Lamington recipe: the sponge that survives the chocolate dip
A hot-milk sponge baked the day before, frozen for an hour, dipped in thin cocoa icing and rolled in coconut. Fifteen squares of Queensland’s best-known cake, with the reason for each step.
This lamington recipe turns a hot-milk sponge into 15 squares dipped in thin chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut. The key is time: the sponge is baked a day ahead and frozen for an hour, so the crumb holds instead of tearing.
The cake is named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. According to the State Library of Queensland, his French-born chef Armand Galland is most often credited, and the first published recipe, “Lamington Cakes”, appeared in Queensland Country Life on 17 December 1900.
This week Australia had its Michelin moment, with two stars for Magill Estate in South Australia. The lamington needs only a well-rested sponge.
A lamington is a sponge given one night to rest and one hour of cold.
Ingredients for the lamington recipe
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 170 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 180 g plain flour
- 30 g cornflour
- 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt
- 100 ml whole milk and 50 g butter
- 500 g icing sugar and 40 g cocoa powder
- 25 g butter and 160 ml boiling water, for the icing
- 250 g desiccated coconut
Method
- Heat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan) and line a 20 × 30 cm tin. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla for 7-8 minutes until pale and tripled: that air does most of the lifting.
- Sift in the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt and fold in three batches. Cornflour lowers the gluten for a finer crumb.
- Melt the butter in the warm milk, stir in two spoonfuls of batter, then fold it back in. Loosening it first stops the fat knocking out the air.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, until the top springs back. Cool, wrap and leave overnight.
- Trim the edges, cut 15 squares and freeze for 45-60 minutes, until firm but not solid. A fresh crumb soaks up icing and breaks.
- Stir the sifted icing sugar and cocoa with the butter and boiling water to a thin, pourable syrup. Keep it over barely simmering water, in two bowls, because crumbs thicken it.
- Dip each square with two forks for 2-3 seconds, let it drip, then roll it in the coconut. Leave on a rack for 1-2 hours to set.
Variation: jam and cream
The same lamington recipe gives the bakery version: split each set square and fill it with raspberry jam and lightly whipped cream, then keep it chilled and eat within two days.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my lamingtons fall apart in the icing? The sponge is too fresh or the icing too thick. Use a day-old, part-frozen cake and add a spoonful of boiling water to the icing.
Can I make lamingtons ahead? Yes. Unfilled, they keep for 3 days in an airtight tin and freeze for 2 months.
Can I use shredded coconut? Yes, but desiccated coconut is finer and drier, so it sticks evenly and gives the classic close coat.
