how not to cook lamingtons

It's Australia Day here today. For about a year Henry has constantly asked (when eating just about anything), 'is this Australian food? Can we eat it on Australia Day?'

I woke up with other things to do today but how could I not make lamingtons? Never made them before. Not only quintessentially Aussie, but country Aussie too. Am now (surely) aspiring country show entrant, so MUST make award-winning lamingtons!

I used this recipe. 

Not sure what I did wrong. 

But the resulting cake uncannily resembled a wettex.

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Nothing like a cooking failure to wreck my mood. I dove straight back in though, and mixed up a batch using a recipe from this week's Good Living (in the Sydney Morning Herald.)

It was looking pretty good, although I wondered a bit about the "pour into pan" instruction as I spooned it in and smoothed it down. It was only once it had been in the oven for ten minutes that I remembered the eggs. Four of them. On the bench, not in the cake. 

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Dear me. Two failures, one after the other. 

Adam said something encouraging like, how 'bout pavlova? It's idiot-proof, right? then got a slightly shocked look about him as he backed slowly out of the kitchen. 

Good Living had also printed a recipe for pavlova. Using four eggs. Which I had! (No butter left though – used my whole weeks' butter budget in two cakes I probably can't even use for trifle. Pfft.)

When it was cooling in the oven we packed up and went for a bit of an explore and onto the beach for an early dinner. Cooked by someone else.

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For dessert:

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And because I obviously should have handed the apron over today, I managed to beat the cream on top almost to butter. Am a culinary genius. 

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A third attempt at lamingtons coming soon. 

Happy Australia Day! Did you make anything/eat anything special? 

And do you have a trusted lamington recipe I could have? Please?!

xxx

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