Recipes from 1979:
Multi-Coloured Fudge Cake
A colourful no-bake slice packed with chewy lollies and buttery biscuit crumbs.
Published Apr 22, 2026
Recipes from Ward W9 · 1979
This series comes from a yellowed little recipe booklet compiled by Ward W9 at Hutt Hospital in 1979, where my grandmother worked as a nurse.
I’m recreating the dishes exactly as written, translating them for modern kitchens, and discovering whether these retro recipes still deserve a place on the table today.
Some are brilliant, some are baffling, and all of them are a fascinating little slice of kitchen history.
THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: DESSERT
This charming recipe from 1979 feels like a snapshot of another era. Long before “lolly cake” became the classic slice many of us know today, this multicoloured fudge cake followed a very similar idea. Crushed biscuits, condensed milk and butter are mixed with chopped lollies, pressed into a tin, and finished with a scattering of coconut. The result is a colourful, chewy no-bake slice. Simple, sweet and wonderfully nostalgic.
My favourite detail in the original recipe is the instruction to add “approximately 100 one-cent sweets.” Sadly, that is not a measurement many of us can replicate today. Instead, I tested the ratios and found that one bag of Explorer lollies gives almost exactly the right balance of colour, chew and sweetness.
What makes this version especially quick is the shape. Unlike the log-style lolly cake that later became popular, this one is pressed into a tin and cut into squares, more like a fudge slice. With just five ingredients and no baking required, it is about as easy as a sweet treat gets.
MY MODERN CONVERSION
INGREDIENTS
500g biscuits (malt, plain, or half plain and half ginger)
230g unsalted butter, melted
1 x 400g tin sweetened condensed milk
1 bag Explorer lollies
¼ cup desiccated coconut
METHOD
1.
Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper, leaving some overhang so the fudge can be easily lifted out later.
2.
Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor. Alternatively, place them in a large snap-lock bag and crush with a rolling pin.
3.
Transfer the biscuit crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and sweetened condensed milk, then mix until well combined.
4.
Cut each Explorer lolly into 12 pieces. Slice down the middle, then cut each half into six pieces. Add the chopped lollies to the biscuit mixture and stir until evenly distributed. The mixture will be quite thick.
5.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and use a spatula to press it firmly into the corners. Smooth the top so the surface is level.
6.
Sprinkle the desiccated coconut evenly over the top.
7.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully set.
8.
Once chilled, lift the fudge from the tin using the baking paper overhang. Cut into 12 squares and serve.
Taste Test
The verdict? This one absolutely holds up. Multicoloured fudge cake feels just as at home in a modern kitchen as it likely did in 1979. It is quick, easy, and wonderfully nostalgic, with a chewy, sweet texture and little pops of colourful lolly throughout. The biscuit base gives it just enough structure while the condensed milk keeps everything soft and fudgy. It is the sort of slice that disappears very quickly once it is cut.
What I especially like about this recipe is how simple it is. With just five ingredients and no baking required, it is something anyone can make regardless of skill level. If you are looking for a slightly more elevated version, you might like to try my lolly cake recipe, which adds a few extra touches such as vanilla extract to take things up a notch. But there is something to be said for a recipe this straightforward. It has clearly stood the test of time, even if the lollies cost a little more than a dollar these days.
Hi, I'm Samantha Tulett
I’m the cook, writer, and recipe developer behind City Slicker.
In this series, I’m recreating recipes from a quirky little 1979 hospital ward cookbook my grandmother kept from her time as a nurse, discovering whether these retro dishes still deserve a place on the table today.
Would You Try This Today?
Some of these 1979 recipes are surprisingly timeless, while others feel wonderfully of their era. Would you give this one a go in your own kitchen, or would you leave it firmly in the past? I’d love to know what you think.
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