Lamingtons (Box of 16) – HANS AUSTRALIAN FOODS (2024)

FAQs

What is the story behind the lamingtons? ›

According to Queensland Government House, the lamington was created by the chef of the state's eighth governor, Lord Lamington, to feed unexpected visitors. Since 2006 it's even been honoured with its own National Lamington Day, which is 21 July.

Many believe that the recipe for lamingtons was brought to Australia by Lord Lamington's wife, Lady Lamington, who was a New Zealander. Regardless of the exact origin, lamingtons have become an iconic Antipodean treat and hold a significant place in both Australian and New Zealand culture.

Why are lamington cakes considered Australian icons? They were first concocted in Queensland and named after the governor of Queensland Lord Lamington sometime before Federation. Like coconut ice & chocolate crackles, Lamingtons are easy & quick to make even by an 8 year old (my first attempt) and a great treat.

A lamington is an Australian cake made from squares of butter cake or sponge cake coated in an outer layer of chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut. The thin mixture is absorbed into the outside of the sponge cake and left to set, giving the cake a distinctive texture.

We stock a number of lamingtons in our range including traditional lamingtons, lamington fingers, jam lamingtons and even raspberry lamingtons. We sell and deliver lamingtons to the USA and the rest of the world.

Lamingtons are covered with coconut shavings or desiccated coconut. The cake is known as the “most Australian cake”. Lamingtons are eaten on special occasions like Australia Day. Since the dessert is popular and important to Australian culture, it was honored with a special day to celebrate it.

Despite some interesting claims from New Zealand, the origin of the lamington began between 1896 to 1901 in Toowoomba, Brisbane.

As the New Zealand story goes, the chef of a Wellington hotel at the time created the billowy dessert in her honor, claiming inspiration from her tutu. Australians, on the other hand, believe the pavlova was invented at a hotel in Perth, and named after the ballerina when one diner declared it to be “light as Pavlova.”

The army biscuit, also known as an Anzac wafer or Anzac tile, is essentially a long shelf-life, hard tack biscuit, eaten as a substitute for bread. Unlike bread, though, the biscuits are very, very hard. Some soldiers preferred to grind them up and eat as porridge.

During the Second World War, Vegemite captured the Australian market. Marmite was unobtainable and the Australian Army supplied Vegemite to its troops. In the 1950s and 60s, despite acquisition by the American company Kraft, Vegemite became a distinctively 'Australian' food.

What is the history of lamington Day? ›

History of National Lamington Day

At over a century old, this treat was named after the Governor of Queensland, Lord Lamington. The story goes that he was having his favorite yellow sponge cake served for his guests when the maid-servant accidentally dropped the cake into melted chocolate.

They will stay fresh for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container. One of the benefits of the chocolate coating is that the cake will last a bit longer before drying out. Lamingtons also freeze well for up to 3 months. You'll want to defrost them either in the fridge or on the kitchen counter overnight.

The story goes that the humble lamington was created as the result of an accident by a maid servant on the staff of Lord Lamington, the 8th Governor of Queensland. While working at Government House in Brisbane, he maid-servant accidentally dropped the Governor's favourite sponge cake into some melted chocolate.

French-born chef Armand Galland worked for Lord and Lady Lamington as their chef de cuisine, and is often credited with the invention of the lamington. Some historians are certain that he created it at the Governer's official residence in Brisbane, now known as Old Government House.

One explanation, given on the Australian Lamington Official Website, is that they were created when Lord Lamington's maid accidentally dropped a piece of sponge cake into chocolate. Instead of throwing it out, Lord Lamington suggested that she roll the cake in coconut to avoid getting his fingers messy.

In the United States, pineapple upside down cakes became popular in the mid-1920s after Dole Pineapple Company sponsored a contest for pineapple recipes. They received over 2,500 various submissions for the inverted pineapple cake and ran an advertisem*nt about it, which increased the cake's popularity.

In 1884, József C. Dobos (pronounced doh-bosh), an influential and enterprising pastry chef and culinary entrepreneur, sought to capitalize on Hungarians' love for elegant cakes and created his iconic Dobos Torta, which he sold out of the well-known specialty gourmet shop in central Budapest he had opened in 1878.