The Louise Cake has been a kiwi household staple for many generations. And for me growing up, this was no different. Even to this day, this recipe holds many nostalgic memories. In fact, my grandmother used to enjoy making and baking the Louise Cake too, however she liked to make them in muffin tins so that everyone had a single serve. This would be great, as it often saved the debate over who got the larger slice amongst siblings and cousins.
Because this recipe is a classic, I didn’t want to change it too much (I believe in the saying ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it’). However, I’m also a big fan of a peanut butter and jam combo (especially in a sandwich with fresh white bread), and since the Louise Cake already has a delicious jam layer, I wondered what it would be like to sneak in a hint of peanut butter and turn this classic into a new favourite! I also decided to keep the coconut in this recipe, because after all it wouldn’t be a Louise Cake without the fluffy coconut topping.
So, here’s the recipe for my Peanut Butter and Jam Louise Cake. A twist on a nostalgic classic with its subtle peanut butter flavoured base, raspberry jam filling, fluffy coconut topping and a sprinkle of peanut butter crumb.
Quick Q&A
What kind of peanut butter should I use?
You can use any kind of peanut butter, in fact I suggest you use your favourite. It also doesn’t matter if you prefer smooth, crunchy, extra crunchy, salted or unsalted peanut butter for this recipe, they all work well. Me personally, I like the added crunch and texture of crunchy peanut butter. So that would be my suggestion.
Does it have to be raspberry jam?
Absolutely not, use any jam you like or grew up with. It could be strawberry, mixed berry or even apricot. Who knows what other flavoured jams pair well with peanut butter. So, give it a go and find out.
Can I leave the peanut butter crumb out of the topping?
You absolutely can. I like to include the crumb for its added texture and nutty flavour, but it can be completely left off if preferred.
- 270g Plain Flour
- 100g Caster Sugar
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 100g Butter
- 100g Peanut butter
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 180g Raspberry Jam (½ Cup)
- 60g Caster Sugar
- 90g Desiccated Coconut
- 2 Egg Whites
- 50g Peanut Butter
- 50g Icing Sugar
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Preheat the oven to 180°c bake and line a square 20cm baking tin with grease-proof paper, then set aside.
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In a medium sized bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugar together with a hand-held beater (or free-standing mixer if you choose) until pale and fluffy.
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Continue to beat in the egg yolks until smooth and incorporated, reserving the egg white for when we make the topping later on.
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Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix together until a crumbly dough comes together. Press this dough into the base of your prepared baking tin and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
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While the base is cooling, beat the egg whites with a hand-held beater until soft peaks form. While still beating, slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until dissolved and glossy.
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Gently fold the desiccated coconut through the egg white mixture until just combined, then set aside while you make the peanut butter crumb.
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To make the peanut butter crumb, mix together the peanut butter, icing sugar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until it forms a crumb, then set aside.
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When the base has cooled slightly, evenly cover with a layer of raspberry jam before carefully using a spoon or spatula to cover the jam with a layer of the coconut mixture. Then finally sprinkle over top the peanut butter crumb and return to the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top crumb starts to turn a nice golden colour.
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Remove from the oven and allow the slice to cool completely inside its tin before cutting and serving. Enjoy.
Flashback!
The above image was the first and only photo taken of this recipe when it was shared for the first time back in January 2017. So I really wanted to reshoot some photos of this Louise Cake, give the recipe a facelift and try and answer some commonly asked questions about the recipe. Happy baking!
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