Zesty Lemon Coconut Bars – The Best Slice for Summer

 I always like to have a cake in the house at the weekend. This is a tradition of my own making that goes back a very long way to when I was bringing up my own family.

During the week I would often bake them cookies. I liked to have fresh baked cookies waiting for them when they got home from school and would often include them in their packed lunches.  Yes, I WAS a baking mom. 

I had the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom, and being able to bake special treats for my children was one of my love languages. My own mother had worked so it we didn't really get home baked treats, with the exception of the holidays.

I was determined that my own children would have everything made from scratch. On weekdays, cookies and at the weekends, always a delicious cake, slice/bar, or sometimes a pie.

Old habits die hard.

 

For this weekend I baked a lush and easy Coconut Lemon Slice, which is just a fancy name for a snack cake.  It is an 8-inch square coconut cake, moist and delicious.  Topped with a creamy rich lemon buttercream frosting, and fine grated lemon zest.

It cuts easily into 12 slices.  Just make four cuts along one way, and three across the other.  You will have the perfect sized slices to serve.

Fabulous as a teatime treat or as a dessert. It's all up to you. Quick and easy to make, rich, and very delicious!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS EASY COCONUT LEMON SLICE 

This tasty bake requires very simple baking cupboard essentials.  Other than the fresh lemon, you probably have everything you need in the house right now!

For the cake:

• 1 1/3 cups (150g) self-rising flour (see notes)
• 1 1/2 cups (100g) shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (in the U.K. use castor)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the lemon buttercream:

• 1 1/2 cups (190g) sifted icing sugar
• 1/3 cup (70g) butter, at room temperature
• 2 to 3 TBS of fresh lemon juice
• finely grated lemon zest to decorate

 

Don't worry if you do not have any self-rising flour. You can very easily make your own and I tell you how to do that in the recipe notes.  It is very easily done. I usually make it up in 4 cup amounts and then I have it on hand for all sorts of bakes which require self-rising flour.  If you don't use this ingredient very often, you can also freeze it in an airtight container, and it will keep longer.

I used salted butter, and organic granulated sugar. Our granulated sugar here in Canada is a lot finer than granulated sugar in the U.K. In the U.K. you do need to use castor sugar.  If your sugar is too coarse, you can also blitz it in a food processor for a few turns to make it finer.

Icing sugar is also known as powdered sugar or confectioners' sugar.

I grate my lemon zest using a micro-plane grater. You get a nicer, fine result doing it this way. It depends on the finish you would like to see. You may prefer strands rather than a fine grating. It's your choice.

I used flaked coconut, but you could also use desiccated coconut. Make sure it is unsweetened unless you want a really sweet cake.

 HOW TO MAKE EASY COCONUT LEMON SLICE

This recipe employs the one bowl method, in that everything for the cake batter is mixed together in a single bowl, or in this case a large saucepan.

FOR THE CAKE:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin and line with baking parchment.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and leave to cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk in the milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine well.
4. Whisk in the self-raising flour and the coconut, again combining well.
5. Scrape with a spatula into the prepared pan and smooth over the top.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The top will spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

  

FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

1. To make the frosting, beat the butter, icing sugar together with just enough lemon juice to give you a thick spreadable frosting. Swirl this on top of the cake and dust with the lemon zest.
2. Leave to set before cutting into slices to serve.
3. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

 

This is a beautiful cake slice that goes together very easily and is fabulous served, cut into squares or rectangles alongside a hot beverage.

It also makes a delicious dessert cut into squares and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sherbet. 

 

Nobody ever turns down a slice!

 

A FEW OTHER TEATIME BAKES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

GINGER CRUNCHIES -  These cookie delicious cookie squares are crisp and buttery, very short textured, almost like a shortbread cookie.  They are also topped with a lush ginger glaze and some sweet chunks of preserved ginger.  Don't worry if you haven't got any preserved ginger, you can substitute candied ginger for it or leave it off altogether. These are a fabulous addition to the teatime table.

BAKEWELL SLICES - A base of short-crust pasty is topped with jam and a moreish almond frangipane cake, topped with flaked almonds before baking to teatime perfection. A sweet almond glaze is flicked over top before being cut into slices to serve along with your favorite hot bevvie!

  

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Yield: 12 slices

Author: Marie Rayner

Coconut Lemon Slice

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 44 MinTotal time: 54 Min

A moist and delicious coconut cake topped with a lush lemon buttercream frosting. Fabulous as a treat served with a hot cuppa, or as a dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sherbet. A one bowl make and bake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 1/3 cups (150g) self-rising flour (see notes)
• 1 1/2 cups (100g) shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (in the U.K. use castor)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the lemon buttercream:

• 1 1/2 cups (190g) sifted icing sugar
• 1/3 cup (70g) butter, at room temperature
• 2 to 3 TBS of fresh lemon juice
• finely grated lemon zest to decorate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin and line with baking parchment.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and leave to cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk in the milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine well.
4. Whisk in the self-raising flour and the coconut, again combining well.
5. Scrape with a spatula into the prepared pan and smooth over the top.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The top will spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To make the frosting, beat the butter, icing sugar together with just enough lemon juice to give you a thick spreadable frosting. Swirl this on top of the cake and dust with the lemon zest.
9. Leave to set before cutting into slices to serve.
10. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

You can very easily make your own self-rising flour. For every cup of flour needed, whisk together 1 cup (125g) of flour with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. I usually do this about 4 cups at a time and store in the cupboard to use as needed.

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