
   
   
10. For cherry compote, place cherries and sugar into a saucepan over a medium heat and mix with a wooden spoon. The juice will become your syrup. When it starts to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
    
    
11. Next, pour compote into a bowl, cover with cling film and store in the fridge until ready to assemble lamingtons.
    
    
12. The next day remove the sponge and the compote from fridge, slide the sponge onto the surface of your bench with the dark crust face up. Cut sponge in half down the middle of longest side, spread compote evenly over one half. Flip the other half of the sponge over on top so that it is like a big lamington sandwich with the ark crust of the sponge on the inside leaving the pale panna cotta side on top.
    
    
13. Divide lamington sandwich into 15 pieces, then place your cut cubes back in the fridge to chill.
    
    
14. Combine all icing ingredients into a bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt the chocolate and meld everything together, this will take approximately 10 minutes. When the chocolate coating is glossy, take it off the saucepan and set it on the bench.
    
    
15. Meanwhile, combine the various coconuts together into a large bowl. Remove the cubes of sponge from the fridge and dip each one into the melted chocolate and then roll each of the lamingtons in coconut.
    
    
16. Place them in the fridge to set for at least an hour. The lamingtons will keep for up to four days in the fridge.
    
    
    

Styling: Paige Noelle

Recipe: Nadine Ingram