COCONUT AND BERRY CAKE BARS

Ingredients | serves 16 | time 1 hour 35 mins

BISCUIT BASE & JAM LAYER • 100g unsalted butter, chilled, plus extra for greasing • 175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting • 1⁄4 tsp fine salt2 tbsp desiccated coconut • 2 tbsp golden caster sugar • 1 egg yolk (reserve the white for the cake) • 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract • 3 tbsp raspberry jam • CAKE • 175g unsalted butter • 150g Greek style coconut yogurt • 3 eggs, plus the reserved white from the base • 150g plain flour • 1⁄4 tsp fine salt • 2 tsp baking powder • 175g golden caster sugar • 100g desiccated coconut • 175g mixed raspberries and blueberries

step 1

Lightly grease a 23cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment. For the base, put the flour, butter and salt into a food processor and pulse to fine crumbs, then pulse in the coconut and sugar. Beat the egg yolk with the vanilla and 1 tbsp cold water, then add to the machine with the motor running, to make a soft dough. Roughly press into the prepared tin with your hands, dust with a little flour and press with the back of a spoon to push into the corners and flatten. Prick with a fork, then chill for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 ̊C, gas mark 6.

step 2

Bake the biscuit base for 15 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool for a couple of minutes, then spread with the jam. Lower the oven temperature to 180 ̊C, gas mark 4.

step 3

For the cake, melt the butter in a pan, then take off the heat and use a fork to beat in the yogurt, then the eggs and reserved egg white. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl; stir in the sugar and coconut. • Pour the wet cake ingredients into the dry, and mix well with a spatula. Pour over the jammy base, level the top, then scatter with the berries. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden and risen all over; a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Cool in the tin, then cut into bars.