Anzac Cake is your favourite biscuit in cake form! Yes, this cake has all the things you love about Anzac Biscuits – including golden syrup, crunchy oats and coconut.
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The recipe
She's famous for her Pumpkin Scones (oh, and she was also a member of the Australian Senate from 1981 to 1993 and wife of Queensland's longest-serving Premier). However, Lady Flo Bjelke-Peterson had many more recipes up her sleeve and produced several cookbooks during her lifetime.
I found an Anzac Cake recipe in a compilation of her recipes, pictured below. I made a minor tweak to the icing and added the crunchy oat topping, but the recipe is otherwise Lady Flo's.
Ingredient notes
The cake recipe calls for standard cake ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, eggs, milk) along with shredded coconut and golden syrup.
TIP: SR flour is self-raising flour and 1 cup is equivalent to 1 cup of plain/all purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
All ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
A list of ingredients and quantities for the icing and crunchy oat topping are also in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Anzac Cake
You'll need a bar cake tin and, ideally, a handheld electric beaters to make this recipe. Since the full method is in the recipe card at the end of this post, I'll simply leave you with these tips here:
- don't overbeat the cake mixture
- test with a skewer once you think the cake is ready to take from the oven – it's ready once the skewer comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the cake (it'll have cake batter attached if it's not yet cooked)
- while the cake is cooling, make the crunchy oat topping and let it cool
- make the icing only once the cake is completely cool and you're ready to ice it
- I've decorated with a sprig of rosemary here – it adds some colour and is also the herb of remembrance, so is in keeping with the meaning behind this cake.
Storage
Covered, it should last up to a few days at room temperature or in the fridge. Un-iced, the cake is suitable for freezing. Wrap well and freeze for up to a few months.
More traditional cakes
Looking for more classic cake recipes?
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Anzac Cake Recipe
Equipment
- bar tin 24 x 13 x 6cm approx
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups SR flour (2 cups = 300 grams)
- ¼ cup caster sugar (¼ cup = 55 grams)
- ½ cup shredded coconut (½ cup = 40 grams)
- 125 grams butter
- ½ cup golden syrup (½ cup = 125ml)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup milk (1 cup = 250ml)
Icing
- 1 ½ cups icing sugar (1 ½ cups = 200 grams)
- 40 grams butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon golden syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon hot water
Crunchy oat topping
- ½ cup traditional rolled oats (½ cup = 40 grams)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter 20 grams
Decorating
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
Instructions
Cake
- Pre-heat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit).
- Grease and line bar tin with baking paper.
- Combine sifted SR flour, sugar and coconut in a mixing bowl.
- Place golden syrup and butter in a saucepan and stir over low heat until combined.
- Add syrup and butter mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Using a handheld electric beater or stand mixer, add the eggs and milk and beat until combined and smooth.
- Pour mixture into prepared bar tin.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer, inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from tin and allow to cool completely before icing.
Crunchy oat topping
- Make this before the icing so it has time to cool and is ready to be sprinkled over cake immediately after icing.
- Combine all ingredients in a small frypan over medium heat.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until a golden colour.
- Allow to cool. Once cool, break up any lumps with your hands.
Icing
- Sift icing sugar into a bowl.
- Combine melted butter, golden syrup and vanilla essence and add to the icing sugar. Beat (ideally with a handheld electric mixer) until combined.
- Continuing to beat, gradually add as much of the hot water as is necessary to create a fluffy, spreadable icing.
Assembling
- Spread the icing over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the crunchy oat topping onto the icing.
- Decorate with a sprig of fresh rosemary (optional).
Margaret Winsor says
could I replace the butter with oil?
Libby Hakim says
you usually can with cake, though I haven't tested so can't guarantee results. Good luck!
Susan Vincent says
I am intrigued by this cake recipe. Therefore I plan on making it for a morning tea when my friend is visiting. She will be keen for me to slice it. ☺️😋
Libby Hakim says
I hope you and your friend both enjoy! Happy cooking, Susan.
Susan says
Thank you Libby! A great recipe to make and enjoy. It will be a favourite to bake throughout the year not just for ANZAC.
10/10!
Leslie says
hi,
what size loaf tin?
Libby Hakim says
Hi Leslie - it's 24 x 13 x 6cm approx (it's at the top of the recipe card). Happy cooking!
Michelle says
Hi there, I plan to make this cake for the weekend 😊can you tell me if the caloric measurement is for the whole cake or per slice. I know it’s probably a dumb question. 🙄Many thanks. Michelle
Libby Hakim says
Hi Michelle! There's no such thing as a dumb question in my book. It's per slice and you'll see at the top of the recipe card I've indicated 12 slices - so they are fairly big slices. Also, note that the nutrition info is automatically generated from the ingredient list - so it relies on the accuracy of that automation and I can't guarantee accuracy. Hope that helps!