Although the origin of the Lamington is still in dispute (is it Australian, or is it from New Zealand?), Traditionally, we make this iconic dessert for Australia Day.

Australia Day itself has also been under a bit of dispute in recent years. Mainly from a political standpoint, we heard from those who say it causes unfair hurt to indigenous people. On 26 January 1788, the day when Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the First Fleet of 11 British ships, arrived at Sydney Cove, raising the British flag to signal the birth of the colony.  This day has been labeled “mourning day” by the indigenous people of Australia.

Here is a small excerpt from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-42798864 on the subject:

Australian historian Prof Kate Darian-Smith, from the University of Tasmania, says that Australia Day, now far from its roots, sparks a sometimes heated annual public debate about cultural identity, history, and what it means to be Australian. “In the commemorations in 1938, and then in 1988, there were restagings of the arrival of the First Fleet to Australia – and we would not see this now,” she says.”Australia Day has become a politicised flashpoint for discussion about how we should celebrate the past, and recognising what the day means for indigenous people.”

Under #changethedate, indigenous Australians were able to bring attention to this Australian national day of celebration.

When we consider that the date for Australia Day in its current form is relatively new (since 1994) we can also consider a change of date that is more consistent and inclusive of its indigenous people. #my2centsworth

Enough politics, back to Lamingtons… The cake is named after Charles Wallace Baillie, Lord Lamington, the governor of Queensland from 1895 to 1901. Lord Lamington was known for wearing a homburg hat that looked like a cake. For many years, lamingtons were served on state ceremonial occasions in Queensland. (source Wikipedia)

Lamingtons are an Australian gem and are very popular at bake sales, and anyone growing up in Australia will know of the lamington drives, lamington fundraising events at schools. A lamington is traditionally made from a vanilla sponge cake, coated in a chocolate sauce, and then rolled in shredded coconut. Today, this nostalgic dessert is found in local bakeries, cafes, and supermarkets in Australia.

What you need:

What to do:

For the Sponge Cake

1. All ingredients should be at room temperature (butter, eggs, and milk, etc)
2. Butter your baking tin (rectangular tin preferable), and line the bottom with baking paper
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C
4. Place all of the ingredients for the cake into a large food processor/stand mixer and blend on low speed until all of the ingredients are incorporated
5. You should have a pale yellow batter that is quite thick. If it looks a bit curdled, don’t worry, just blend until smooth
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Leave the cake in the tin for about 5 minutes
8. With the bottom of the cake facing up, turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool. This will help the top of the cake flatten
9. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the sponge into 32 squares, 64 squares (you can decide how small or large you want the cakes to be. Keep in mind that you still have to coat them with chocolate and shredded coconut (which will make them seem bigger)

For the Chocolate Icing

1. Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (a bain-marie)
2. Add the icing sugar to the chocolate, and then whisk the milk into it
3. You should have a runny but thick texture (runny enough to stick to the cakes effortlessly, but thick enough to coat the cakes)

The Lamington Assembly

1. Pour the shredded coconut onto a large flat plate or tray
2. Dip a sponge square into the chocolate icing mixture (you can use 2 forks to avoid getting chocolate all over you), make sure that all sides are coated evenly (drain excess chocolate)
3. Now you can roll the chocolate-coated sponge squares in the shredded coconut, and then place the lamington on a wire rack to dry.
4. Repeat with the remaining sponge squares until done
5. In the meantime, if the icing mixture thickens, you can whisk in some more milk to thin it out.
6. Let the lamingtons sit on the wire rack for about 30-40 minutes
7. Once they are completely dry, cut them in half (horizontally) and add raspberry or strawberry jam in the centre.
8. If you feel fancy, you can also add fresh cream to bring it to a new level