Lamington : Food Story

Vikram Karve
6 min readSep 20, 2024

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LAMINGTON
My Favourite Cake
A Foodie Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE

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A few days ago — I went for a walk on Prabhat Road, Pune.

I had a “Food Halt” at my favourite Irani Café for a rejuvenating snack of Chicken Masala Omelette and refreshing Chai (Tea)

At Irani Cafe — I enjoyed a Chicken Masala Omelette and Chai (Tea)

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LAMINGTON CAKE

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While I was paying my bill at the counter — I noticed a tray of “Lamington” cakes.

This reminded me of the yummy “Lamington” I used to relish during my evening walks at Spicer College Bakery on Aundh Road — around 18 years ago in 2006 — when I lived in Aundh Camp in Pune.

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So — I picked up a “Lamington” from Irani Café to eat at home.

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Here is a picture of the “Lamington” from Irani Café which I relished today.

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As I savoured the delicious pastry — I remembered my Aundh Camp days, around 18 years ago — when I frequently relished a Lamington on my way home from my evening walks.

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Here is a picture of the “Lamington” from Spicer College Bakery (see below)

(this photo was probably clicked 18 years ago in 2006 — and — this old photo the pre-smartphone days doesn’t quite do visual justice to the superbly delicious Lamington of Spicer Bakery which really tasted yummy)

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Dear Reader — let me delve deep into my Foodie Writing Archives — and post this piece on the inimitable LAMINGTON which I wrote 18 years ago in the year 2006 after a delicious food-walk.

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This foodie story features in my Foodie Book APPETITE FOR A STROLL

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LAMINGTON

Melt in the Mouth Delicious Dessert

Food Memories By VIKRAM KARVE

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(Revised Version of Foodie Story written by me in the year 2006)

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When I lived in Aundh Camp — across the river from Aundh — in the evenings — I often used go for a walk on Aundh Road from Bremen Chowk towards the railway line at Khadki.

It is one of the best places to walk in Pune — a wide road with plenty of greenery and foliage on both sides — and a verdant botanical garden on the way.

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Of course — Wakad — where I live now — is a foodies’ nightmare — and Aundh is far away — but not that far far away.

So maybe — once in a while on my way to Pune — I can still relish a delicious Lamington — and indulge my epicurean gourmand desires.

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So — Dear Reader — let’s get back to my delicious mouthwatering memories of those glorious food-walks around Aundh in Pune.

On my way back to my erstwhile home near the banks of the Mula River — I would treat myself with a Lamington at the Spicer College Bakery Shop.

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Let me close my eyes — and in my imagination — transport myself to the glorious past — stop at Spicer College Bakery on my evening walk — buy a “Lamington” — and delicately place the soft delicacy between my lips — press and squeeze a piece of the wonderful melt-in-the mouth “Lamington” on my tongue — focus inwards — enhance the sensitivity of my gustatory senses in order to amplify the experience of supreme bliss — as the “Lamington” melts in my mouth — and the chocolatey-coconutty luscious syrupy sweetness permeates within my inner self.

Sheer Foodie Ecstasy…!!!

In modern parlance — a “foogasm” — yes — truly a “food orgasm”…!!!

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WHAT IS A “LAMINGTON”

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A Lamington is a delicious cube of sponge cake, dipped in melted chocolate and sugar and coated in desiccated coconut.

The Lamington probably originated in Australia around 1898 — in what later became the state of Queensland.

Whilst the origin of the name for the Lamington cannot be accurately established — there are several theories — some maybe apocryphal.

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Lamingtons are most likely named after Charles Baillie — 2nd Baron Lamington — who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901.

However — the precise reasoning behind this is not known — and the apocryphal stories vary.

According to one account — the dessert resembled the homburg hats favoured by Lord Lamington.

Another apocryphal tale tells of a banquet in Cloncurry — during which the governor accidentally dropped a block of sponge cake into a dish of gravy — and then threw it over his shoulder — causing it to land in a bowl of desiccated coconut — (some say it was peanut butter)

A diner who enjoyed eating this dunked piece of cake — thought of replacing the gravy with chocolate — and thus — he created the Lamington as we know it today.

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Ironically — Lord Lamington was known to have hated the dessert that had been named in his honour — once referring to them as “those bloody poofy woolly biscuits”

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Another theory is that they were named after Lady Lamington — the wife of the Governor.

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EATING LAMINGTON IN PUNE

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The Spicer College Bakery Lamington is my favourite — and enjoying Lamingtons — and other yummy delights here — is quite easy on the pocket.

I discovered that Irani Cafe serves Lamington too.

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LAMINGTON

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I love eating “Lamington” cake.

The chocolate icing keeps the cake moist.

The desiccated coconut protects it from drying out in the hot climate.

In its entirety — the “Lamington” is quite a juicy generous lip-smacking treat…!!!

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The Spicer College Bakery in Pune serves a variety of healthy goodies like carrot cake, nut cake, doughnuts, samosas, soy patties, soya milk etc

But — for me — it’s always my all time favourite — the inimitable yummy succulent Lamington…!!!

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Tell me — Dear Fellow Foodies — have you tasted a Lamington — in Pune — or elsewhere…?

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VIKRAM KARVE

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Disclaimer:

All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

Revised Re-post of my article first posted online by me Vikram Karve in the year 2006 in my foodie blog at url: http://creative.sulekha.com/lamington_230998_blog and a number of times later including at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2010/09/lamington-melt-in-mouth-delicious.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/11/lamington-delicious-melt-in-mouth.html and https://karve.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/lamington-melt-in-the-mouth-pastry/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2022/09/16/food-blog-lamington/ etc

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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Vikram Karve
Vikram Karve

Written by Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, alumnus IIT Delhi, Lawrence School Lovedale, Vikram Karve is a retired Navy Officer turned full time Writer and Blogger