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Australian

Lamingtons

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Squares of light butter sponge dipped in a thin chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut — a classic Australian bake-sale treat.

Lamingtons is an Australian cake, ready in about 4 hours 10 minutes and made with cocoa powder and desiccated coconut. It serves 16 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of scrumptious Australian lamingtons covered in coconut on a pastel pink surface.
Photo: Karen Laårk Boshoff / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
40 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
3 h
Total
4 h 10 min
Serves
16
Level
Intermediate
Calories
354

Ideally bake the sponge a day ahead — firm, day-old sponge is easiest to dip.

Ingredients

16 squares

For the sponge

For the icing

For coating

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 180 °C and grease and line a 20 cm square tin. Beat 125 g butter with the sugar (opens in a new tab) until pale, beat in the eggs (opens in a new tab) one at a time and the vanilla (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Sift the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt and fold in alternately with 125 ml milk (opens in a new tab). Spread in the tin and bake until golden and springy, 28–32 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Cool completely, then wrap and leave for a few hours or overnight. Trim the edges and cut into 16 squares; freeze for 20 minutes to firm.

    • 10 min

  4. Step 4

    Heat the remaining 150 ml milk (opens in a new tab) with 20 g butter, then whisk in the sifted powdered sugar (opens in a new tab) and cocoa to a thin, smooth icing. Keep it warm over a pan of hot water.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Using two forks, dip each square in the icing, let the excess drip off, then roll in coconut. Set on a rack for 1 hour.

    • 15 min

About this dish

Origin
Queensland, Australia · Commonly attributedNew Zealand also claims an early version; the Australian attribution is the most widely cited.Also popular in New ZealandMore food from Australia
Dish
Snack · Dessert · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, nutty, buttery
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Cocoa powder · Desiccated coconut · All-purpose flour · Baking powder · Unsalted butter · Sugar
Techniques
Baking

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, milk
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

354 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 100 g · recipe makes 16

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 58%
  • Fat 38%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy354 kcal353 kcal
Protein4.3 g4.3 g
Carbohydrate52.8 g52.7 g
Net carbohydrate50 g50 g
Sugars38.7 g38.6 g
Added sugars37 g36.9 g
Fibre2.7 g2.7 g
Fat15.3 g15.3 g
Saturated fat10.8 g10.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol56 mg56 mg
Sodium122 mg122 mg
Salt equivalent0.3 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
139 mg
Calcium
68 mg
Iron
1.5 mg
Magnesium
26 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
85 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
48 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Keep one hand for icing and one for coconut to stop the coating clumping.

Common mistakes

  • Icing that is too thick tears the sponge; thin it with a little hot water.

Storage

  • Keep airtight up to 3 days, or freeze for 2 months.

Variations

  • Jam and cream lamingtons: Split the squares and fill with raspberry jam and whipped cream.

History

Commonly said to be named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland at the turn of the 20th century, though the details of who first made them are uncertain.

Confidence: Commonly attributed

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 40 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Rest · about 3 h

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 30 min at 180 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  4. Start to finish: about 4 h 10 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

Reviews & corrections

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