What is a lamington in Australia?

A lamington in Australia is sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut. It is thought to have been invented at Old Government House in Brisbane or Harlaxton House in Toowoomba.

A lamington in Australia is a type of cake. There are several lamington recipes, but as a general rule, it’s a sponge cake covered in chocolate sauce then rolled in desiccated coconut. Some people put raspberry jam in a lamington as well, although there is considerable controversy over whether this can possibly be a proper lamington.

Lamingtons — The origin of the lamington is contested.

Origins of the lamington cake

The origins of the lamington are also hotly contested, even down to who it was named after. The broad consensus is that it was named in honour of Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. That said, some believe it the name comes from his wife, Lady Lamington.

The creator of the lamington is generally thought to be Frenchman Armand Galland, who was Lord Lamington’s chef. The tale of Galland improvising as a way of using up some stale sponge cake is probably a shaggy dog story, but it is one that has stuck.

The use of coconut – uncommon in European cooking at the time – is thought to have come via Galland’s Tahitian wife.

Birthplace of the lamington

There is also much debate about where the lamington was first made. Old Government House in Brisbane has long made a big show about being the birthplace of the lamington, but the Old Government House café took lamingtons off the menu in 2017 due to lack of sales.

Another story goes that the lamington cake was created at Harlaxton House in Toowoomba, where Lord Lamington had gone to escape the summer heat.

The lamington cake is sometimes called the national cake of Australia, although that’s unofficial. There is no national cake of Australia as such a status doesn’t exist.

Lamington pans

The lamington is ubiquitous enough to have its own cookware, however. Raised-edge baking trays that are often called brownie tins elsewhere are often called lamington pans or lamington trays in Australia.

More Australian slang