How about this for a square meal? A giant coconut-covered, chocolate-soaked square sponge cake half the size of a car was unveiled in Queensland, Australia, in a world record baking attempt.
The 1.3-tonne Australian specialty cake, known as a lamington, took three days to bake and was presented at an official weigh-in for Guinness World Records in the town of Ipswich, local councilman Paul Tully said.
“It’s a pretty big lamington, about ... half the size of a small family sedan,” Tully told public broadcaster ABC Radio.
“There’ll be the equivalent of 20,000 small lamingtons, it’s a pretty big lamington in anyone’s book.”
Hundreds of eggs and about 70kg of coconut were used to make the lamington, which was baked to celebrate the national day held in its honor.
“Long live the lamington,” declared Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale at the great cake’s unveiling.
“I officially declare Ipswich the home of the world’s largest lamington.”
Lamingtons are considered a culinary institution across the great, dry continent, and are a staple at citizenship ceremonies, cake stalls and on national holidays.
Local legend has it that the square cake had its humble beginnings at the turn of the 20th century in the homestead of Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington and then-governor of Queensland state.
Lord Lamington’s maidservant was said to have dropped a piece of sponge in some melted chocolate and was then urged to roll it in coconut to soak up the sauce and serve it up to her master.
He was apparently underwhelmed by the innovation, being said to have dubbed them “those bloody poofy woolly biscuits”.
Two trucks were dispatched to ferry the giant cake to homeless people and construction workers, after documentation for the world record attempt.
(AFP)
吃這個飽餐一頓如何?一個外層灑滿椰子粉、內層沾裹巧克力,有半輛汽車大小的方形海綿蛋糕,在澳洲昆士蘭一場活動上亮相,企圖締造世界烘培紀錄。
市議員保羅.塔利說,這塊重一點三公噸的澳洲特產萊明頓蛋糕,光是烘培就花了三天,且已在伊普斯威奇市申請金氏世界紀錄官方過磅。
塔利對澳洲國家廣播電台說:「這是一塊很大的萊明頓蛋糕,大約有…半輛小型房車那麼大。」
「這樣的體積相當於兩萬塊小萊明頓蛋糕,尺寸足以打破任何世界紀錄。」
為了慶祝澳洲萊明頓蛋糕日,該市特地用上百顆雞蛋和七十公斤左右的椰子粉製作了這個萊明頓蛋糕。
伊普斯威奇市市長保羅.皮薩塞爾在這個巨無霸蛋糕的揭幕典禮上說:「萊明頓蛋糕萬歲!」
「我正式宣佈,伊普斯威奇市是全世界最大萊明頓蛋糕之家。」
萊明頓蛋糕是幅員廣大又乾燥的澳洲大陸的全民糕點,在各種公民儀式、蛋糕攤和國定假日上都一定會見到它。
當地人傳說這種方塊蛋糕是二十世紀初時,起源於昆士蘭省總督萊明頓二世勳爵查爾斯.科克蘭拜利的自家農場。
據說萊明頓勳爵的女僕把一塊海綿蛋糕掉進融化的巧克力中,萊明頓要她把它裹上椰子粉、吸附巧克力醬後,再呈給他享用。
他對這種創新的糕點似乎不怎麼感興趣,據說他用「那些極為毛茸鬆軟的糕點」來稱呼它們。
申報世界紀錄認證結束後,這塊巨無霸蛋糕被兩輛卡車運載分送給遊民和建築工人享用。
(法新社╱翻譯:袁星塵)
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