Ingredients
175 g unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup caster sugar
¾ cup milk
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 free-range eggs
1 ½ cups self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
300 ml tub thickened cream, whipped
Ladybugs
12 medium fresh strawberries, hulled, halved lengthways
chocolate writing icing
24 fresh blueberries
Method
- Grease a 19cm x 30cm lamington pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 3cm above edges of pan
- Combine butter, sugar, milk and cocoa in a saucepan. Whisk over a medium to low heat until melted and smooth. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Cool slightly.
- Add eggs and combined sifted flour and soda. Whisk until smooth. Pour into pan.
- Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) about 25 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Place cake on a board. Trim short ends. Cut into 24 equal squares.
- To make ladybug bodies, pipe writing icing lengthways down the centre of halved berries. Pipe small dots on either side, as pictured.
- Spoon whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe five dots around top of each square, then one dot in the centre to form a flower-shape. Top with ladybug bodies and blueberries for heads.