Spiced Feijoa Shortcake - An Easy Feijoa Recipe

This feijoa shortcake features a sweet and sticky feijoa filling, sandwiched between two layers of buttery shortcake. 

This easy feijoa shortcake is a great way to use excess feijoa once you've had your fill of fresh.

Am I even an NZ food blogger if I don't have at least one feijoa recipe? If you're not from NZ or Australia, you might be searching for Pineapple Guava recipes instead. Whatever you’re calling it, it's an amazing fruit. 

Feijoa tastes like the most delicious natural candy. So sweet and perfumed, in a really good way. If you're not growing it yet, get one in the ground!

The thing with feijoas is they are only in season for a short period of time in New Zealand. However, in that time supply goes from 0-10 so quickly and we have more than we know what to do with! That is why feijoa recipes are so in demand.

Did you know you can make feijoa vinegar from the peels? It adds great flavour to salad dressings!

This feijoa cake goes so well with a morning cup of tea or coffee. It's also a brilliant lunchbox filler. 

Let’s Talk about This Feijoa Cake 

Shortcake is the main component of this cake. This is in both the bottom layer and the top.

A shortcake is essentially a dense style cake with a high butter content. It makes it tender and buttery, and it melts in the mouth. The more butter in there, the 'shorter' the cake. 

The first shortcake layer is topped with a spiced feijoa filling, and finished with more of the shortcake. Rustically spread over the top so some of the filling is still poking through.

Feijoa Shortcake Ingredients 

The shortcake itself is made of butter, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, egg and milk. It’s pulsed together to form a stiff dough, it's not wet like a traditional cake batter. 

The filling in this feijoa recipe is simply chopped feijoas, a little cinnamon and cornflour. No need for sugar in the filling as the cake is sweet and the feijoas are sweet all on their own too.

Feijoa Shortcake Method 

Step 1 - In a food processor, combine the butter, sugar, salt, flour and baking powder and pulse until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Alternately use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut/rub the butter into the flour.  Lightly beat the egg and add it to the flour mixture along with milk, stirring or pulsing it to combine it into a thick, fairly dry dough that clumps together. Place the shortcake dough in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

Step 2 - For the filling, scoop the inners out of the feijoas and roughly chop them into pieces. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and cornflour and toss to combine. 

Step 3 - Line a 22 x 22cm (9x9 inch) or a 17 x 27cm (7x10inch) slice tray with baking paper. Take ⅔ of the dough mixture and press it into the lined tray. Press it down with an offset spatula or the back of a measuring cup until the bottom of the tray is covered. 

Step 4 - Layer over the feijoa filling.

Step 5 - Take the remaining ⅓ of the dough and break off pieces and flatten them slightly. Place the pieces rustically over the feijoa filling. Alternatively, flour a bench and roll the remaining dough out into a piece large enough to cover the filling completely. 

Step 6 - Bake until golden brown and let it cool before serving.

You can serve it cool as a morning tea slice, or warm with ice cream as a dessert.

Storing The Feijoa Slice

This feijoa slice can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Have you made this? Tag me and let me know! @home_grown_happinessnz