Squares of sponge cake coated in chocolate icing and coconut, one of Australia's best-known bakery treats.
Heat the oven to 180°C and line a square baking tin
Cream butter and sugar until light
Beat in the eggs one at a time
Fold in flour and baking powder, alternating with milk
Bake until the sponge springs back when touched
Cool completely and cut into 16 squares
Mix powdered sugar, cocoa and hot water into a thin icing
Dip each cake square in chocolate icing
Roll in coconut and leave to set
Lamingtons are small squares of sponge cake coated in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. They are strongly associated with Australian bakeries, school fundraisers and home baking.
The name is commonly linked to Lord Lamington, governor of Queensland around the turn of the twentieth century. Several competing stories explain exactly how the cake was created, and no single anecdote is universally accepted.
The structure is simple but effective: dry sponge absorbs a thin chocolate coating, while coconut keeps the surface from becoming sticky and adds texture.
Some versions are split and filled with jam or cream. Others use different icing thicknesses. This recipe makes sixteen pieces, which is more appropriate for a tray bake than treating it as four generic servings.
Lamingtons are culturally significant because they are both ordinary and celebratory. They appear at bakeries and community events rather than belonging only to formal pastry traditions.
16 servings