Čupavci: Balkan Lamingtons
Čupavci (scruffies), also known as Balkan lamingtons, are sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate and rolled in shredded coconut. If you're looking for that perfect weeknight dessert in under an hour, this is it! Shall we?
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Background
Widely believed to be Australian, Lamington squares can be found anywhere from Romania to the US. In the Balkans (Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, etc.), people have been making them for decades.
Here, they're aptly named čupavci (loosely translated as "scruffies"), after their messy but delicious, coconut coating. (For simplicity, we'll call them Balkan Lamingtons.)
Indeed, in the Balkans, these sponge squares dipped in chocolate and coated with shredded coconut are a little shaggier than the originals. Think of čupavci as equally delicious, but not quite as tidy, as their Australian cousins.
When you think of it, Balkan Lamingtons (čupavci) are totally different from local favorites like baklava or palačinka crepes. But ask around, and you'll find out that many people have tender childhood memories of making čupavci with their moms and grandmoms.
Why You'll Love Čupavci
- Quick and Easy! Simple ingredients plus straightforward steps result in a crowd-pleasing dessert. Perfect for busy moms!
- Versatile! Čupavci are great for any occasion: potlucks, holiday parties, picnics, tailgates, or work and school lunches.
- Delicious! Soft sponge cake, rich glaze, and loads of coconut mean flavor and texture that beats any chocolate bar!
- Make-Ahead! Čupavci even improve in flavor after a day or two, which makes them ideal for prepping ahead.
- Eye-Catching! Their bakery-worthy look will wow your guests!
Ingredients
In addition to nostalgia, čupavci are everyone's go-to dessert due to the simple, everyday ingredients. You probably have most items needed to make Balkan Lamingtons in your pantry right now.
- Flour: regular white flour. We haven't made čupavci with substitutes. (If you have, or are about to, let us know in the comments.)
- Eggs: regular eggs for Balkan Lamingtons (čupavci) only, no substitutes.
- Granulated sugar: regular white sugar is fine. If you're substituting with brown sugar, use less of it so your Balkan Lamingtons (čupavci) don't end up too sweet.
- Milk: regular milk please! Substitute with soy milk. Avoid other milks for čupavci.
- Oil: vegetarian or sunflower is preferred for Balkan Lamingtons (čupavci). Substitute with coconut (melt it first), or almond. Absolutely no olive oil. (We prefer čupavci without the olive oil intensity. However, we do have a different, but equally delicious olive oil dessert for you here!)
- Baking powder: regular is fine. Substitute with baking soda, but use just ⅓ of the volume so your čupavci come out perfect.
- Butter: no margarine for čupavci, please! If you substitute, try coconut butter or ghee, but report back! We love to hear new Balkan Lamington tips!
- Baking chocolate: čupavci are forgiving! Any baking chocolate will work for Balkan Lamingtons. Substitute with dark chocolate, chocolate chips, or regular milk chocolate without additions.
- Shredded coconut: (not to be confused with coconut flour!), we mean dried shredded or desiccated coconut. In some regions, it goes by coconut powder. Just don't be stingy, with your Balkan Lamingtons (čupavci)!
- (Optional) rum or vanilla: a pinch of either one of those, or both, intensifies the taste of Balkan Lamingtons. We've even added cherry brandy instead of rum.
Instructions
It'll take you about an hour, give or take, to make čupavci. That's yet another reason to get Balkan Lamingtons into your weekly rotation. Check out our simple čupavci instructions!
Balkan Lamingtons (Čupavci) Step 1. Make the Sponge Cake (Biscuit). Combine sponge cake ingredients and mix into a smooth batter with a mixer or hand.
Balkan Lamingtons (Čupavci) Step 2. Transfer to Pan. Transfer to an oiled and floured pan, and shake to even out.
Balkan Lamingtons (Čupavci) Steps 3 and 4. Bake the Sponge Cake (biscuit) and Make the Chocolate Dipping Sauce. Bake the sponge cake slowly. Combine ingredients and slowly warm up until they integrate, stirring frequently.
Balkan Lamingtons (Čupavci) Step 5 and 6. Cut the Squares, Dip the Sponge Cake Into the Chocolate Dipping Sauce and Shredded Coconut. Cut the sponge cake into 24-32 squares. Dip super hot sponge cake into hot chocolate dipping sauce. Roll in coconut. Your čupavci are done!
Handling
- Serving čupavci: Serve with a cool beverage or milk. Some people like čupavci hot, right after it's rolled in coconut. Others prefer them cooler, and they leave them in the fridge for an hour before serving.
- Storing čupavci: store Balkan Lamingtons (in a sealed container) in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Reheating čupavci: if you prefer, you can reheat čupavci for a few seconds in the microwave.
- Freezing čupavci: nope!
Recipe FAQs
A delicious mix of chocolate and coconut poured over the softest sponge cake. The cake itself is light and airy, while the chocolate and coconut combo adds sweetness and texture.
Too many to count! So far we know that Lamingtons are consumed for sure in at least Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, the US, South Africa, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Balkans.
Lamingtons, also known as čupavci in the Balkan region are popular in all ex-yu Balkan countries, and beyond. This includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and more.
Delectable Desserts
While we know you'll go gaga over our Balkan Lamingtons (čupavci), you won't go wrong with any of the desserts below. Eat up!
- No Bake Wafer Cake (Oblande, Oblatne)
- Hazelnut Truffle Balls
- Phyllo Plum Pie (Šljivopita)
- Stewed Fruit
- Mama's Chocolate Cake
Thoughts?
If you made our Balkan Lamingtons known as čupavci and liked it, please consider giving it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5-star) rating. This helps others find the recipe more easily!
Also, feel free to leave a comment (I read each one!), and don't forget to tag a photo #balkanlunchbox, or us @balkanlunchbox, on IG.
Prijatno and bon appetit!
Balkan Lamingtons (Čupavci)
Equipment
- 1 approximately 10x12inch baking pan (25x30cm)
Ingredients
Sponge Cake (Biscuit)
- 13 ounces white flour plus a little more
- 2 eggs
- 10 ounces white granulated sugar or 7 ounces brown sugar
- 10 ounces milk sub with soy milk
- 5 ounces vegetable or sunflower oil plus a little more; sub with coconut or avocado oil
- ½ ounce baking powder
- (Optional) a pinch of vanilla
- (Optional) a pinch of rum or cherry brandy višnja
Chocolate Dipping Sauce
- 10.5 ounces milk sub with soy milk
- 10.5 ounces baking chocolate (feel free to add more chocolate) sub with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or chocolate chips
- 5 tablespoons white granulated sugar or 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
Topping (Coating)
- 7 ounces dry shredded (desiccated) coconut
Instructions
Make the Sponge Cake (Biscuit)
- Heat oven to 200°F (90°C). (Please read the notes below regarding the baking temperature.)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine dry sponge cake ingredients and stir. Add the rest of the sponge cake ingredients and mix for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer (or 5-6 minutes if mixing by hand). The batter should be smooth, and crumb-free.
- Grease your baking pan, and then dust it with flour. Slowly pour the batter in. Shake the pan lightly from left to right to even out the batter. Place in the oven and turn the heat up to 350°F (175°C). The oven will be warming up as the biscuit is baking, so it will rise evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Bring the temperature down to 300°F (150°C), and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (If needed, subtract or add a few minutes until it passes the toothpick test.)
- Remove from the oven onto a flat surface. You can keep it in the pan or transfer it outside of the pan onto a flat surface.
Make the Chocolate Dipping Sauce
- A few minutes before the baking ends, take a medium-sized pot and combine chocolate dipping sauce ingredients. Heat over low to medium heat while stirring continuously. Once the ingredients have melted together, remove from heat. (Time it so the sauce is ready about the same time the sponge cake is removed from the oven.)
Dip the Sponge Cake Into the Chocolate Dipping Sauce and Shredded Coconut
- Cut the sponge cake biscuit into approximately 24-32 smaller squares. (The smaller you go the better and tastier lamingtons are. However, the more squares you cut, the more ounces of chocolate you may need to cover them.) You can do this directly in the pan. Alternatively, transfer to a cutting board or a flat surface first. (For neater, more even squares, you can cut off the side edges first.) Pour the shredded coconut into a large mixing bowl.
- (Please watch your fingers for this part!) While the sponge cake and the chocolate dipping sauce are still hot, dip each square first into the chocolate sauce, and then into the shredded coconut. Use an even, fast movement while dipping. (Alternatively, use a fork.) It's really important that both be as hot as your fingers can handle. The biscuit really soaks up the chocolate this way. Transfer to a serving plate.
Serve
- Serve alongside a cold beverage or milk. Store in the fridge on a plate covered with foil (or in plasticware) for up to 4-5 days. Some people prefer to heat čupavci in the microwave for a few seconds before eating, but most like them cold. Do not freeze!
Video
Notes
- Baking Temperature and Sponge Cake Notes:
These are ADDICTIVE!!! So delicious and so surprisingly easy to make! As usual, I'll tell you how I did it 🙂 First, rather than mixing the paste by hand, I threw everything into my KitchenAid stand mixer and mixed it for about 30-45 seconds, until there were no lumps left. I started my oven at 200 F like you said, but because my oven tends to burn things anytime I set it higher than 450 F, I only changed the temperature to 400 F. My oven heats up quickly, and got to 400 F after only about 5 minutes. I baked the squares for 20 minutes, after which they were golden brown and perfectly baked through. Once the squares were baked, I turned them out onto a rack to cool for a few minutes, but I noticed that doing that affected how much chocolate the squares absorbed. Next time I'll do it when they are really hot so more chocolate soaks into the cake. For the topping, I didn't have dark chocolate, so I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead and left out the sugar because semi-sweet chocolate is sweeter than dark chocolate. I also melted the topping ingredients in a bowl set over simmering water rather than in a pot directly over the heat because it helps prevent the chocolate from burning, at least I find. Finally, with regards to the coconut, I only had shredded coconut which was much coarser than the coconut you have in your picture. So when I tried to roll the squares in it, it was too much. Instead, I topped each square with a sprinkling of the coconut. When I was at the store today, I found coconut flour, but it was ground as fine as actual flour, so I didn't think it would work for this recipe. It looks like it needs a finely ground coconut, but the more coarsely ground one worked wonderfully as a topping. My Bosnian husband was very impressed, and so was I!
Oooo, that sounds great! I used to melt the chocolate the same exact way, but I admit, I got a little lazy. Glad you liked it. Going for the more coarse coconut over the flour coconut is the way to go. And I must say, I am lusting after one of those Kitchen-Aid mixers. But I'm worried it'll stand unused next to my Vitamix. Do you find you use it a lot?
I do use it a lot. Almost every day actually. I have 3 kids and a big sweet tooth, so I am always baking up something - cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins, etc. But the machine is so versatile, I've also used it to make bread and pizza dough. Even my husband uses it when he makes palacinka (crepes) for the kids! It has other attachments you can buy too, like a pasta making attachment and even a meat grinder!
Impressive!
always wish there was an automatic conversion button
We do too. 🙂
Excus me,wath meens one cup??100gr??😬😬i waith yours answer!thanks
Ramona,
I have changed the terms to ounces, maybe that will help? Check out this calculator: http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/ounces-to-grams.htm
Ohhhh! Čupavce! I have so many memories of these as a little kid. I remember my mom making the cake part and being so impatient to eat them bc they smelt so good! She’s always let me sneak one of the “ugly” squares but nothing more. Can’t wait to make these for my American husband! Just gotta find the right coconut flour...
Sweet memories! I too remember eating the "ugly" squares. 🙂 Hope your husband likes them.
OH! These are my childhood favorites. I too remember eating the 'ugly' squares my mother wouldn't dare to serve the guests lol.
I have to admit, I've been using a shortcut for the dipping sauce. I use chocolate syrup + milk = warmed up in the microwave. Works just as great!
Irma thanks for a great tip. I'm a fan of shortcuts, especially if they're just as good as the original thing!
Why would you do this in ounces? I only have weighing scales that take grams, even cups would be easier.... who uses ounces?
All of North America.
Hello I think most people would like the recipe in gram and NOT oz.
Most of our readership (US) doesn't use the metric system for cooking measurements. However, if you speak Bosnian (or Serbian/Croatian) you can find ingredients in grams in translated recipes. Look under the first photograph and you'll see the link.
Hi, this is a delicious recipe. One remark though: The temperatures in the recipe are different from the temperatures in the video. I used the lower temperatures provided in the text and my cake didn't cook. I had to add 15 minutes more and increase the temperature back to 175 degrees celcius to get it done. And the cake never got golden as the one in the video. I wish I had watched the video first.
Nalan,
Thanks for your note. That's the thing with ovens - each bakes completely differently. Our recommendation is to always follow your own oven and instincts when biscuits are in question.
- Aida