With this weekly post we want to introduce you into the culinary range of the English speaking world. Each week we present you an iconic dish and give you information around its origin, preparation and eating habits. This week’s recipe comes from Australia and it is sweeeeeet!
Australia’s iconic cake
The Lamington is often referred to as the „National Cake of Australia.“ A Lamington is a cake made from squares of butter cake (or sponge cake). It is coated in an outer layer of chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut. It is one of those culinary goods nearly everyone in Australia (and New Zealand) knows. It is so famous that 21 July was even designated as National Lamington Day in Australia. Lamingtons are often sold at fundraisers for schools or charity groups, known as „Lamington drives”.
Lamington’s origins and the jam controversy
The cake was named for Lord Lamington, who was a British politician and served as colonial Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. The first known printed recipe for „lamington cake“ appeared in the December 17, 1900, issue of Queensland Country Life.
Some people say there are variations which include strawberry sauce and jam filling. With or without filling – a simple question with a complex answer. Maurice French, emeritus professor of history at the University of Southern Queensland, has even written an entire book on the subject of Lamingtons: “The Lamington Enigma: A survey of the evidence”. With his work he traces the history of the Lamington, its precursors and the personalities who surrounded its emergence. Spoiler: No jam appears in any of the historic recipes.
How to make Lamingtons
In this interactive video you will find a recipe, some more background information as well as some tasks. In order to make sure that the interactive elements in this video are displayed correctly, please use the full screen mode.
We are looking forward to hearing about your experiences with this recipe. If you have any other suggestions for a recipe of the week, do not hesitate to contact us!
