I like to think of this bake as an exercise in simplicity. In the interests of simplicity, I’ll keep this post short and sweet (just like these cakes!). I saw a picture of a full-sized jam and coconut sponge on instagram recently and it took me back to my school days. Tender golden sponge, a thin layer of jam, and dessicated coconut on top. That’s it. It’s simple but comforting. I’ve made my version here, gluten free and in miniature. Enjoy!

Mini jam + coconut sponges

170g gluten-free self-raising flour

170g butter

110g caster sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

Your favourite jam (red berry jams are traditional, but any seedless jam will work)

Dessicated coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare your baking tray. I used cardboard loaf cases which I bought from my local supermarket, but you could also make these as cupcakes.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract and flour and mix to combine.
4. Distribute the mix evenly between the cases and bake for 12-15 minutes until the cakes are golden and springy to the touch.
5. Place the cakes on a cooling rack and warm up some jam in a saucepan. This shouldn’t take long, you just want to loosen it up. Add a thin layer of jam to each cake and sprinkle over the coconut. Et voila!