Christmas Lamingtons - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Cake:
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 teaspoons butter
2 eggs
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk, or as needed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
1/2 cup boiling water, or as needed
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups dried shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 drops red food coloring, or as needed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Beat sugar and 1/2 cup plus 1 3/4 teaspoons butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour and salt together in a bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the sugar-butter mixture. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to form a soft batter. Spread batter evenly into a shallow 10x14-inch baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
Turn cake out onto a rack to cool, at least 10 minutes. Cut into 30 squares.
Place dried coconut in a bowl. Combine 3 cups confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon boiling water, and 2 tablespoons butter in a separate bowl. Add more boiling water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until icing is fairly runny. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and red food coloring.
Line a tray with waxed paper. Pick up a cake square using a fork and coat it in the icing. Allow excess icing to drip off. Coat the cake in coconut; place on the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining cake squares. Allow icing to set for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.