Chocolate Coconut Slice

One of the odd things about being a part time baker is, while I'm busy supplying quality baked treats to cafes and customers, I then get a cafe cake from the espresso bar where I get my coffee at work. I always find the choice limited and the quality questionable.

So this year, I've decided to be my own customer for cafe cakes. It means I get a treat to go with my coffee that I know will be good, I'll save about $3.50 a day which adds up to $17.50 a week. Plus I will keep my husband supplied with morning snacks too - although I think he eats the snackies I make him in the afternoon.

So here is my first cafe cake for the year - chocolate coconut slice, which has yielded 18 slices. We only need 10 for the week, so eight can go in the freezer and be enjoyed some other time.

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
2 cups desicated coconut
1 cup caster sugar
4 tblsp dutch cocoa powder
370g butter, melted
1 tblsp vanilla essence

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a 30cm x 20cm brownie tray with greaseproof paper and set aside.
2. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared tin and press to cover the enitre area. Try and get it as flat on top as you can. Pressing it with your fingers is best.
3. Bake in the oven for 30mins. Allow to cool completely in the tray and then carefully transfer to a wire wrack.

Icing
1.5 cups pure icing sugar
2 tblsp cocoa
45g softened butter
3 tblsp hot water
2 tblsp desicated coconut - for decoration

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until thoroughly combined.
2. Spread the icing evenly across the slice.
3. Sprinkle with the coconut and allow the icing to set - at least an hour.
4. Cut into 18 slices.

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