Classic Coconut Jam Slice
Buttery base with raspberry jam and golden coconut topping. A beloved Australian afternoon tea classic from CWA cookbooks.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My great-aunt's CWA recipe since 1958 - Margaret Collins
In country town bakeries and CWA (Country Women's Association) stalls across Australia, coconut jam slice has been a fixture since at least the 1950s. With its three distinct layers - buttery shortbread base, tangy raspberry jam middle, and golden coconut topping - it's the traybake that defined Australian afternoon tea for generations. My great-aunt Betty made coconut jam slice for every church fete, school fundraiser, and family gathering in Tamworth from 1958 until 2005, and the recipe she used came from her grandmother's handwritten cookbook dated 1927.
The beauty of coconut jam slice is its simplicity and its economics. In post-war and mid-century Australia, when money was often tight but hospitality was important, this slice used pantry staples to create something special. Butter, sugar, flour, eggs, coconut, and a jar of jam - ingredients most households already had - transformed into elegant squares that looked like they came from a fancy bakery.
Aunt Betty was particular about her coconut jam slice. The base had to be baked until just golden but not brown - "like pale sand," she'd say. The jam had to be raspberry, never strawberry - "raspberry cuts through the sweet coconut better." The coconut topping had to be golden and crispy on top but still slightly chewy underneath. She'd test it by pressing gently with her finger - "if it springs back, it's perfect."
Every Saturday morning before church fetes, Aunt Betty would be in her kitchen by 6am, making batch after batch of coconut jam slice. She'd line up multiple tins, work in assembly-line fashion - base, bake, jam, topping, bake again, cool, cut, pack. By 9am, she'd have fifty squares neatly wrapped in greaseproof paper, ready for the morning tea stall. They'd sell out by 10:30am. People would specifically wait for Betty's coconut jam slice, passing over other offerings to get to her pink and gold squares.
The key, she taught me when I was old enough to help, was in the details: press the base firmly and evenly, spread the jam edge to edge but not too thickly, and most importantly, don't overbake the coconut topping or it goes hard rather than chewy. "This slice is about texture," she'd explain. "Crumbly base, smooth jam, chewy coconut. Three textures, perfect harmony."
When Aunt Betty passed in 2010 at age 94, her funeral was packed with people from all over Tamworth and beyond. At the wake, the CWA ladies made coconut jam slice using Betty's recipe, served on her good plates. It was the most fitting tribute anyone could imagine. This recipe represents Australian community baking - made to share, made to raise funds, made to bring people together over a cup of tea and something sweet.
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
Adjust Servings
Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
For the Base
For the Filling
For the Coconut Topping
Pro Tips
- • Press the base firmly - a compact base won't crumble when you cut it.
- • Don't overbake the base - pale golden is perfect, brown is too far.
- • Use good quality jam - cheap jam can be too sweet and artificial.
- • Let it cool completely before cutting - warm slice will fall apart.
- • Wipe your knife between cuts for neat, clean slices.
- • The slice keeps well - make it a day ahead for best results.
- • For a fancier version, drizzle with lemon icing when cool.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Can be frozen for up to 2 months - separate layers with baking paper. Thaw at room temperature.
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm slice tin with baking paper, letting it overhang the sides for easy removal later.
- 2
Make the base: In a food processor, pulse the flour and sugar to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk (save the white!) and pulse until the mixture just starts to come together. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour and sugar by hand.
3 minutes - 3
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin. Using your hands or the back of a spoon, press it down firmly and evenly across the base. It should be compact and level - Aunt Betty would use a glass to roll it smooth. Prick all over with a fork.
- 4
Bake the base for 15-18 minutes until pale golden - like pale sand, not dark. Watch it carefully; you don't want it brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Keep the oven on.
18 minutes - 5
While the base bakes, make the coconut topping: In a bowl, lightly beat the 2 whole eggs plus the reserved egg white. Add the sugar, coconut, vanilla, flour, and salt. Mix well until combined. The mixture will be quite thick and sticky.
- 6
Spread the jam evenly over the warm base, right to the edges. Don't use too much - about 3/4 cup is perfect. Too much jam will bubble up and make the slice soggy. Too little and you lose the lovely jam layer.
- 7
Spoon the coconut mixture over the jam layer. Spread it evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon, making sure it reaches all the edges and completely covers the jam. Press down gently to compact it slightly.
- 8
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the coconut topping is golden brown. It should look like honey-gold, and feel slightly firm when gently pressed but still have some give. Don't overbake or it will be hard rather than chewy.
30 minutes - 9
Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the tin. This is crucial - cutting it warm will make it crumble and the jam will ooze everywhere. Patience! Aunt Betty would make hers the night before, let it cool overnight, and cut in the morning.
- 10
Once completely cool, use the overhanging paper to lift the slice out of the tin onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares or fingers. Wipe the knife between cuts for neat edges. Aunt Betty cut hers into 20 squares, but you can cut 16 larger pieces or 24 small ones.
- 11
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The slice actually improves after a day as the flavors meld. Aunt Betty always said day-two slice was even better than day-one.
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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