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….
Hi
I am so delighted to see your receipe as we had tried it when my husband & I were holidaying in AU and my husband love lamington cakes. Tks so mich for sharing !
I have just made the butter cake but have no time to coat them yet. Is it possible to freeze the cake overnight ( and you do mean freeze as in the ice box section right?) and do the chocolate & coconut coating the next day ?
Hi Joanna, the reason I suggest freezing is because it is impossible to coat the fresh cake as it’s very crumbly. You can leave the cake out and simply cover over night then coat the next day. (no need to freeze)
Thank you Nagi ,
My hubby & my’s granddaughter very & very love that cake but I don’ t know how to made cream then put inside because they love cream with strawberry 🍓 jam , can u teach me , please .
Thankyou .
Wish u all have a peace on ur live . 🍀
Hi Tina, just use thickened cream with a little icing sugar & whip to stiff peaks ❤️
Nagi, these lamingtons are fabulous. We made them for Australia Day and my kids said they were the best lamingtons ever! I gave up making lamingtons ages ago because of the mess when covering them in chocolate, but your idea of freezing the cake is genius. Once again, thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
You’re so welcome Dianne, I’m glad they were a hit!
I love your sponge cake , I used it for strawberry and cream inside the cake . And I noticed that you have some Arabic receipe
Yes I do! It’s one of my favourite cuisines 🙂 N x
Nagi, I made this last night. My family and friends absolutely loved it. They asked for seconds 🙂 . Thank you!
Everybody always asks for seconds!!! 😂 N x
These look so delicious!!
I always dreamed of visiting AU.. The food alone would be worth the trip 🙂
Your coconut looks so fine, here it is quite course..
Thanks for sharing!
I hope you can come one of these days Mary! It’s such a beautiful place and everyone is so friendly 🙂 That’s one thing I adore about Australia! N x
Hi Nagi,
Just made the Blubery Pancakes. I didn’t have enough plain flour or milk, so I substituted.
I used stone ground wholemeal flour and powdered milk. They are just delicious.
Thanks 🤗
Treina
I love hearing that Treina! I’m so pleased to hear that! N x
Wholely molely, I have just made these with my Hubbie helping with the coconut rolling. These are fabulous!
Thanks again for another great recipe.
Good hubbie!! Bet he just wanted to do all the finger licking 😂 N x
Question: I see you used unsalted butter and no salt in the ingredient list is this correct? Looks delicious but will wait to hear from you before making.
Thanks
Pam
Hi Pam, Yes unsalted butter and no salt needed in this recipe ☺️
I have made lamingtons before but none of them compare with these. AMAZING is all I can say. And the tip of freezing the pieces prior to dipping is genius and worked brilliantly. This will be added to the regular rotation of sweets taken to others places. Thanks again Nagi for another satisfying recipe.
I’m so pleased to hear that Sarah!! The freezing was a game changer for me too 🙂 I think I got it from an old CWA mag! N x
Yummo! Thanks for the recipe Nagi – have been looking for the perfect lamination, and this might be getting close. Made them for Australia Day with my daughter. Freezer tip worked well!
Oooh! Love hearing that Julie! Any pointers on something you’d like to change?? 🙂 N x
YUMI! Made 1000 and 1000 ‘s of them when working with kids. We used only rasbperry jam no cream.for icing INSTAD water used milk because kids need nourishment. Love Dozer giving you hard time. Next month for the first time Vouncil will have one day animals for adoption. Am thinking getting kitten ……. Uh toilet training vs carpet vs the STUPED HEAT WAVE. WE HAD 43 C STINKER. OK, HAVE LOVELY W/ end. Me back to kitchen. Dear neighbour came with apricots at : 07.15 AM and they were hot and soft. Also got some purple and green beans. Will make salad with tomatoes, potatoes bit onion, olives and bacon. Could NOT eat the other day it was so hot.
I was down in Melbourne over the weekend and on Friday it was 42C!!!! CRAZY HOT! I was dying!!!
Have a great Australia Day weekend!
Had just read an Australian mystery that mentioned Lamingtons and had no clue what they were–now I do! Hadn’t been familiar with party pies, either. Thanks! Had previously found a custard square thingy recipe I’d only read about too. They all sound so good, I wish US stores sold them too!
But you have soooo many amazing foods we don’t get!!! I’m jealous too!!! Weirdly, one of the things I am most jealous about is all the pumpkin varieties you get. Small, large, different colours. Our range is much more limited! N x
Large cities and large metropolitan areas in the US probably offer a great deal of variety, but it’s not that way everywhere in the US. Truly. Pumpkins happen to grow well where I am situated, so we do have lots and lots of those! Interestingly, though, much of what is tinned/canned as pumpkin in the US, and used commercially to make “pumpkin” products in the US, is actually butternut squash, since that can legally also be termed as “pumpkin” when processed as an ingredient.
Hope you’d had a superb Australia Day!
Hi Nagi, and Happy Australia Day! When I was a little girl, my mom worked in the city. The terminal where she picked up the metro train had lots of sweets shops, in particular a delightful bakery. It was a treat when she brought these home! Although here in the US, at least in my family, we called them simply, Coconut Squares! (No imagination!) I am drooling for one now. Think I’ll have to try your recipe. What a great idea about freezing.
I always love reading about food memories! Aren’t they the best? 🙂 N x
Oh my! These are a winner from down under. (I also love the reggae tune with the video). Happy Aussie Day!
Thanks Martin! Hope you had a great weekend! N x
Thanks Martin! It was terrific – I was down in Melbourne for the Australian Open finals!! N x
Happy Australia Day Nagi & Dozer! This is the first time I’ve heard about Lamingtons but I want some! Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks Barb! It was a pretty amazing weekend at the Australian Open! N x
Oooo! I haven’t made Lamingtons since I lived in Australia over 40 years ago when we made dozens and dozens of them for a fundraiser. Your recipe makes me want to make them again. Yum!
You must you must!! N x
I’ve had Lamingtons once, even though we’ve visited many places in Australia, and been to Australia many times. I definitely enjoyed them, but seeing your nutrition information, I think it’s good I’ve had them only once… I probably won’t ever get around to making them, but am definitely saving the recipe.
😂 They are a treat!! You could make them extra (extra) small…. 😇 N x
Wow, my Mom has been making Kokosove Kocke -Coconut squares since I can remember. And you can find them at every Slovenian weeding. I had no idea it is an Australian dessert.
No jam or cream, that would ruined them for me.😉
OMG they look EXACTLY THE SAME!!! It’s amazing!!
Really!!! I have to go have a google to see for myself, I had no idea! N x
NAGI
We are at the other side…in the Carribean…love your recipes and writing style.
Would love more Aussie recepies
With pleasure!! N x