Ottolenghi's Louise Cake With Plum And Coconut

Ottolenghi Louise cake with plum and coconut is a twist on a famous, beloved treat - the New Zealand Louise slice. It is a gorgeous cake with a coconut-based biscuit covered with juicy plums and a lovely almond meringue. You don't want to miss the plum season to treat yourself.

Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.

This beautiful Louise cake loaded with juicy summer plums makes everyone's favorite season elegant and tasty.

It is undoubtedly the perfect time of the year to include plum-baking goodies on your baking calendar, whether it is plum frangipane tart or plum Pavlova.

This Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi cake is a plum cake with meringue, where plum and meringue create a terrific flavor combination.

What is Louise cake?

Louise cake, or Louise slice, is a popular New Zealand cake made with raspberry or plum jam and a thin layer of coconut meringue topping. The cake was named after Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise of England, and brought to New Zealand by British settlers. 

Often called Louise cake slice, it is rated the sixth in the "Top 10 favorite Kiwi recipes."

Louise cake recipe

• The cake recipe is straightforward and is easy to follow. There is no resting or cooling time between steps, which makes baking quick and enjoyable.

• This gorgeous cake is perfect for birthdays and other special occasions.

• It is customizable with different types of fruit.

Ingredients

Get a quick overview of the necessary ingredients. For precise measurements and instructions, refer to the recipe card below. Also, discover the essential baking tools I rely on for daily baking.

• Butter: The recipe calls for European-style unsalted butter. Bring it to the kitchen counter to soften an hour before you start.

• Sugar: Use granulated sugar or replace it with caster sugar.

• Lemon zest: Opt for organic, untreated lemon and zest it with a Microplane.

• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. To separate the egg whites from the yolk, use an egg separator.

• Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, the same as plain flour.

• Baking powder: Use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.

• Salt enhances the flavors of the dessert.

• Shredded coconut brings the texture and flavor to the cake. You can replace it with desiccated coconut if desired.

• Milk: The recipe calls for whole milk.

• Vanilla extract: Choose the most flavorful Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla extract, or replace it with an alcohol-free vanilla flavor.

• Red plums: Use seasonal dark red plums, ripe but not too soft. Replace fresh plums with the best stone fruits, such as apricots, peaches, nectarines, or cherries. However, avoid fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries since they are too watery for this cake.

• Almonds: Use store-bought toasted flaked or sliced almonds or toast nuts in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.

• White wine vinegar and cornflour are used for making stable meringue.

How to make Louise cake

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 365°F (185°C). Butter and line the bottom and the sides of a round 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan (with removable base) using parchment paper.

Step 2. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt with a flour sifter and place aside. In a small separate bowl, mix the vanilla extract with milk.

Step 7. Wash and dry plums. Divide each plum vertically in halves, and discard stones. Slice each plum half into four parts, getting eight segments per plum and 40 segments in total.

Step 8. Increase the oven heat to 390°F (200°C).

Step 13. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool, still in the cake pan, for at least 30 minutes.

Step 14. Unmold the cake and peel the paper from the sides of the cake. Let the cake cool down completely before serving.

Expert Tips

1. For the best results, use a springform cake tin with a removable bottom to facilitate the removal of the cake. Alternatively, use an adjustable cake ring.
2. If you use small plums, cherries, or other smaller stone fruit, quarter each fruit.
3. Watch out for the color of the meringue crust while baking.

Recipe variations

• Biscuit: Replace 2 ½ tablespoons (20 g) of all-purpose flour with the same amount of cocoa powder to make a chocolate-coconut biscuit.

• Fruits: Use frozen or fresh unpitted fruits. Or choose raspberry jam filling instead of fruits to make the cake all year round.

• Flavorings: Switch flaked almonds with shredded coconut while making the meringue topping.

Storing and freezing

Store the Louise cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. However, the top of the meringue may start softening after the first day.

Can you freeze Louise cake? You can freeze the Louise cake for up to one month, but the meringue layer on top will lose its texture.

Recipe FAQ

Love cakes? Try these next!

• Ottolenghi carrot cake
• Cake Sans Rival
• Black Forest cake
• Fresh fruit cake
• Or browse all the cake recipes

Craving more sweets? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and subscribe to receive new recipes. Also, have a look at my favorite baking tools I use daily.

Print

Recipe card

Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. It was originally published on September 06, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.