Louise Cake

Louise Cake is a kiwi favourite. It has a cake base with raspberry jam in the middle and a crusty coconut topping. The slice is quite sweet and is best eaten with a hot cup of coffee or tea.


Makes 30-40 slices

Ingredients
125gm butter
80gm sugar
1 egg
230 gm flour
2 tsp baking powder
approx 1 cup plum or raspberry jam

Topping
1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
1 egg


Method
1. Cream butter and sugar until pale. Beat in the egg slowly.

2. Sieve flour and baking powder together and fold into mixture.

3. Press mixture evenly into a paper lined baking tray of 25cm x 30cm (fig 1).

4. Soften the jam in the microwave and spread over the cake mixture (fig 2).


5. Mix the topping ingredients together and spread over the jam (fig 3).

6. Bake at 170C for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is golden. Cool in the tin then cut into slices.


Note : The jam used for the traditional louise cake is raspberry but I have substituted it with homemade plum jam which was just as nice.


Recipe : Sugar & spice : a selection of the best recipes from the Chelsea Sugar great New Zealand bake-off by Jo Seagar or Chelsea Sugar (adapted)