LOUISE CAKE SLICE – A MUST TRY NZ TREAT!
Louise cake slice has a cake-like shortbread base which is smothered in berry jam and fresh berries and crowned with a fluffy coconut meringue topping. A nostalgic New Zealand treat!
WHAT IS LOUISE CAKE SLICE?
It’s a cake-like shortbread base, smothered in berry jam and fresh berries and crowned with a fluffy coconut meringue topping. A nostalgic New Zealand treat!
Have you tried Louise Cake Slice before? If you’re not familiar with it, let me acquaint you. Louise Cake is a very classic New Zealand treat that is made from a shortbread base which is smothered in a berry jam and is then topped with a fluffy coconut meringue. When you bite into a piece of Louise Cake, you immediately feel like you should be at a girly tea-party sipping hot tea from delicate bone china cups. Well at least, that’s how I feel.
Although this cake has played a strong role in New Zealand’s culinary history, it is not known exactly where it came from. Rumour has it that is was made for Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise at her wedding, which fits well with the dainty tea-party feel I get whenever I eat it. Whatever it’s origins, know that it is delicious and that it will fly off the counter like hot cakes.
A traditional Louise Cake has a crunchy base and jam filling however the recipe below produces a base that is somewhere in between a cake and a shortbread – perfectly chewy and fudgy. I also like to dot a few fresh raspberries over the base before adding the coconut meringue for an extra berry zing.
INGREDIENTS:
Thankfuly, Louise cake slice is made up of pantry staples so it is a handy treat to make without needing to head to the supermarket for anything special.
(See recipe below for full ingredients, measurements and method)
BASE LAYER:
Butter
Sugar (ideally caster sugar as it has a finer grain and helps to create a light and airy cake base layer).
Vanilla extract
Egg yolks
Plain flour
Baking powder
Salt
Berry jam (I like to use raspberry or strawberry)
Fresh raspberries (optional)
Meringue Topping Layer
Egg whites
Castor sugar
Desiccated coconut
Vanilla
HOW TO MAKE LOUISE CAKE SLICE:
This louise cake slice is made up of three layers
1. cake -shortbread base
2. berry layer
3. meringue topping
The cake base is prepared first.
Butter and sugar are creamed until light and fluffy and then egg yolks and vanilla are added and mixed until just combined. Flour baking powder and salt and also mixed in until combined and this mixture is spooned into a lined cake pan. This is baked for 20 minutes until just cooked through.
Some recipes cook all three layers together but I feel this creates a crunchy, over baked texture. You also run the risk of burning the meringue before the base is fully cooked. Hence, I think it’s best to bake the base layer first.
Whilst the base is baking, you can prepare the topppings.
Egg whites are mixed with the sugar to form a meringue. Coconut is folded through.
Once the base is cooked, jam and berries are spread over the hot base, then topped with the meringue and this all goes back into the oven for another 10 minutes until golden brown on top.
That’s it! You’ll be eating louise cake slice in no time after you start making it.
LOUISE CAKE SLICE – A MUST TRY NZ TREAT!
INGREDIENTS
190g (3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) butter, softened
220g (1 cup) castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
275g (2 1/4 cups) Plain flour
1 + 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup berry jam (I like to use raspberry or strawberry)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries (optional)
TOPPING
3 egg whites
170g (3/4 cup) castor sugar
110g (1 + 1/4 cups) desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 160C (320F) and line a 20cm x 30 cm (9 x 13 inch) cake pan with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and eggs and continue to beat until combined (be careful not to over-mix).
3. In a small bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt together and whisk well to combine. Add this to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until it comes together. Press the mixture into prepared cake pan firmly and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
4. While the base is cooking, make topping: Place egg whites in a clean bowl and beat with a clean beater until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar until mixture forms a glossy meringue. Fold in coconut and vanilla.
5. Cool cooked base for 10 minutes, then spread with jam and dot berries over top (if using). Top with coconut meringue topping and bake until crisp and lightly golden (about 35 minutes). Cut into squares whilst still warm.
NOTES
* When stored in an airtight container, it will keep for up to two weeks. It also freezes well.
** If you would prefer a round Louise Cake, bake in a 23cm/9inch round cake tin instead (baking times should be the same).
By Sarah Sears
