The cake is named after Charles Wallace Baillie, Lord Lamington, the governor of Queensland from 1895 to 1901.  Lord Lamington was known for wearing a homburg hat that looked like the cakes.  For many years lamingtons were served on state ceremonial occasions in Queensland.  But Baron Lamington himself could by no means abide them.  He invariably referred to them as those bloody poofy woolly biscuits.  Another source recounts the slightly less dramatic circumstance of the baron’s cook concocting the dessert as a way to use up stale or slightly burnt sponge cake.  

It is likely the first lamingtons were invented in Amy Shauer’s cooking class and named after Lady Lamington, who was the school’s patroness and extremely interested in education for girls. (One elderly correspondent, who remembered those days well, commented that Lord Lamington was a pompous ass, and that no one would ever have named a cake after him. But Lady Lamington was much loved.)

This is one of those recipes you make when it is the ONLY thing you make!

Chocolate Icing-prepare first

Ingredients:

• 1 c milk
• 4 Tab (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 Tab pure vanilla extract
• 8 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted (2 lbs)
• 1 c cocoa powder, sifted

Directions:

1. Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Heat until butter is melted.
3. Transfer to a medium heat-proof bowl.
4. Add the vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa powder.
5. Stir until combined.

Note: To ensure that icing stays at the proper consistency while the cakes are prepared, the bowl must sit over a pan of simmering water

Cake Ingredients: 

• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 2/3 c cake flour, (not self-rising), plus more for pans
• 2 c sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c milk
• 2/3 c strawberry jam
• 1 pound decimated unsweetened coconut  (It is the white fleshy part of the coconut, which is processed into smaller shreds or flakes.  After being cut or grounded into granules and/or slices, the coconut pieces are dried to remove maximum moisture from them.  Available at most supermarkets.) (You can run some in a food processor a day or two before and let it dry.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Butter two 9-by-13-inch baking pans.
3. Line bottoms with parchment.
4. Butter parchment.
5. Dust with flour; tap out excess; set pans aside.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
7. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time; beat until incorporated.
8. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
9. Add to egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
10. Divide batter between prepared pans.
11. Place in oven.
12. Bake until a cake tester inserted into middles comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
13. Cool slightly on wire racks.
14. Remove from pans. Turn out cakes onto racks; cool completely.
15. Spread one of the cooled cakes with the jam.
16. Place other cake on top.
17. Using a serrated knife, trim edges of sandwiched cakes.
18. Cut into 24 two-inch squares.
19. Place the coconut in a medium bowl; set aside.
20. Place the bowl of chocolate icing over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of gently simmering water.
21. Place a jam-filled cake square in the bowl of chocolate icing; using forks to turn the square, coat all sides.
22. Allow excess icing to drip off.
23. Transfer square to bowl of coconut.
24. Using clean forks to turn square, coat it with coconut.
25. Transfer coated square to wire rack to stand until coating has set, about 15 minutes.
26. Continue until all squares have been coated.

Serves:  24

Source:  Taste of Australia VPWL December 2014