It is said that Lamingtons were invented in the Queensland Government House kitchen as a creative use for stale sponge cake. I do not recommend that you use stale cake, but the mixture is easier to handle if the cake is not too fresh and crumbly. They are named after Lady Lamington, the wife of the Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901.  

The Cake 

• 2 cups self-raising flour.
• pinch of salt.
• ¾ cup sugar.
• 125gm butter.
• 3 eggs.
• a few drops of vanilla essence.
• ½ cup milk.   

1. Sift the flour and salt together.
   
2. Cream the sugar and butter, and add the eggs and vanilla essence. Beat well, then fold in the flour and salt mixture and add the milk.
3. Grease a tray about 50cm deep and add the mixture.
   
4. Bake at 180ºC for 30-35 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack.
   
5. When it is cold, cut the cake into 3 inch squares / cubes.  

The Icing 

• 2 cups of icing sugar.
• 4 tablespoons of cocoa.
• 125gm butter.
• 1 teaspoon of lemon essence.
• warm water.
• 2 cups of desiccated coconut.

The Assembly: 

1. Start to make the chocolate icing by sifting the icing sugar and cocoa together.
   
2. Melt the butter, add the lemon essence and beat into the sugar and cocoa mixture.
   
3. Beat well and add enough water to give the required consistency - sticky and gooey, so that it will stick to the cake and not run off. 
4. Put the coconut into a shallow tray.
   
5. Dip each lamington in the icing and then roll in the desiccated coconut while the icing is till moist.
   
6. Leave to dry on a wire rack.