There are two things Geordy Theodosis knows will always sell well in his bakery.
"Meat pies and lamingtons," he said.
While there are no public holidays or specific ceremonies to commemorate the small cake, having a chocolate-covered cake rolled in coconut is a great start.
Mr Theodosis estimates he's made enough lamingtons to feed every person in Toowoomba, the "home" of the lamington.
"Yes, I'd have made at least 100,000 lamingtons in my career," he said.
Mr Theodosis said the secret to making the perfect lamington is all in the set-up.
"They're pretty easy to make," he said.
"Get your slab of cake, cut it into the size squares you want. Have your chocolate ready, have your draining wire next to that, and your coconut next to that. And then you just go through it systematically.
"They're best after they've been in the fridge for about half an hour. And then you can eat them at any time of day."
Historian explores origins of lamington
Toowoomba folklore says the popular chocolate-covered cake dipped in coconut was first served in the garden city in the late 1800s when Lord Lamington took his entourage to Harlaxton House to escape the steamy heat of Brisbane, and the cook had to provide food at short notice using ingredients that were on hand.
"Communities need their myths. It's part of their identity," said Maurice French, emeritus professor of history at the University of Southern Queensland.
Professor French knows a thing or two about myths and lamingtons; he wrote the book on it.
In the 280 pages of The Lamington Enigma, he came to the conclusion that the "fast concoction from the chef" story was a myth.
"In the 1890s, there were a large number of recipes based on sponge cakes with some sort of icing on them.
"These evolved freely from word of mouth and got into various recipe books and cooking columns in papers. So the question is not so much when the lamington was invented, as when the Lamington was named."
Professor French believes the name was most likely coined by students at the Brisbane Technical College.
"Not for Lord Lamington, but for his wife, Lady Lamington, who was the patron of the cooking class," he said.
Professor French said the lamington stood the test of time because it had similar practical attributes to the Anzac biscuit.
"It was very popular at the bush picnics and bush dances because it could be transported over fairly long distances by horse and wagon without it being destroyed in any way, unlike some other forms of cooking," he said.
Even though his research means Toowoomba shouldn't be building a "big" lamington anytime soon, Professor French said at least other countries couldn't lay claim to it.
However, Professor French says, unlike the pavlova, the lamington is "most certainly" Australian.
"New Zealand has no claim to it whatsoever," he said.
Dessert inspires popular beer
The lamington recipe hasn't changed much since the 1800s, but it has provided inspiration for innovators, including brewers keen to push the taste envelope in the beer world.
In Glen Iris, Victoria, Patrick Alé thought his limited-edition Lamington Ale would be a one-off when brewed in 2015. But it proved so popular it's still on the menu board at the independent Deeds Brewing.
"We wanted to find something quintessentially Australian, so we brewed a brown ale with shredded coconut," he said.
"A lot of the beers we have here in Australia come off the back of overseas trends.
His next project is a barrel-aged double-lamington beer, proving there's no such thing as too much of a good thing.
"The lamington beer continues to be popular even through all the beer trends," Mr Alé said.
Just like the simple little cake that inspired it.
Today is National Lamington Day
