With Australia Day coming up soon, I thought it would be fitting to write about one of Australia’s iconic cakes – the lamington! It’s so iconic, it made its way to Malta where you’ll find it in a pink or red coating rather than the traditional chocolate coating. It is known by a few names in Malta; pasti mill-ħomor, pasti mir-roża and bambaluni. They became popular in Malta in the 60s and 70s and can still find them in kiosks and pastry shops on the Islands. These were my nanna’s favourite sweet and would bring home to her 10 kids on the rare occasion when she went to Rabat city in Gozo.
There is some controversy about the lamington’s origins. Some say that the sponge landed in chocolate icing by accident, being the fault of a clumsy maid. Another attributes the invention to Lady Lamington, a cooking instructor at Brisbane’s Central College. But it’s likely origin is that it was named after Baron Lamington, the Governor of Queensland from 1895 to 1901 where his French chef, Armand Galland created it on a whim as a way to use up stale sponge.
As for how the lamington made its’ way to Malta, one could say that they were brought over to Malta by returned migrants from Australia. Whatever the story, I love that the Maltese adopted the lamington and made it their own. You could say il-pasta mir-roża is a Maltese-Australian cake, as Maltese-Australian and sweet like me! Paying tribute to my birth country and to my country by blood, I share with you the way my mum makes these fluffy little cakes.
Pink Lamingtons – Pasti mir-Roża
Ingredients
- 1 packet strawberry jelly
- 250 g butter
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 350 g self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- desiccated coconut
Instructions
Conventional method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare the jelly according to the packet instructions. Place in the fridge for about 1 and a half hours, or until slightly thickened (consistency should belike an unbeaten egg white).
- Line your cake pan with baking paper and set aside.
- With an electric beater or mixer, add the butter and sugar until creamy, then add the each egg one at a time, mixing each one in at a time.
- Slowly add the flour to the mix until well combined.
- Lastly, add the vanilla, pour inthe milk and mix in carefully – do not over mix.
- Pour the cake mixture into your tin and place into the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Let stand in the tin for a few minutes, then remove from the cake pan onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before applying the coating.
- Once cooled, cut the cake into small squares or rectangles.
- Spread the desiccated coconut out on a plate and dip each cake in the jelly mixture, letting it soak in slightly then roll in the coconut to coat.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow to set before eating.
Thermomix method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare the strawberry jelly according to the packet instructions. Place in the fridge for about 1½ hours, or until it reaches a slightly thickened consistency (similar to unbeaten egg white).
- Line your cake pan with baking paper and set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to the Thermomix bowl. Cream 30 sec / Speed 5, scrape down the sides, then repeat 30 sec / Speed 5 until light and fluffy.
- With the blades running at Speed 3, add the eggs one at a time through the hole in the lid, mixing for 10 seconds per egg until combined.
- Add the self-raising flour, salt, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix 20 sec / Speed 4.
- Add the milk and mix 10 sec / Speed 4, or until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake stand in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Once cooled, cut the cake into small squares or rectangles.
- Spread the desiccated coconut out on a plate and dip each cake in the jelly mixture, letting it soak in slightly then roll in the coconut to coat.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow to set before eating.
Tips
- Don’t overmix the cake batter after adding the flour. This can toughen the texture and remove the air from the cake, making it too dense and not light and fluffy how you would usually find a lamington.
- I find freezing the cake a little to firm it up makes it easier to handle when applying the jelly mixture and coating with coconut.
- Trimming the edges of the cake will allow all the sides to absorb the jelly mixture evenly and also allows for the pink colour to really stand out.
- Don’t soak in the jelly mixture too much and ensure you coat all sides of the cake.
- You could be a little fancy and add fillings like whipped cream and/or jam.
- Made too many to finish? Use the leftover cakes to make an epic trifle!
If you would like to read about a particular foodie topic feel free to drop me a line via tmc_charmaine@thefoodiemama.com.au or direct message me on my Instagram @_thefoodiemama
As published on The Voice of the Maltese 15 January 2023.