Welcome to the lamington motherload, holy grail of cubiform sponge cakes, your church devoted to the worship of Australia’s blockbuster sweet. Born in Sydney and cloned in a narrow Elgin Street shopfront in 2022, these guys take the notion of doing one thing perfectly while adding a wild imagination. The OG lamington here is immediately recognisable and very, very good. But for the same sub-$10 price, you can spread your lamington ambit far further with flavours like yuzu meringue, whisky caramel and fairy bread popcorn – a white sponge version with popcorn buttercream and sprinkles – so why wouldn’t you? 258 Elgin St, Carlton; tokyolamington.com

Lamington lovers could do worse than tune into Montmorency Bakehouse’s Instagram reels and TikToks explaining the life and lore of their favourite cake. The classic accoutrement of a choc coating and blizzard of desiccated coconut are joined by a layer of raspberry jam bisecting the middle, but for an extra treat, you can also ask to have the deliberately lactose-free numbers split open and a whopping serve of fresh whipped cream piped into the middle. Vietnamese owners Shaun Du and Cindy Vuong also do a great line in bánh mì, making a trip to this north-east bakery worthwhile on multiple levels. 18 Were St, Montmorency; montmorencybakehouse.com.au

What happens when Italy’s favourite ice cream has a meet-cute with Australia’s sponge icon? Magic, that’s what. The lamington cake at this northern suburban duo of gelato shops reimagines the spongy sweet into an ice-cream-sandwich-style treat. And how have they done this? Creamy fior di latte gelato and tart house-made raspberry jam are sandwiched between two fluffy, house-baked, gluten-free sponges, then dipped in chocolate and coated in coconut. It’s totally familiar, but with a twist – in fact, it would fool anyone into thinking it was a traditional lamington, right up until they swiped a spoon through its delightfully smooshy innards. Multiple locations; gelatopapa.com.au

Our love affair with Barry Susanto and Erwin Chandra’s duo of Indo-Aussie cafes all began with the sambal filet o’ fish and fried chicken sandwich with that magic ‘bazzinga’ sauce. It continues through to the sweet end of the meal with the pandan lamington. Imagine a shade hovering on the Pantone yellow-green colour wheel, add a cloudlike lightness to the sponge and a rich layer of caramelised coconut buttercream, roll the whole thing in golden toasted coconut, and finish it with the flourish of a decorative pandan leaf on top. Like everything else these guys do, it’s absolutely top notch. Multiple locations; warkop.com.au

It mightn’t be easy to find the lamingtons amid all the other head-swivelling moments of this ginormous Italian supermarket, but we urge you to persevere. The in-house bakery churns out fluffy lamington ‘bites’ in packs of nine – smaller than the trad lammo, but perfect for lunch boxes or a smashable treat. The flavour profiles are another reason for the LaManna love-in: cast regulars include chocolate and Bueno, while mash-ups including vanilla slice pop up on special occasions. There’s also a lamington cake, if you’re feeling wicked. File under ‘reasons to set the GPS for Essendon Airport even when you’re not flying’. 10 English St, Essendon Fields; lamanna.com.au