Chew on This | Coconut Raspberry Cream Cake

The perfect holiday dessert, both in presentation and flavor. 

Even though...clouds of fluffy whipped cream sprinkled with moist flakes of coconut cover the outside of this holiday cake...it's not really about the pretty outside but all about the hidden goodness inside.  The deep luscious combination of raspberry syrup and preserves float on a layer of raspberry flavored whipped cream.  This cake is just waiting for your fork or mine...how could you get better than that!


This is what you will need:  Flour, sugar, egg whites, milk, shortening, salt, baking powder, raspberry preserves, coconut, and heavy whipping cream.  Optional: fresh raspberries and mint for garnish, raspberry syrup (Torani) or what I used, Raspberry by Savannah Mixes - so
yummmmy!

First, crack 4 eggs and drop the whites into a small bowl-let warm to room temperature.
Prepare your baking pans (I'm using a fluted tube pan.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, and the vanilla until blended.   

In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add about 1/3 of the flour

mixture to the sugar mixture and mix just until blended.  Then add about 1/3 of the milk

and blend. Alternate between the flour and milk until all is blended in.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until they form peaks.  Gently fold them into 

the cake batter. 

Fill your prepared baking pans or tube pan and head to the oven.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until surface springs back when pressed with fingertip.  Cool a few minutes before removing from pans.  For tube pan, invert cake onto a serving plate and finish cooling. 

For my fluted pan, I carefully cut the top of the fluted part off and moved it away so I could spread the bottom layer with the yummy whipped cream and raspberry preserves.  So goooood! 

In a small bowl, mix 5 T of raspberry preserves with 2T of raspberry syrup. Set aside.

Pour whipping cream into a chilled bowl and beat until peaks form.   Add sugar to taste

and 1 t of raspberry syrup-blend.  Spread a nice thick amount of whipping cream on the bottom layer of the cake. 

Spread the raspberry preserves over the whipped cream layer, sprinkle with some coconut to make it even more delicious, and replace the top of the cake.

Almost finished...just ice the cake with the remaining whipping cream (I had to whip more, to really heap it on.) Then sprinkle the whole cake with coconut flakes.  Add fresh raspberries and mint leaves to the top  for a festive look.  (If my granddaughter is around...she will eat those berries before anyone even knew they were there...I always replace with extras.)

You might make this cake for the holidays but I bet it becomes a family favorite to be enjoyed all year!

Mimi

Here is the recipe:

Coconut Raspberry Cream Cake

4 egg whites (room temperature)

1/2 C shortening

1 1/2 C sugar

2 t vanilla

2 1//4 C sifted flour

3 1/2 t baking powder

1 t salt

1  C milk

5 T raspberry preserves (or more to taste)

1 pint heavy whipping cream or more to taste

Optional: 

2 T raspberry syrup (like Torani or Raspberry from Savannah Mixes)

1 t raspberry syrup to flavor whipping cream between layers
6 fresh raspberries and some mint leaves for top of the cake

Preheat oven to 350℉.  Grease and flour two baking pans or one tube pan.

In a large bowl, mix shortening, sugar, and vanilla until blended.

In another bowl, sift flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add about 1/3 of the sifted flour

mixture to the sugar mixture.  Mix just to blend.  Add 1/3 of the milk and mix just to blend.

Alternate between the flour and the milk until all is blended in.

Beat the egg whites until peaks form.  Very gently blend them into the cake batter.

Pour into prepared pans or tube pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.

Remove from pans after a few minutes of cooling, then cool completely.

Pour whipping cream into chilled mixing bowl.  Beat until  soft peaks form.  Add 1/2 T of sugar and beat to blend.  Transfer about 1/4 of the whipping cream to another bowl and add 1 t of the raspberry syrup (if using) and blend.  Spread this on the bottom layer of the cake.  In another bowl, mix 5 T raspberry preserves and 2 T of raspberry syrup until blended.  Spread the preserves on the top of the flavored whipping cream.  Put the top of the cake back on.

Spread the remaining whipping cream on the cake and gently sprinkle the whole cake with the coconut flakes.

Optional:  In three groups of three, add the fresh raspberries to the top of the cake and place

a mint sprig in the center of each group of berries.  Enjoy.

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