Lamingtons and the Lord thereof

Baking lore is always a fuzzy one. Or a woolly one as Lord Lamington would have it.

Named after the Governor of Queensland, Charles Cochrane-Baillie, (aka Lord Lamington) in the late 1800s, there are many myths surrounding the origins of lamingtons. Some claim it was a slight of hand — oopsie, in fell a slab of sponge cake into melted chocolate, out came a lamington! (Dusted in coconut of course to tidy its looks up a little.) Some of the world’s best desserts are thought to have been discovered by similar means, like brownies, so I’m not one to knock it.

Other accounts call upon ingenuity — Armand Gallad, Lamington’s chef, asked at short notice to feed unexpected guests, saw inspiration in leftover sponge, which he carefully proceeded with grace and savoir-faire, to dip in chocolate and coat in coconut (an unusual mix of flavours for the time) which saw Lady Lamington’s guests asking for the recipe.

More conspiratorial theories however suggest the dessert looked just like the Homburg hats Lord Lamington loved to wear. But no one is quite sure on that one.

Wherever they came from, lamingtons struck a chord with everyone it seems except for Lord Lamington himself, henceforth burdened with the honour of his name on a dessert he cared not much for. It is believed “those bloody poofy woolly biscuits” were his exact words, but of that, again, no one is quite sure. *

Yet, whether to the disdain or a giant tick of approval from the Lord himself, as ambassadors of his name, lamingtons have done a great job of keeping the brand alive, today synonymous with true blue Aussie fare alongside Anzac biscuits, meat pies, Vegemite and pavlova. There are some issues with the Kiwis on the last one, but that’s never stopped us Australians before!

Traditional lamingtons come sans cream, but you can find them sliced in half or center-filled with the whipped stuff, along with jam in some cases too. I like mine the way my Old Nana made them, au naturale, which she’d have ready — without fail — in her biscuit tin to serve whenever someone dropped by. So loved, they’d even take their hat off for them.

Lord Lamington — eat your heart out.

* Note: Lord Lamington facts were taken from Wikipedia and relayed, on my end, with a touch of drama. Enjoy with a grain of salt :)

Lamingtons

Interestingly, for an Aussie icon, I’ve never baked lamingtons before. And I’d wager I’m not the only baking lass who hasn’t. As Australian tastes have become more adventurous, exploring distant lands and foreign ingredients, some of our old trusties have sat unattended - or, unbaked. I often wish my grandmother was still alive to teach me the art of these pre-war classics. Indeed, as I discovered whipping up them up before, making a light and airy sponge, free of clumps and unsightly holes is most certainly one. So please find below, a recipe in the preservation of art. In terms of sponges, this is a keeper. If all fails, remember we live in an age of rustic flair and abstract aesthetics!

Adapted from the Chocolate Epicure cookbook

Sponge cake
4 eggs, separated
¾ cup caster sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons self-raising flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line a 22cm square tin with baking paper. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until still. Slowly add the caster sugar, continuing to beat until mixture is glossy. Add yolks and beat until combined. Sift over cornstarch, self-raising flour and baking powder and fold into mixture. Pour into tin, and gently tap the base to release any bubbles that have formed. Bake for 20 minutes, then cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Remove from tin and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate
½ cup hot water
15g butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 cups desiccated coconut

Using a large serrated knife, remove the top, bottom and sides of the cake, then cut into small squares. In a medium bowl, combine hot water, butter and cocoa and whisk till smooth. Gradually add icing sugar, stiring to combine. Add extra hot water if the mixture is too thick. You want it quite runny, but still of a coating consistency. Now for the dipping. In a shallow bowl or plate, place the coconut. Using two forks, dip the pieces of cake into the icing, one at a time, and then rotate to cover all the sides. Don’t let it sit in the icing mixture as you want the coating to be even on all sides. Now roll the cake in the coconut and place on a cake rack for the icing to set. Repeat for the remaining pieces of cake. Store in an airtight container.

Tagged as: Christmas, Coconut, lamingtons, Sponge Cake