RASPBERRY COCONUT SPONGE SQUARES -Air Fryer Or Oven
Raspberry Jam & Coconut Sponge Squares are not only tasty cakes to make, but an ideal first baking lesson for beginner bakers. Start simple & learn the basics of baking before advancing in your baking journey.
Equipment
- Scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer (or wooden spoon, bowl & hard work).
- Sieve
- Spray Oil (Frylight, cake release, lining paste/cake goop or butter for greasing)
- Baking/parchment paper
- Square baking tin: 23x23cm (9" x 9") (Or rectangular tin up to 30½ x 15¼ cm (12 x 6 inches), but no more than a total of 18"/46 cm when you add the length and width.*)
- Cooling rack
- Timer or Phone Timer
- OVEN: 190c/Fan oven 170c/375f/Gas Mark 5
Ingredients
- 113 grams Butter, unsalted (4 oz, 1 stick, ½ cu, softened & cubed)
- 113 grams Self-raising flour* (4 oz, OR 1 Level cup A.P./Plain Flour plus 1½ tsp Baking Powder)* See notes.
- 113 grams Caster sugar (4 oz, ½ cup Extra/Super Fine Sugar* see notes)
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 2 Eggs (med-large, large-XLarge US/Canada)
- 75 ml Milk (5 tbsp, 2½ fl oz)
- 10 - 13 tbsp Raspberry jam/jelly/preserve (About 170g, 6 oz, ½ cup. May need thinning slightly to spread)
- 29 grams Desiccated Coconut (1 oz, ⅓ cup. - US larger, unsweetened, shredded coconut is fine too, just lightly chop it)*
- * Denotes see note section
Instructions
Prepare Cake Batter
- Cube & measure out the butter to pieces about 1cm or ⅓” size for quicker softening. Make sure to bring eggs to room temperature too.
- Cream the butter & caster sugar together till smooth and lighter in colour.
- Add eggs one at a time & beat well in-between each addition. Then add in the vanilla extract or orange extract & beat just till combined.
- Pre-heat oven (or air fryer if required) to: 190°c/170°c Fan Oven/375°f/Gas mark 5.
- Sieve over the flour, baking powder (2 amounts if using Plain/A. P. flour) & briefly mix by hand before gradually adding in the milk. Start to mix on low speed and mix only till incorporated & do not over-mix.
Prepare Cake Tin/Pan
- Grease & paper line the cake tin. Use Frylight cooking spray, cake release spray, homemade lining paste (cake goop) & then baking/parchment paper on top. Cut the paper into a thick cross-like shape (see the Step-By-Step instructions before this Recipe Card for this) & position in the greased cake pan.
Bake The Cake
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, level & smooth out. Tap on the worktop/counter, before popping in the centre of the oven to bake. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes until golden, coming away from sides and a cocktail stick comes out clean of crumbs.
- Place on a cooling rack for 15 - 20 minutes.
Topping The Cake
- Spread thick layer of jam/preserve on top of the cake (thinning jam if needed) & sprinkle generous layer of coconut on top.
- Leave for 20 minutes before cutting into 16 square pieces.
Serving & Storing
- Serve as is with tea or coffee or with custard. Try my homemade pastry cream recipe and simply cook a little less for a thinner custard-like consistency.
- Store in a metal cake or cookie tin with the paper the cakes were baked on & these will be fine for at least 3 days.
- Un-toped cake can be stored for up to 3 days before adding the jam & coconut. Just leave to cool completely & wrap well in cling film/plastic wrap and leave at room temperature, not the fridge. If wanting to freeze, freeze like this with no topping, add a food bag on top & freeze for up to 3 months.1
Video
Notes
Caster Sugar - equivalent is known as ‘Extra Fine or Super fine sugar’ in the US. For more, and how to make your own, see before this Recipe Card.
Flour - this recipe typically is made using UK Self-raising flour. But I have tested using Plain/All Purpose flour with extra baking powder. So be sure to add the 2 amounts of baking powder given in ingredients list if using Plain/A.P. flour.
Jam - you can use Jam, Jelly or Preserve for this cake recipe, with raspberry being classic. If too thick for spreading evenly, you might require to thin just a little with a splash of water.
Coconut - the equivalent of UK Desiccated Coconut, is US Unsweetened Shredded Coconut. However, the US version is in larger pieces. You can choose to process just a little or lightly chop to achieve the same look and texture.
Cake Tin/Pan - recipe for a 9"/23cm square tin, but a rectangular traybake tin (such as 12x6"/30.5x15.25cm) can be used. **Do not use any bigger size or will be too shallow. See more before the recipe card.
Air fryer or Oven - originally developed using a conventional oven, you can also make in an air fryer. Preferably an oven-front mini-oven style air fryer in a 9”/23cm square tin. But bigger rectangular air fryer drawers may also work. Read more about sizing before this Recipe Card. Check out my Cello double air fryer review.
Lining The Cake Tin - paper lining helps get the cake out easily. Cut to fit is best, as you won't get any paper stuck inside your baked cake. Only takes a minute to cut it & use the same paper when storing the cake to help keep moist.
Freezing - I have not tested freezing the decorated cake, but you can freeze the cake after cooling. Wrap it whole, or in squares, with baking/parchment paper. Then on top of that cling film/plastic wrap or a food baggie, and mark the date. Freeze for up to 3 months1 & defrost at room temperature before decorating.
ALL RECIPES CONVERTED & MEASURED - All my recipes include conversions from grams to ounces and cups. Note that they have all been calculated by hand, by myself and tested several times, since Google is often inconsistent and inaccurate. Check out my Baking Ingredient Conversion table.
Try another classic British bake - my Beginners' Classic Victoria Sandwich Cake tutorial (above).
Reference: 1 - freezing cakes from Freezeit.co.uk @ https://freezeit.co.uk/can-you-freeze-sponge-cake/
Nutritional Information - I am not a qualified nutritionist and all nutritional values are approximate and based on using the original ingredients & quantities listed above. Values based on one serving which is one square slice of cake, from a yield of 16 pieces. Cut smaller or bigger squares and these values will change. All values calculated from website MyFitnessPal.com.
Jam - you can use Jam, Jelly or Preserve for this cake recipe, with raspberry being classic. If too thick for spreading evenly, you might require to thin just a little with a splash of water.
Coconut - the equivalent of UK Desiccated Coconut, is US Unsweetened Shredded Coconut. However, the US version is in larger pieces. You can choose to process just a little or lightly chop to achieve the same look and texture.
Cake Tin/Pan - recipe for a 9"/23cm square tin, but a rectangular traybake tin (such as 12x6"/30.5x15.25cm) can be used. **Do not use any bigger size or will be too shallow. See more before the recipe card.
Air fryer or Oven - originally developed using a conventional oven, you can also make in an air fryer. Preferably an oven-front mini-oven style air fryer in a 9”/23cm square tin. But bigger rectangular air fryer drawers may also work. Read more about sizing before this Recipe Card. Check out my Cello double air fryer review.
Lining The Cake Tin - paper lining helps get the cake out easily. Cut to fit is best, as you won't get any paper stuck inside your baked cake. Only takes a minute to cut it & use the same paper when storing the cake to help keep moist.
Freezing - I have not tested freezing the decorated cake, but you can freeze the cake after cooling. Wrap it whole, or in squares, with baking/parchment paper. Then on top of that cling film/plastic wrap or a food baggie, and mark the date. Freeze for up to 3 months1 & defrost at room temperature before decorating.
ALL RECIPES CONVERTED & MEASURED - All my recipes include conversions from grams to ounces and cups. Note that they have all been calculated by hand, by myself and tested several times, since Google is often inconsistent and inaccurate. Check out my Baking Ingredient Conversion table.
Try another classic British bake - my Beginners' Classic Victoria Sandwich Cake tutorial (above).
Reference: 1 - freezing cakes from Freezeit.co.uk @ https://freezeit.co.uk/can-you-freeze-sponge-cake/
Nutritional Information - I am not a qualified nutritionist and all nutritional values are approximate and based on using the original ingredients & quantities listed above. Values based on one serving which is one square slice of cake, from a yield of 16 pieces. Cut smaller or bigger squares and these values will change. All values calculated from website MyFitnessPal.com.
Nutrition Facts
RASPBERRY COCONUT SPONGE SQUARES -Air Fryer Or Oven
Serving Size
1 square
Amount per Serving
Calories
162
% Daily Value*
Fat
7
g
11
%
Saturated Fat
5
g
31
%
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Cholesterol
38
mg
13
%
Sodium
172
mg
7
%
Potassium
25
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
22
g
7
%
Sugar
7
g
8
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.