British Jammy Coconut Cake

This classic British cake is flavoured with coconut and topped with any fruit jam that you like. It does double-duty for afternoon tea or served with custard as a comforting British pudding.

Many British people have fond memories of jammy coconut cake. Even though many bakeries are moving away from these nostalgic items, the combination of buttery coconut cake with a sweet and tangy fruit jam will always be relevant and enjoyed. Simple to prepare for a crowd, this cake was often served as a cafeteria dessert to schoolchildren, particularly during winter with hot custard poured over. The classic jam topping was strawberry or raspberry, but I strongly encourage you breath new life into this cake with other jams. I more often make it with apricot jam, just like my great-aunt Dora did, which produces a wonderful teatime cake with a more intriguing, but still familiar, personality. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 9x)

• 250g unsalted butter, softened

• 250g caster sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

• zest of 1/2 lemon

• 250g plain flour

• 2 tsps baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 50g desiccated/shredded coconut

• 2 tablespoons of milk

• 150g fruit jam (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, apricot)

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, or to taste

• 3 tablespoons desiccated/shredded coconut

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a 9x9-inch square baking tin/brownie pan with baking paper and set it aside.

2. Place the 250g softened butter and 250g caster sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat together for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy.

   

3. Add the 4 large eggs along with 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Mix well until combined. Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled here; that’s normal.

   

4. Combine the 250g plain flour with 2 tsps of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Add this mixture to the batter and fold it in until no dry streaks remain.

5. Add the 50g desiccated/shredded coconut along with 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix until well distributed.

   

6. Transfer the cake batter to the lined 9x9 baking dish. Spread until roughly even and place onto the middle-rack of the oven. Bake at 180C/350F for 25-30 minutes until the cake has risen, is golden-brown and is springy to touch in the centre.

   

7. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes, otherwise the jam tends to melt into the cake and vanish!

   

8. In a separate bowl, combine the 200g fruit jam with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, or to your taste. Spread the jam thickly over the top of the cool sponge cake. Scatter over 3 tablespoons of desiccated/shredded coconut.

   

   

   

9. It’s ready to serve. Slice into 9x generous square slices. Enjoy with afternoon tea or enjoy it as a pudding with custard or cream for a wonderful British pudding. Enjoy!