Easy Lamingtons Recipe From Australia

Lamingtons are an Australian sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut. They are a delicious treat with a unique look that’s sure to impress guests. Give this recipe a try!

Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!

Lamingtons are a distinctly Australian treat that is difficult for anyone to pass up. 

It’s made with fluffy sponge cakes, coated in chocolate and rolled in coconut. While each element is simple on its own, when combined it creates a treat that is moist, delicious, and full of texture.

Lamingtons can be found in many different flavors in bakeries throughout Australia. They may be coated in different colored chocolate or filled with different creams or jelly. 

This classic Lamingtons recipe is the original and it’s the best place to start if you’re trying this dish for the first time. Get ready to make a mess with chocolate and coconut and create little treats that are perfect for afternoon tea or birthday parties!

Recipe Origin

There are several stories told about the invention of lamingtons (some from New Zealand) but without a doubt this treat is credited to Lord Lamington, the eighth governor of Queensland, around the year 1900.

One story goes that Lord Lamington’s chef threw the recipe together to feed unexpected guests.

A second story tells of a maidservant of Lord Lamington who accidentally dropped a piece of cake into some melted chocolate while working at the Government House in Brisbane. Lord Lamington didn’t want to see the cake go to waste so he suggested also dipping it in coconut to make it easier to pick up and eat. The new recipe was declared a success and the recipe was shared in the local newspaper.

Lord Lamington served in Queensland for five years but many have said his greatest achievement was not anything political, but the creation of this delicious Australian treat.

The lamingtons recipe has become so popular that in Australia, July 21 has been declared National Lamington Day.

What Do I Need To Make This Recipe?

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

1. Refrigerated Items: Eggs, Unsalted Butter
2. Pantry Staples: Granulated Sugar, All Purpose Flour, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla 
3. Additional Items: Semi-sweet Chocolate chips, Desiccated coconut

Tools

1. 8×8 Glass Dish: A square pan will give you perfect, square pieces of cake. If you don’t have a square pan you can still make this recipe in a 9×13 pan, but they lamingtons will be thinner! 

How to Make Desiccated Coconut

Desiccated coconut is very different from shredded coconut and you’ll find that out quickly if you try to make this dish with shredded or sweetened coconut. To be honest, I struggled originally to find desiccated coconut, so I made this recipe with shredded coconut. The flavor was fine, but the texture and the look were definitely not right.

Little did I know, it’s actually pretty easy to make desiccated coconut at home.

Desiccated coconut is shredded to a finer texture than shredded coconut and is much drier as well. This gives it the perfect texture for coating chocolate and keeping fingers somewhat clean.

To make desiccated coconut you can simply pulse dried coconut flakes in a food processor until they are small, somewhere between the size of quick oats and flaky salt. You can dehydrate coconut flakes in a food dehydrator or at a low temperature in the oven for about 10 minutes for best results.

You can also make desiccated coconut from fresh coconuts, though this takes a bit more effort. You must crack open the coconut, grate the flesh onto a baking pan, and then dry it out at a very low temperature in the oven or in a dehydrator. Pulse those grated flakes in a food processor to finish.

How to Make This Recipe

Step One: Make the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour an 8×8 pan, lining the base of the pan with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer for about three minutes until the eggs turn pale and thicker. 

Sift the flour and the baking powder into the wet mixture and use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently mix to combine. 

Add the melted butter into the mixture a little at a time and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely. You can even place it in the fridge to allow it to cool faster. 

Step Two: Make the Frosting

Add the melted butter to a large bowl. Whisk continuously while pouring in the whole milk.

Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined. Then whisk in the icing sugar until combined. 

Finally, add in the salt and whisk once more. This mixture should be a syrup-like consistency… Thinner than the cake batter but thicker than water. 

Step Three: Assemble the Lamingtons

Remove the cake from the pan. Using a large knife, cut the edges off of the cake so that it is a perfect square.

Cut the lamingtons cake into 20-25 pieces, depending on how large you want your lamington. 

Empty the coconut into a shallow bowl. Dip each lamington in chocolate frosting and then roll in the coconut. 

Let the lamingtons sit on a wire cooling rack to cool for about one hour before enjoying! 

This is a family recipe that comes from my Australian friend, Katelyn. Thank you, Katelyn!

Expert Tips

• Most Lamington experts agree that perfect-looking Lamington takes time. Don’t try to bake the cake and apply the icing before the cake has fully cooled. It will not work. It’s best to bake the cake the day before you plan to serve.
• If you are having trouble with the final assembly of the cake, try freezing the cake pieces. This will make your cake firm and easier to handle and the cold will also help the icing become firm on the cake. Your cake will thaw as the icing continues to set. Make sure it is fully thawed before serving.
• Make sure your chocolate icing isn’t too hot when you try to assemble the pieces. If the icing is too hot it will run right off the cake while slightly cooled icing will give you a thicker layer.
• The finer your coconut is shredded, the better it will stick to the icing. Some professional bakers will even sift their desiccated coconut so only the finest slivers get through.

Tips for Assembling Your Lamingtons

I have two main tips to make sure that the assembly of your Australian dessert goes smoothly: 

1. It is very important to make sure your milk is room temperature and your butter isn’t too hot. If the temperatures of these two ingredients vary greatly, the butter will seize up and form chunks in the icing. Room-temperature milk will solve this issue. 
2. Keep your coconut clean by only placing a bit in a shallow bowl at one time. After 2-3 lamingtons, your coconut will get chocolatey and not as pretty. At this point, throw out the remaining coconut, add a little more fresh coconut into the bowl, and continue assembling your lamingtons. 

Variations

A plain chocolate and coconut lamington is the original and the old-school way to enjoy Australian lamingtons, but there are so many ways to mix up different flavors and textures! 

Try coating your lamingtons in different flavors or colors of chocolate or fill them with a layer of cream, a layer of chocolate, strawberry jam, raspberry jam, or jelly. It may not be the traditional way, but it’s definitely delicious!

FAQs

Did you enjoy this recipe for Lamingtons from Australia? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you: 

• Sausage Roll Recipe from Australia
• Fairy Bread from Australia
• Vegemite Pasta from Australia