Preface: Before you look at the list of ingredients in this cake stop. The cake is really, really easy to prepare. Use whatever frosting you’d like, but try the cake…
After a weekend of being shut in with sick kids, the stir crazy feeling was overwhelming, so why not bake? I have been actively searching for coconut cake recipes to prepare for a friends upcoming birthday, and I am not brave enough to prepare a “first time” cake to be served publicly… score family.
We don’t do coconut very often, yet no one, even the kids, will turn it down. The cake recipe is from one source, and the frosting from another with a little tweeking. Note, the cake batter uses powdered sugar. I have never seen this in a cake before, and was leery about it, but it was fantastic.
Speaking of frosting. I had a very hard time deciding the best type of frosting. Supposedly the “classic southern” coconut cake uses a whipped/meringue type frosting, verses a buttercream, but I grew up southern and buttercream was on every cake I’ve ever eaten. Anyway, this recipe intrigued me and settled my frosting dilemma.
Final thoughts? The cake is a keeper. Big time! The frosting was interesting. The original recipe was good, but not very “sweet” so I added some powdered sugar. I think it helped also to thicken the frosting slightly. I will definitely put the cake in my top favorites list, but will probably do a buttercream frosting next time. I just really want to find the “perfect” combination.
Has anyone tried the 7 minute frosting method? What did you think? Was it meringue like?
Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling
- 3 cups (297g) sifted cake flour (sift before measuring)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 pound (450g) powdered sugar
- 4 egg yolks, well beaten *Beat until well combined, about 1 minute
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or coconut)
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 4 egg whites, well beaten
Cake Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 – 8″ round cake pans with baking spray.
Combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift these ingredients 3 times. In a mixing bowl, cream butter thoroughly; add sugar gradually. Continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in coconut and vanilla. Fold in egg whites gently until well combined.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Makes three 8-inch layers. (mine were perfect at 30 mins)
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup Milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Raspberry Preserves (at least 1 cup) *choose a good quality
- 1 1/2 cups coconut
Frosting Directions:
That’s such a beautiful cake. Looks moist and delicious. I wish I can have a slice now….mmmm. I love coconut. It gives a lovely flavour to cakes.
It looks wonderful! I’ve been wanting to try making a coconut cake but haven’t been motivated. Thanks for the push and passing along what sounds like the perfect coconut cake recipe for me.
~ingrid
Hi there!
Your food looks SO GOOD! I will enjoy checking out all of your recipes!
Ok, so I have a coconut cake recipe and use the 7-minute frosting for it. I actually like it alot. It always takes me more than 7 minutes and I usually have to add cream of tartar, but whatevs. The cake itself is reaallly sweet and I think I’d be overwhelmed with buttercream. My recipe has a sugar/sour cream/coconut filling that is added to the layers after being punctured and while hot. I’d like to try the raspberry filling though. I bet with the tarty flavor, the buttercream would be really good… hmmm… thinking of cake now
Can you use margarine instead of butter? and normal caster sugar instead of powdered sugar? If you are using 3 tins and halving each one that would make SIX layers – wouldn’t that be too much?/too high???? I was thinking of putting the mixture in two sandwich tins then putting the rasberry jam on one side and coconut frosting on the other then sandwiching them together…..would that work?
Wow, this cake looks incredible. I absolutely love coconut. I wish I could reach right through the screen for a sample, yum!
Hi there! I noticed traffic coming to my blog from this blog. Thank you for sending folks over. I just wanted to let you know that common courtesy would see my blog’s name (Old Centennial Farmhouse) in the link to my recipe, just thought I’d drop by and let you know that for future reference.
It’s always nice to get a lead to one’s blog when someone else uses your recipe, if credit can be given by name, it should be. I would have emailed this note to you but was unable to find an email address to give this information to you directly.
Thank you!
Joni
In the cake recipe you say egg whites “well beaten” then fold into cake batter gently. What does well beaten mean? Are you beating until frothy or to soft peaks or firm peaks? The cake looks amazing..Don’t want to screw it up..Thank you.
I went back to the original recipe and since it has been a while since I made this one, I believe that the whites need to be beaten until well combines but not to peaks. Thanks! I will update the recipe!
Pingback: Made this cake for Father's Day tomorrow - Golden Retrievers : Golden Retriever Dog Forums
the egg whites should be whipped to soft peaks and folded into the cake batter so you will have a light texured cake.