The lamington is considered one of Australia’s national treasures, and now the bakery treat is about to hit high streets in the UK after Marks & Spencer (M&S) launched its own version.

According to The Guardian, the chain will stock two varieties: a classic lamington featuring chocolate and coconut, and a caramelised biscuit version. The latter went viral on social media after Woolworths released it in July.

Alice Birch, a product developer for bakery treats at M&S Foods told the publication that lamingtons are considered the most iconic cake from Down Under.

“… it’s very exciting to be the first to bring our version of this beloved Aussie classic to the UK high street,” she said.

“Ours are extra special – they’re hand-finished with toppings and super indulgent thanks to the rich chocolate sponge and chocolate sauce coating.”

Both of the varieties will be baked in the UK, with the M&S take using a buttermilk-enriched chocolate sponge coated in chocolate sauce and coconut flakes, and finished with jam and buttercream. The caramelised version will see the coconut be swapped for biscuit crumb before being topped with buttercream and salted caramel sauce.

Lamingtons are one of those items with an incredibly colourful story behind them.

One of the most popular stories about their origin links the lamington to the second Baron Lamington, Charles Wallace Alexander Napier Cochrane Baillie, who served as the eighth Governor of Queensland. As the story goes, one night a maid serving in Brisbane’s Government House accidentally dropped Lord Lamington’s favourite cake into melted chocolate before using coconut to cover the mistake.

The State Library of Queensland notes yet another plausible creator was in fact French-born chef Armand Galland, who worked for Lord and Lady Lamington as their chef de cuisine. It’s suggested he created the treat for an event  in 1900, which an estimated 1200 people attended.

According to Old Government House curator Dr Katie McConel it’s thought Armand would have relied on a recipe he was familiar with and that could be made in large quantities.

“It proved so popular that Lady Lamington was inundated with requests for the recipe and thus Galland named his delectable treat in honour of his patrons, the Lamingtons,” she said.