Lemon and lime coconut slice

Easy lemon slice recipe

A classic morning or afternoon teatime treat, lemon slice is a surefire hit at everything from school fundraisers to picnics with friends. It’s easy to make using simple pantry ingredients, and you can cut it into small pieces so a single batch goes a long way. Thanks to the power of citrus, even the smallest piece packs a big punch of flavour.

Traditional lemon slice recipes make the most of the nostalgic flavour combination of lemon and coconut. Rather than sticking to the original lemon, we’ve given this treat a double citrus twist and used a mix of lemon and lime to give every bite an extra tangy flavour. If you don’t want to include lime, leave it out and just use 3 teaspoons of finely grated lemon rind and 100 millilitres of lemon juice to make the curd.

What makes the best lemon slice recipe?

This delicious lemon slice has a fresh flavour thanks to the easy homemade lime and lemon curd layer. Make this first so it has time to cool and thicken while you prepare and bake the slice base. All you need to do is put the fresh citrus rind and juice into a saucepan with butter, sugar, egg and cornflour. Cornflour is the key to an easy curd that thickens quickly. Make sure you stir the curd constantly as it cooks otherwise the egg can scramble.

This recipe for lemon slice has coconut flavour built into the easy slice base, which is made using five basic ingredients – as well as desiccated coconut, you’ll need plain flour, butter, sugar and an egg to bring everything together. Begin by beating the butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale and creamy – this creates a lighter texture in the cooked base. Beat in the egg, stir in the dry ingredients and spread the mixture over your lined slice pan.

Why coconut makes the best topping for lemon slice

The coconut flavour in the crispy lemon slice icing is another reason why this is a delicious lemon slice. Lemon, lime and coconut is a classic flavour combination, but what really makes the coconut topping on this slice essential is the texture it creates. You start off with three distinct layers - the crumbly base, the gooey curd layer and a sticky mixture of sugar, egg and two kinds of coconut - shredded and desiccated – sprinkled over the top. After 20 minutes in the oven, you’ll have a beautiful slice with a golden, caramelised topping that’s sweet, tangy, chewy and simply irresistible.

Now get cooking

With our easy recipe and tips above, you’ll be ready to rustle up a beautiful lemon slice to share when family and friends come over – it’s perfect with a cup of tea. For a delicious variation on the basic lemon and coconut slice, try our passionfruit coconut slice. Or, for a different way to enjoy lemon slice, give our lemon and blueberry cheesecake slice a whirl – it’s made with condensed milk and has a crumbly streusel topping. Want more homemade citrus curd recipes? Try this lemon and blueberry curd or this lime and passionfruit curd.