Kiki’s nieces got it right: suggesting to Kiki to make lamingtons because they wanted something different to cupcakes.

Kiki started off making a variety of lamingtons about a year ago, first selling them at the Beaches Market at Warriewood (a lovely market, on every Friday morning). Her lamingtons are made with a buttercake mixture, rather than the usual sponge mixture. The ingredients are all fresh and local, quality.

About halfway through last year, Kiki moved into a small cafe in the industrial area of Brookvale, opening twice a week, and the rest of the week cooking and delivering lamingtons to cafes and other places around the city.

A few weeks back I popped in to the shop to try the lamingtons, and luscious they are, so had to get back again and buy some more.

The Shop

The day I visited was grey and dull, but on a sunny day it would be even lovelier enjoying a lamington and coffee outside.

The Cakes

First thing you see as you walk into the shop is the array of lamingtons. Yum.

The menu keeps changing weekly, following the seasons, with what’s available.  Today’s lamingtons were:

• Tickled Pink Velvet: just like red velvet cake, just a bit lighter!
• Lime Splice: lime and vanilla
• Chocolate Coma: double chocolate mud cake with chocolate chunks, chocolate dip, chocolate coconut and topped with shaved chocolate
• Turkish Delight: chocolate with chunks of turkish delight inside
• The Bounty: white chocolate mud infused with fresh coconut milk and organic coconut, chocolate dip and shredded coconut
• The Zorba: baklava-style with honey, pistachios, walnuts and macadamias
• Lemon Sherbet: tangy and sweet lemon

People with food intolerances such as wheat, dairy, egg and refined sugar are catered for, too.

Here’s one of Kiki’s cakes, made with passionfruit, lime and coconut with a lime syrup:

In the cafe you can order coffee or tea to have with one of the yummy cakes, or fresh lemonade or ginger beer.  Would be a lovely place to linger.

Kiki’s coffee is from Cabrito Coffee Traders in Bulletin Place in the City. They can provide the coffee beans in just the right quantities so it’s always freshly roasted, and never has time to go stale. Good coffee, too.

Some of the decorations are from Kiki’s grandmother, and those along with the old-fashioned mirrors on the walls, and brightly-coloured cushions add to the warmth and character of the place.

Trying the Cakes

Of course I had to get one of each of the lamingtons available today.  Some were on the menu last time, and most were new. On the longer row, from left to right: Lemon Sherbet, Lime Splice, The Bounty, Tickled Pink Velvet.  Then on the shorter row, also from left to right: The Zorba, Chocolate Coma, Turkish Delight.

It’s the little touches like the pink lining to the box which show the care Kiki puts in to everything she does!

Now here are some of the lamingtons up close.  First, the Zorba, the one with honey, pistachios, walnuts and macadamias:

And the Turkish Delight:

This is the Bounty, with white chocolate mud infused with fresh coconut milk and organic coconut, chocolate dip and shredded coconut:

And the Lime Splice:

They’re all moist, soft, rich in flavour, each very different, with the only similarity being the coconut on the outside.  But even that varies from cake to cake.  You know that you have to keep going back to the shop to try the different varieties on offer with the seasons!

Buying the Cakes

On Fridays and Saturdays you can buy these luscious lamingtons (and other cakes) from the cafe in Brookvale. Getting there is easy, including on public transport, being just a block away from the main road with buses to / from Manly.

Kiki also takes orders for special events / catering, including making mini versions of the lamingtons.

More Thoughts

I’d recommend reading back through the LusciousKiki Cakes Facebook page to see the huge variety of lamingtons Kiki provides – obviously always experimenting!  Also, Kiki has her own personal blog, with thoughts on progress with her work and life.  That all goes to show that here place could just as well be called Delightful Kiki’s Cakes 🙂

Details

Here are the details about LusciousKiki Cakes, at time of posting. Please check the Facebook page / directly with Kiki for more current details.

Web site / Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/pages/LusciousKiki-Cakes/216373305117513
Address	16 Sydenham Road, Brookvale, NSW, 2100
Phone	0417 499 022
Open	Friday and Saturday, 8am-3pm
Menu	Lamingtons: $3

Where do you go for special treats like these?