Lamington

One word for the Aussie cult classic lamington – delightful. A childhood sweet treat of mine, they’re popular in Kiwi bakeries too.

To make, a sponge or butter cake is sliced through the middle and filled with a layer of cream or jam. Then, the cake is cut into squares, the outside coated with a thin layer of chocolate sauce, and finished with a roll in coconut. So pretty!

Legend has it that lamingtons were named after Lord Lamington, or maybe his wife Lady Lamington, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901.

Their chef was asked to whip up a sweet treat for unexpected guests, so he got creative with some leftover French sponge. While coconut wasn’t as commonplace that era, the chef’s wife was from coconut-haven Tahiti…and the stars aligned.

The picture perfect lamington was from the brilliant Tokyo Lamington in Sydney, Australia. They do a classic OG chocolate lamington (pictured) made with fresh ingredients, as well as other creative flavours like vegan yuzu meringue or fairy bread popcorn.