Blueberry, Orange and Coconut Slab Cake
Photography Manja Wachsmuth.
You can also use other berries such as blackberries, raspberries or boysenberries for this cake, and when stone fruit is in season use apricots, nectarines or peaches.
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
125 grams butter, soft but not melted
¾ cup caster sugar
finely grated zest 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup sour cream
1 cup plain flour
¼ cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
2 punnets of blueberries
1 tablespoon raw sugar
22 cm square cake tin, greased and lined fully with baking paper. (Leave an overhang of paper on two sides to act as handles).
Orange icing
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
finely grated zest 1 orange
2-3 teaspoons orange juice
Toasted coconut
¼ cup long thread coconut
Blueberry sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
finely grated zest 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornflour
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Beat the butter, sugar, orange zest and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg then the sour cream. Combine all the dry ingredients then gently mix into the butter mixture.
Spread the batter evenly in the tin and scatter over the blueberries then the sugar.
Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden on top. Cool before removing from the tin. Peel off the lining paper and place the cake on a plate.
Orange icing: Put the icing sugar and zest in a small bowl and add enough orange juice to make a smooth, pourable icing.
Toasted coconut: Put the coconut in a dry sauté pan over a medium heat and cook until lightly golden, stirring frequently.
Blueberry sauce: Put the berries, caster sugar, water and zest in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir the lemon juice and cornflour together to make a smooth paste and stir into the blueberries. Simmer for a few minutes until the juice is glossy and thickened. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To serve: The cake can be served plain, dusted with icing sugar or topped with a drizzle of orange icing and toasted coconut. Serve with yoghurt or softly whipped cream and the blueberry sauce if desired.
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latest issue:
126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.







