Easy Coconut Slice with Jam

A classic old fashioned coconut slice recipe. The buttery pastry base is filled with luscious jam and topped with a delicious layer of toasty coconut macaroon. An iconic slice found all over Australia and New Zealand.

While in Australia we call this a coconut jam slice, in New Zealand it's called a Louise cake slice. No matter the name this is a relatively quick and simple slice to make.

It has a delicious shortbread style biscuit base using self raising flour. This gives the base a lighter texture than traditional shortbread, almost cake like.

The base is slathered in jam, raspberry, or strawberry jam as I have. It is then topped off with a gooey coconut mixture that when baked tastes like coconut macaroon.

Easy baking at its best. A recipe made from pantry staples and will fill your house with heartwarming smells. As far as slices go, this is one of the best recipes for coconut jam slice you will come across.

Sara xxx

Pantry Staple Ingredients

A full printable recipe card can be found at the end of this post with recipe ingredient measurements and method.

The beauty of this coconut slice recipe is it uses ingredients generally found in your kitchen pantry.

• Butter: I use salted butter, but you can also used unsalted butter. Simply add a pinch of salt to the biscuit base ingredients. You can also use margarine in this recipe.
• Sugar: Caster (superfine) sugar as the smaller sugar granuals dissolve more easily when creaming the butter.
• Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature before use.
• Flour: Self raising flour is used in this recipe, or subsitute with plain flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
• Vanilla: My preference is vanilla bean paste, but you can also use vanilla extract, or vanilla essence if preferred.
• Jam: A berry jam such as raspberry or strawberry is standard, giving a contrasting layer in the slice. You can use your favourite jam in this recipe, or try summery bourbon peach jam, or pineapple jam.
• Coconut: Traditionally made with desiccated coconut, you can also use a mix of deiccated and shredded for a more textural topping.

How to make Coconut Slice

Scroll to the bottom of the page for a printable version of this recipe.

1. Pre-heat oven + Line the slice tin.
2. Make the biscuit base: Beat butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla. Combine with flour, then spread shortbread mixture into slice tin and smooth.
3. Jam Layer: Spread jam over the biscuit shortbread base.
4. Make coconut macaroon topping: In a clean bowl add eggs, sugar and coconut and mix well. Spread coconut mixture over the top of the slice.
5. Bake: 35 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool: In the slice tin.
7. Cut: Remove from tin and cut the coconut slice into bars or squares.

Sara's Top Recipe Tips

Cool Completely in the Tin: You may be tempted to remove the coconut slice from the tin before cooling, but it will crumble and break apart. Cool completely before removing from the tin and slicing into portions.

Warm the Jam Before Spreading: You don't have to do this step, but if you warm the jam in the microwave it will be easier to spread over the uncooked biscuit base.

Line the Tin: Even if you have a nonstick slice tin, make sure to line the tin with baking paper/parchment paper. Leave enough overhang to easily lift the slice from the tin once cooled.

Substitute the Jam: Besides the alternative jam recommendations I gave above, you can replace the jam altogether. How about a caramel coconut slice using dulce de leche? You could also try tangy passionfruit curd, or go ultimately Aussie with Tim Tam spread.

Printable Recipe

Coconut Slice

Recipe Author: Sara McCleary

A classic old fashioned coconut slice recipe. The buttery pastry base is filled with luscious jam and topped with a delicious layer of toa

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Sweet Baking

Cuisine Australian, New Zealand

Servings 16 pieces

Calories 268 kcal

Ingredients

• ▢ 110 grams (4oz/½ cup) butter
• ▢ 110 grams (½ cup) caster sugar | superfine sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 150 grams (1 cup) plain flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• ▢ 250 ml (1 cup) strawberry jam | or raspberry jam

Coconut Topping

• ▢ 2 egg whites lightly beaten
• ▢ 110 grams (½ cup) caster sugar
• ▢ 180 grams (2 cups) desiccated coconut

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven at 180°C (360°F). Line a 20cm x 30cm (8 x 12 inch) slice tin with baking paper.
• Using either your stand mixer or hand electric beaters, beat butter and sugar until creamy and pale in colour. Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat until combined.
• Add sifted flour, baking powder and stir until completely incorporated.
• Spread mixture into slice tin evenly with a smooth surface. The back of a metal spoon works best for this. Once smooth spread jam over evenly.
• In a separate bowl add egg whites, sugar and coconut and mix well. Then spread coconut mixture over the top of the slice.
• Bake in oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once cooled remove from tin and cut into squares to serve. Store in an airtight container.

Oven Temperatures

All oven temperatures are fan forced.

Measurement Notes

All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

Recipe Notes

Cool Completely in the Tin: You may be tempted to remove the slice from the tin before cooling, but it will crumble and break apart. Cool completely before removing from the tin and slicing into portions.

Warm the Jam Before Spreading: You don't have to do this step, but if you warm the jam in the microwave it will be easier to spread over the uncooked biscuit base.

Line the Tin: Even if you have a nonstick slice tin, make sure to line the tin with baking paper/parchment paper. Leave enough overhang to easily lift the slice from the tin once cooled.

 

GENERAL COOK’S NOTES

All oven temperatures are fan-forced, increase the temperature by 20 Deg C (70 Deg F) for convection ovens.

All measurements are Australian tablespoons and cups. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified.

1 teaspoon equals 5ml

1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)

1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)

4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon

I use the below unless specified in my recipes.

Herbs are fresh | Vegetables are of a medium size | Eggs are roughly 60 grams in weight (large).

 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW IS A GUIDE ONLY

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.

Calories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 70mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 215IUVitamin C: 1.6mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.9mg

Keyword classic australian slice recipe, classic new zealand slice recipe

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