Jam Coconut Slice: An Easy Traybake
A classic sweet Australian slice recipe, this easy jam coconut slice remains a popular treat. A buttery, coconut-flecked shortbread base is layered with fruity jam and finished with a light, golden coconut meringue topping that’s crisp on the outside and softly chewy within. It’s a crowd-pleasing traybake for any occasion and perfect for coconut lovers everywhere.
I usually make some sort of sweet bake or dessert for Valentine’s Day and this year I decided to go coconutty. Coconut is one of CT’s favourite flavours so I knew this slice would be a hit. And because I made it with strawberry jam, it had the right colour for the occasion too. His response was “strewth, that’s bonzer!”
Dive Right In
- Why You’ll Want To Make This Jam Coconut Slice
- Easy Jam Coconut Slice
- Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
- How To Make This Jam Coconut Slice Recipe
- Tips For Jam Coconut Slice Perfect Results
- Other Recipes Using Jam You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- Pin It
- The Recipe
Why You’ll Want To Make This Jam Coconut Slice
- Simple, everyday ingredients – Nothing fancy required, just pantry staples and a jar of your favourite jam.
- Lovely mix of textures – Buttery, crumbly shortbread base, soft fruity centre and a light, chewy coconut meringue topping.
- Easy to make – Straightforward steps and no complicated techniques, which makes it ideal for both new and experienced bakers.
- Perfect for sharing – A classic traybake that slices neatly and travels well for lunchboxes, picnics and gatherings.
- Wonderfully nostalgic – A comforting, old-fashioned bake that feels right at home with a cup of tea. It’s the kind of thing your Gran would make.
Easy Jam Coconut Slice
This jam coconut slice seems to go by many names. It’s often referred to as plain “coconut slice” or “raspberry coconut slice”. The latter name refers to the raspberry jam used in it, which is the traditional jam of choice.
I reckon coconut goes with just about any jam, so it’s a jam slice for me. And I generally go with whatever jam needs using up when I make it.
Because we already have the fruity jam, coconut and buttery shortbread, there’s no need for any additional flavourings. This makes it a really straightforward bake.
The light coconut meringue topping is pure delight, though combined with the jam, it does make for a decidedly sweet treat. It’s crisp on the outside and softly chewy within.
The same slice exists in New Zealand too, where it’s called Louise cake or Louise slice. It’s possible it was named after a cake created to celebrate the wedding of Princess Louise (one of Queen Victoria’s daughers) in 1871.
The slice is a wonderfully nostalgic traybake and perfect for sharing with friends, feeding a crowd and even lunchboxes. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Ingredients, Additions and Substitutions
You need surprisingly few ingredients to make this top notch jam coconut slice. In fact, there are only six if you don’t include salt. I’ve highlighted those worth a mention below.
Coconut
Desiccated coconut is the type of coconut needed for this recipe. Having said that a handful of coconut flakes to scatter over the top is a nice touch if you want extra coconut flavour and texture.
Flour
As with most of my bakes, I use wholemeal spelt flour for this recipe. Plain wholemeal flour works really well too though.
Jam
Although the classic Australian jam coconut slice is made with raspberry jam, you can use whatever jam you like for this recipe, as long as it’s not too runny. Just go with your favourite or whatever you have to hand. I used my somewhat out-of-date homemade strawberry jam.
How To Make Jam Coconut Slice
Despite the three layers needed for this jam coconut slice, they’re all very easy to put together. You don’t even need to whisk the meringue to form peaks. The only thing to be aware of is that it’s baked twice.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for cooking temperatures and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Make Base Layer
Melt the butter in a small pan over a gentle heat and take off as soon as it’s melted.
Separate the egg yolk from the white.
Whisk the flour, sugar, coconut and salt together in a large bowl. This ensures that the dry ingredients are well mixed and that there are no lumps.
Make a well in the centre, then pour in the melted butter and add the egg yolk. Using a metal spoon, wooden spoon or flat bladed knife, stir from the inside out until thoroughly combined. It will be lumpy, but that’s okay.
Transfer the mix to your baking tin or silicone mould. If using a tin, you might prefer to line it with baking paper first with two of the ends hanging over the sides so you can remove the slice easily when needed.
Press the mix down hard with the back of a spoon and make sure it reaches into the corners and you have a more or less even layer.
Bake on the middle shelf of your oven until lightly golden in colour. Remove from the oven, but keep the heat on.
Step 2. Make Topping
Whilst the base is baking, whisk the sugar, salt and egg white together until you can no longer feel any gritty bits from the sugar. Don’t worry, you’re not looking for classic meringue peaks. And it’s fine to use the same bowl you used for the base. No need to wash it.
Stir in the desiccated coconut.
If you like a more meringue type topping, which I do, stick with 50g of coconut. If you’d prefer it more coconutty though and with a stiffer top, go with 75g instead.
Step 3. Layer Up
As soon as you take the base out of the oven, spread the jam over the top. It’s easier to do this if the base is still warm. Also you don’t want the oven on for longer than is needed.
Try to leave a small gap around the edges, so that the jam doesn’t stick to the tin when you’re trying to remove the slice later.
Drop spoonfuls of the coconut topping over the jam and spread it out to cover the top completely
Step 4. Bake.
Place the tin back in the oven and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the top is crisp and golden.
Remove from the oven and place the tin on a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
Once cool, remove the slice onto a bread board using the paper overhangs, then cut it into 12 pieces using a sharp knife.
If using a silicone mould, as shown here, slice directly in the mould and remove each piece with a spatula.
This traybake keeps remarkably well for four to five days. Just ensure you store the slices in an airtight container.
Tips For Baking Jam Coconut Slice
This jam coconut slice is a really easy bake, but I’ve listed a few tips below to ensure you get a good result.
- Don’t over-bake the base – Bake the coconut shortbread layer until it’s just lightly golden. It will return to the oven later with the topping, so avoid over-browning.
- Spread the jam thinly and evenly – Too much jam can make the slice soggy and difficult to cut. A restrained, even layer works best.
- Add extra coconut – For additional coconuttiness, strew a handful of coconut flakes over the top of the meringue prior to baking.
- Bake until lightly golden on top – The meringue should be set and crisp on the outside, but softly chewy inside.
- Cool completely before slicing – This helps the layers firm up and gives you neat, clean slices. It’s inevitable that the meringue will crack though, so just see this as part of the slice’s charm.
- Use a sharp knife and wipe between cuts – Especially helpful if your jam layer is soft or sticky.
Other Recipes Using Jam You Might Like
- Chocolate buttercream Victoria sponge cake
- Cream cheese & jam turnovers
- Jam almond cake
- Jam doughnut muffins
- Peanut butter & jelly traybake
- Sticky cardamom buns
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this easy jam coconut slice, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for making these cakes?
Please rate the recipe too. And do tag me @choclette8 on Instagram with your images, I really enjoy seeing your take on my recipes.
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If you’d like more coconut recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Jam Coconut Slice. PIN IT.
Jam Coconut Slice – Easy Traybake
Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 150 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat) (I used wholemeal spelt flour)
- 50 g desiccated coconut
- 75 g golden caster sugar
- 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
- 100 g unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg yolk
Topping
- 240 g jam of your choice
- 75 g golden caster sugar
- 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
- 1 large egg white
- 50-75 g desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Set the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
Base
- Whisk the flour, sugar, coconut and salt together in a large bowl.150 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat), 50 g desiccated coconut, 75 g golden caster sugar, 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
- Add the melted butter and egg yolk and stir until combined.100 g unsalted butter, 1 large egg yolk
- Transfer the mix to a 20cm (8 inch) square baking tin or silicone mould. If using a tin, you might prefer to line it with baking paper first with two of the ends hanging over the sides so you can remove the slice easily when needed.
- Press the mix down hard with the back of a spoon and make sure you have a more or less even layer that covers the whole base.
- Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden in colour.
Topping
- Whilst the base is baking, whisk the sugar, salt and egg white together until you can no longer feel any gritty bits from the sugar. It’s fine to use the same bowl you used for the base.75 g golden caster sugar, 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt, 1 large egg white
- Stir in the desiccated coconut.50-75 g desiccated coconut
- As soon as you take the base out of the oven, spread the jam over the top. It’s easier to do if the base is still warm. Try to leave a small gap around the edges, so that the jam doesn’t stick when you’re trying to remove the slice later.240 g jam of your choice
- Drop spoonfuls of the coconut topping over the jam and spread it out to cover.
- Bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the top is crisp and golden.
- Transfer the tin to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Once cool, remove the slice onto a bread board using the paper overhangs, then slice into 12 pieces. If using a silicone mould, slice directly in the mould and remove each slice with a spatula.
This sounds like a recipe we call ‘Louise Cake’ which is very tasty and an old family favourite. Usually made with white flour and which would be extra nice with Wholemeal spelt. Thanks Choclette :))
Oh, I had to go and look up Louise cake straight away. I wondered where the name came from. Could be that it was created to celebrate the wedding of Princess Louise (one of Queen Victoria’s daughters) in 1871!!! Guess I’d better mention the NZ name in my recipe. Thanks Mary.
When I was young, I used to make this for my dad as he really loved it. I think it was always raspberry jam when i made it.
Sherry
Raspberry jam is traditional, or so I understand. It’s quite a favourite with us too.
Yum! I used soft brown sugar as that’s what I had and it seemed to work well. Nice and simple. Thanks!!
Gosh that was quick Helen. Brown sugar will make them extra yummy, if a little darker. Thanks for letting us know you enjoyed them.