Lamington Shot
The Lamington is Australia’s unofficial national cake – chocolate-dipped, coconut-rolled, sponge-cake love. The Lamington Shot bottles that flavor into a two-ingredient shooter: chocolate liqueur and coconut rum, optionally rimmed with desiccated coconut, ideally garnished with a tiny sponge cube. It tastes exactly like a bite of the cake.
Ingredients
- 20ml dark chocolate liqueur (Mozart Dark, Bols Crème de Cacao, or Tempus Fugit)
- 20ml coconut rum (Malibu, Bacardi Coconut, or Captain Morgan Coconut)
- Optional rim: desiccated coconut + a wedge of lime to wet the glass
- Optional garnish: a 1cm cube of plain sponge cake on a cocktail pick
Glass: Standard shot glass. The Lamington Shot looks best in a wide-mouth shot glass that shows off the coconut rim.
Method
- Rim the shot glass: rub the rim with a lime wedge, dip in a saucer of desiccated coconut, twist once. This is the visual signature – skip it and you have a generic chocolate shot.
- Pour the coconut rum into the shot glass first – it’s denser than chocolate liqueur.
- Layer the chocolate liqueur on top using the back of a bar spoon. Hold the spoon against the inside wall of the glass and pour slowly over it. The chocolate floats above the rum, giving you the dark-on-white Lamington look.
- Spear a small cube of sponge cake on a cocktail pick and rest it across the rim. Eat the sponge after the shot for the full Lamington experience.
Why it works
The Lamington is fundamentally three flavors: chocolate, coconut, and sponge cake. This shot delivers two of them directly (chocolate liqueur, coconut rum), uses the rim to add coconut texture, and outsources the sponge to a garnish. The result tastes uncannily like a bite of the cake without any of the work.
Some recipes add Baileys for the cream filling variant (a “jam Lamington” gets jam-flavoured liqueur instead). Both are valid variations but the chocolate-coconut base is the canonical Lamington Shot.
Brand picks
Chocolate liqueur: Mozart Dark is the best quality – real dark chocolate, not artificial flavoring. Bols Creme de Cacao Brown is the budget pick that still tastes proper. Avoid the cheap chocolate schnapps – they taste like cough syrup.
Coconut rum: Malibu Original is the canonical choice and what most Aussie bars use. Bacardi Coconut is slightly less sweet. Captain Morgan Coconut is more rum-forward. Any of these work; skip generic “coconut liqueurs” which don’t have the rum backbone.
Coconut rim: Fine desiccated coconut works best. Shredded coconut is too coarse for a clean rim. Pre-toast the desiccated coconut in a dry pan for 2 minutes for a deeper, nuttier coconut note.
Sponge garnish: Any plain sponge cake cube. Aldi’s plain sponge or a pre-made sponge from Coles/Woolworths works. Avoid cream-filled sponge – it falls off the cocktail pick.
Variations
Jam Lamington Shot: Add 5ml Chambord (raspberry liqueur) to the layer above the chocolate. Creates a red, white, and brown layered shot that tastes like a jam-filled Lamington.
Cream Lamington Shot: Top with a small float of Baileys for the cream-filled variant. Layer is rum, then chocolate, then Baileys. Drink in one – the cream layer hits first, then the chocolate, then the coconut rum closes it.
White Lamington Shot: Substitute white chocolate liqueur (Mozart White or Bols White Cacao) for the dark. Pairs the coconut rum with white chocolate for a milder, sweeter shot that still reads as Lamington.
Lamington Espresso Shot: Add 10ml espresso to the rum. Coconut + chocolate + coffee = an Aussie tiramisu in shot form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Lamington?
A Lamington is an Australian cake – a square of vanilla sponge dipped in chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut. Often filled with cream or jam. It’s named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. Australia celebrates National Lamington Day on July 21st.
Can I make a Lamington Shot without rimming the glass?
You can, but you lose the visual signature and the coconut texture. The rim is what makes a Lamington Shot recognizably Lamington. Without it, the drink reads as a generic chocolate-coconut layered shot.
Is Malibu the best coconut rum for this shot?
Malibu is the standard pick because it’s sweeter and more coconut-forward, matching the Lamington flavor profile. If you prefer less sweetness, Bacardi Coconut works well. Captain Morgan Coconut is more rum-forward and changes the balance toward the rum side.
How strong is a Lamington Shot?
About 25-30 percent ABV – similar to a B-52 or other layered shots. The chocolate liqueur is typically 17-20 percent ABV; coconut rum is 21-35 percent ABV depending on brand. Stronger than a single shot of beer, weaker than a shot of vodka.
What sponge cake garnish should I use?
Plain vanilla sponge cake, cut into 1cm cubes. Madeira cake works well because it holds its shape. Avoid cream-filled or jam-filled cakes – they drop bits into the shot. Pre-made supermarket sponge or homemade plain sponge both work.
About the Lamington
The cake itself was invented around 1900 in Queensland, possibly accidentally – the most popular story has a maid at Government House dropping a piece of sponge into melted chocolate, then rolling it in coconut to make it less messy. Lord Lamington reportedly didn’t like the cake but it took on his name anyway.
Australians eat over 6 million Lamingtons each year. They’re standard fare at fundraisers, school fetes, and CWA (Country Women’s Association) bake sales. National Lamington Day is July 21st – a perfect occasion to serve Lamington Shots.
More Like This
Try our other Aussie-inspired drinks: Spider (Australian ice cream float), Maradona Spritz, and the Snake Bite. For more dessert shots, see our Dessert Shots collection.
