The Iconic Australian Lamington sponge cake

 Hi there

Aussies and kiwis have a wee bit of a rivalry (okay, maybe more than 'a wee bit') over some (lots?) of things, people, and objects.  For instance, Aussies like to lay claim over that mighty racehorse Phar Lap, whereas we, here in NZ, definitely know that he's ours.  

And how about the pavlova? - we invented that recipe a few years before the Aussies jumped on the band-wagon. The groups Split Enz and Flight of the Conchords are New Zealanders, not Australians.  So, too, is actor Sam Neill.  Oh, yes, and we were the first country in the world to come up with the flat  white (Sorry, Australia, but it was us, not you).  Granted, our claim over actor Russell Crowe is tenuous, but we do like to think of him as ours. 

And then, there is the lamington.  Darn, but the lamington cake is definitely Australian.  Traditionally, it's a sponge cake, cut into cubes, each cube coated in chocolate, and then in coconut.  I really like the lamington.

However, when I had the Sunday lunch buffet at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne last week, the lamington had been updated.  Gasp - 

It was way more than delicious. 

Aussie, I'd like to swap Phar Lap's remains for an outright kiwi claim to this new version of the lamington.  How about it, mate?