There is no cake more Australian than Lamingtons! A moist butter sponge dipped in chocolate then coated with coconut, this is The Cake sold at every suburban bakery and weekend fundraisers.
You’ll get coconut everywhere making them and eating them. But that’s all part of the Aussie experience. It’s how we do it Down Under! 🇦🇺
Lamingtons – an Australian classic!
A soft buttery sponge cake coated all over with chocolate icing and coconut.
Even if you’ve never heard of these before, you just know it’s going to be good. We Aussies know great tucker – and this is as Aussie as it gets!! (OK, OK, maybe as Aussie as Pavs, Anzac Biscuits, Sausage Rolls, Party Pies, weekend sausage sizzles and Sunday Roast Lamb😇)
How to make Lamingtons
On the face of it, it sounds simple enough:
make a buttery vanilla sponge cake
cut into squares, dip into chocolate icing, coat with coconut
The one little extra step I add that is going to make your Lamington making life a total breeze is to mostly freeze the cake before rolling in icing. A firm, semi frozen piece of cake is much easier to handle when coating in icing and rolling in coconut. Try doing it with fresh sponge, and you’ll be battling crumbling cake as you try to coat it. Been there, done that, multiple times!
The cake will thaw as the icing sets and the cake is as fresh as it was straight out of the oven.
Here’s a bit more background to explain why I freeze the cake before coating – to make sure I fully convince you so you don’t skip that step!
Why I Freeze The Cake before coating
Lamingtons are one of those cakes that recipes say are easy to make, but most are just downright lying to you. The first few times I made them involved screeches of frustration and serious foot stomping.😤 I emerged on the other side looking like I’d been in a mud-wrestle with a plate of something that barely resembled the neat squares you see in this post.
The challenge is this: The sponge has to be tender and moist enough to eat plain, but trying to roll such a delicate cake in icing is a disaster. The cake crumbles into the icing, making it thicker and impossible to work with.
And once the crumbling begins, imagine the mess when you try to roll it in coconut.
The solution offered by traditional recipes is to leave the cake out overnight, essentially letting the outside become a bit stale so it’s easier to handle. This works pretty well – but the cake is a bit drier than ideal.
The 21st century solution:
FREEZE THE CAKE.
It’s even easier to handle for coating, and the bonus is that the cake stays fresh and moist – no need to leave it out to dry out!
This will change your Lamington Life forever.
Butter Sponge Cake for Lamingtons
The sponge cake for Lamingtons is a terrific recipe that I use as a base for other recipes (strangely, none that I’ve shared here – yet). Simply made with pantry staples, it’s soft and buttery, and not too sweet which is what we want because we get extra sweetness from the chocolate icing.
The big debate:
Do Lamingtons have jam and cream?
Classic Lamingtons made the traditional old-school way do not have jam or cream sandwiched in the middle. But you’ll come across many Aussies who won’t have Lamingtons any other way (some RecipeTin family members included).
My view – Lamingtons should stand as a great cake without any filling. Jam and cream is optional – it should make it over the top good!
If you’re a Lamington fan, I think you’ll approve of this recipe! The butter cake is moist, tender and buttery. The chocolate coating is thick enough so you get a great hit of chocolate, but thin enough so it soaks into the sponge, a sticky enough to glue on plenty of coconut.
The added bonus is that using the little trick to freeze the cakes before coating, they are neat and tidy so they look as great as they taste! – Nagi x
PS It will be messy making these. And that’s totally ok. Because it’s part of the great Aussie tradition that you get coconut “everywhere” when you’re making them and eating them!
PPS When better to make Lamingtons than for Australia Day??
Lamingtons
Watch how to make it
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Lamingtons
Ingredients
Butter Sponge
- 125 g / 4.5 oz unsalted butter , softened
- 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs , room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (260g) flour , plain/all purpose, sifted (Note 1)
- 3.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk (low or full fat)
Icing
- 4 cups (480g) icing sugar (confectionary sugar), sifted
- 1/3 cup (22g) cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
- 150ml (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) boiling water
Coating
- 3 – 4 cups desiccated coconut
Optional: Jam and Cream
- Strawberry jam
- 1 cup (250 ml) cream
- 1 tbsp white sugar
Instructions
Butter Sponge
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (or fan forced 160C/320F).
- Sift flour and baking powder together.
- Grease a 20 cm x 30 cm / 8″ x 12″ cake pan. Line with baking paper (parchment paper), leaving an overhang on all sides (to make it easy to remove).
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy – about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition so the batter is smooth, not curdled.
- Add half the flour and gently fold to combine, then stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Stand for 5 minutes then use the overhang baking paper to lift the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Prepare Cake to Coat
- Cut cake into 15 squares (5 x 3), or 18 rectangles. Freeze for 1 to 1.5 hours. (Note 2)
Icing
- Combine the Icing ingredients in a heat proof bowl and mix until smooth. Should be a syrup consistency, but not watery. (Note 2)
Coating
- Place coconut in a shallow bowl or pan with a largish surface area (Note 3).
- Place a piece of cake in the icing and roll to coat using 2 forks. Transfer it into the coconut and quickly roll to coat all over in coconut. Transfer to tray.
- Repeat with remaining sponges.
- Stand for 1 to 2 hours, or until set. Then serve with tea and coffee!
Optional: Jam and Cream
- Beat cream and sugar until firm peaks form.
- Cut coated Lamington in half horizontally. Spread with jam then pipe or dollop on cream. Top with lid, keep refrigerated.
Recipe Notes:
No cream: Store in airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for 2 – 3 months then thaw before serving.
Cream: Store in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. 5. Nutrition per serving.
Barely adapted from this recipe from taste.com.au. Ingredients the same, the main thing I changed is the process (especially the coating process, to make it easier!)Nutrition Information:
Originally published 2014. Post refreshed with better photos, recipe video and process steps added. No change to recipe!
More Aussie Tucker favourites
- Pavlova – Meringue cake with marshmallow centre topped with cream and berries
- Sausage Rolls – Juicy pork filling encased in puff pastry. We think ours rivals Bourke St Bakery!
- Party Pies – Mini pies filled with slow cooked beef
- Scones – One of the best things the English brought to our shores!
- Caramel Slice – chocolate, caramel and shortbread. Home run!
- Sunday Roast Lamb with Gravy – also try this amazing Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb!
- Big bucket of fresh cooked prawns with dipping sauces – a summer favourite!
- Browse the Australia Day recipes collection!
Life of Dozer
You think it’s hard making recipe videos? Trying make them with THIS in your line of sight….
Thanks Nagi for this amazing recipe. Made them in honour of Australia Day. Miss Aus everyday now we’re living in UK. They are delicious 💖💖
I tried making the sponge cake and i forgot to add the baking powder so i added it at the end however the cake looked nice after it cooked and then it collapsed- not sure why that happened
Hi there Nagi.
Your recipes are the bomb.
If I want to cook something it’s always from you.
Your methods are easy to follow and then the videos.
Perfect. Speaking of perfect that has to be Dozer 🥰
First time to make this and has to work around complicated timing. Can I freeze the butter spong overnight or do I have to freeze if I leave in the fridge overnight? Also, my butter sponge cracked 😐 this happens to me all the time. Should the rack be in the middle instead of bottom? Thank you so much!
Hi Nagi,
The standard cup conversion of flour is usually about 120 – 130 grams according to many sources. I’m just wondering if you usually measure the flour in grams when you make your recipes, or do you put the flour in a cup with a spoon and level? I like to use the scale for recipes and don’t want to make the mistake of adding too much flour. Thanks.
this was great
I’m 10 years old and I’m going to bake it and recipe is amazing
Can’t wait to cook it
Nagi do you have a raspberry lamington recipe or a suggestion for a raspberry sauce instead of chocolate? Keen to try making them but my partner loves the raspberry version of these and I’d love to make him those!! Thanks
I have made these lamingtons four times now. They are the best recipe I’ve ever come across. I make these every time my grandson comes to visit while he is on holidays from uni.
Made these today as part of our GF24 Aussie Arvo Foo-Tea at half time as we watch game here in Aotearoa (Go Swans!)
The hack worked perfectly. I have never had a lamington before as I always thought they might be too dry and crumbly. Not these! Soft, fluffy and featherlight. Perfect with a cuppa.
Thanks.
P
Well baked moist cake but too sweet. Hoped cream would cut through sweetness but no luck
I love all of tin eats recipes, however I have to agree with others that the chocolate coating is way too sweet.
I made this recipe using toasted sugar instead of regular and it balanced the sweetness very well
Super super nice but a bit sweet, not sure how to keep the same icing consistency, less icing sugar and more cocoa powder? Any other ideas?
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut. Making for my daughter’s Australian college roommate… want to get it right!
I’m gonna be honest, lamingtons were never my favourite snack, but I’m pretty sure this recipe made me change my mind completely and I’ve got so many compliments on them. Super recommend.
I’m gonna be honest, lamingtons were never my favourite snack, but I’m pretty sure this recipe made me change my mind completely and I’ve got so many compliments on them. Super recommend.
Hello Nagi! Lamingtons are relatively new to our family, but have come to love it! We’re in Tokyo and you may find it odd that we had our first in this Aussie restaurant just outside Tokyo. A nice guy from Melbourne runs it. One time he made/served lamingtons for my daughter’s birthday even when it wasn’t available for that particular day.
I just made your recipe 2 weeks ago and it was a total hit! My family loved it! Now my daughter’s asking if she can have it as a birthday cake. If I follow your recipe as a 2 or 3 layer, 8” cakes, how do you suggest I multiply the ingredients? Do you have tips how I can manage dipping a big cake in the chocolate icing without ending up with overly coated cakes? I hope to hear your inputs soon. My daughter’s birthday is in 3 weeks.
Btw, thank you for all the wonderful recipes you share to all of us. I have several of your recipes in my monthly meal plan rotation. They’re all fantastic and I personally believe it helps our family enjoy meals together.
I just made this for a second time and it rose just an inch, maybe just under. I definitely put the right amount of baking powder in. Anyone know why it didn’t rise? Bad baking powder? Eggs not room temperature enough? Thanks
Mine was the same. I think this recipe makes quite thin lamingtons. Next time I’ll use a deeper pan because I’m not a fan of finger lamingtons.
Such an awesome recipe. First time I made it was perfect, moist and chocolatey, soft and so delicious. I was super surprised that I could make it, so the recipe is the bomb, if I can’t ruin it!
Sunday apparently was National Lamington Day, so of course I had to make some and bring to work. First time making these and they came up perfect and were a big hit with everyone.
This recipe is just like the Country Women’s Association (CWA) recipes I’ve known of, right down to the freezing. The CWA are definitely a no to the jam but to me it’s a must have. Cream is not such a big deal. I’ve always wondered if I should make two sponges and make big ones with the jam between each cake layer but I’ll try the simple cutting in half first. Thanks for the reminder I have to make lammies again!