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Caramel slice — cartoon recipe illustration
Baking

Caramel slice

Serves 12–16 Prep 15 min Cook 40 min Total 55 min (plus cooling)

Caramel slice is a baking staple we keep on Scoops & Dishes because it rewards a clear metric method: grams and millilitres, Australian cups (250 ml), and steps you can follow without scrolling past a novel. Serves 12–16 with about 15 min prep and 40 min cook time (around 55 min (plus cooling) total). That is a home estimate — ovens and pans vary, so use colour and texture as well as the clock. Oven cue in the method is 180°C. Preheat fully; a cold start throws off the 55 min (plus cooling) timing and can leave centres underdone while edges race ahead. After cooking, cool on a rack, then slice or pack once firm. One tray or tin as written — freeze extras in airtight bags. If humidity or a fan oven changes browning, trust visual cues over the last minute of the clock. We write baking recipes so you can cook from your phone on the bench: large checkable ingredients, numbered steps, and notes you can skim while the pan heats.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 18 × 28 cm lamington pan with overhang.
  2. Mix flour, brown sugar, coconut and melted butter. Press into pan. Bake 15 minutes until golden.
  3. Lower oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Melt butter, sugar and vanilla over medium-low. When it simmers, add condensed milk. Whisk constantly 5 minutes, then 1 minute once slow bubbles appear.
  4. Pour over base, tilt to spread. Bake 12 minutes. Cool 20 minutes, then refrigerate 30 minutes until the surface is cool but not fridge-cold.
  5. Melt chocolate and oil in 30-second microwave bursts. Spread, shake pan for a smooth top. Refrigerate 1 hour.
  6. Stand 5 minutes, then cut with a warm dry knife.

Tip: Use full-fat condensed milk or the caramel will not set. The spoon of oil in the chocolate stops it cracking when you cut. Bake the caramel layer — that is what sets it.

Notes

  • From our tested tip, expanded: Use full-fat condensed milk or the caramel will not set. The spoon of oil in the chocolate stops it cracking when you cut. Bake the caramel layer — that is what sets it. Treat that as the non-negotiable. If something still feels off — too wet, too pale, too tight — adjust one variable at a time (heat, liquid, or bake time) rather than changing three things at once.
  • Make-ahead and leftovers: one tray or tin as written — freeze extras in airtight bags. Store Caramel slice airtight once fully cool; most batches keep several days, or freeze flat and thaw in the tin. Label freezer bags with the dish name and date. Allergens sit in the ingredient list — always double-check if cooking for guests.
  • Texture check for baking: colour is a better guide than the timer alone. Edges should look set and golden; centres can finish on the residual heat. Cool on the tray briefly if the recipe says so — Caramel slice often firms as it cools. Store airtight once fully cold so humidity does not soften the crust.
  • Putting it together for Caramel slice: work clean, taste as you go, and do not rush browning or reduction steps if they appear in the method. If you are cooking for mixed diets, plate sauces and toppings separately where practical. Keep this page bookmarked if it becomes a household regular — we update wording when cooks report a confusing step. Metric consistency across Scoops & Dishes means once you trust the cups and scales here, breakfast through dessert behaves the same way.