Raspberry & Coconut Layer Cake
Makes a three tier cake, divide into three if you want a regular sized cake
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250g/8ozs butter softened
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2 cups/440g/15.5ozs. caster sugar
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4 eggs, room temperature
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2 cups/300g/10.6ozs. plain flour (sifted twice with baking powder)
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5 teaspoons baking powder (sifted twice with flour)
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1 cup/80g/3ozs. desiccated coconut
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2/3 cup/165ml/6flozs. coconut milk or coconut cream
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150g/4 ozs. frozen raspberries
To decorate
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1 cup/320g/11ozs. raspberry jam
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Shredded coconut
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Whipped cream to decorate
Cream cheese icing
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120g/4ozs butter, softened
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240g/8ozs. cream cheese, softened
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a few drops coconut essence
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6 cups/960g/33.8ozs. icing sugar, sifted
Step 1 - Preheat oven to moderate 180C/350F. Line 3x 20cm cake tins with parchment on the bottom and sides. Beat butter, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flour, coconut, coconut milk or cream and frozen raspberries. Divide mixture among the three tins and bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Step 2 - While the cake is baking and cooling make the icing. Beat butter, cream cheese and coconut essence in a bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, gradually beat in icing sugar.
Step 3 - Cool the cake completely and trim the tops if you get any peaks on top. Remove the parchment and carefully turn the cakes upside down so that the smoothest side (the base) is facing upwards. Spread the bottom cake with the raspberry jam (I first added cream cheese icing and it's up to you whether you want to do this) then place the middle cake on top of this and then spread the jam on the second layer and then place the third layer on top.
Step 4 - Make a thin crumb coat. Take out one quarter of the icing and place in a separate bowl. Using this icing, spread a thin coat of icing around the cake with a palette knife to pick up any stray crumbs. It shouldn't be too thick and you should still be able to see the cake through the icing. Refrigerate for an hour or so.
Step 5 - Do the final layer of icing and spread icing around the cake. After this layer you shouldn't see see any cake. Then sprinkle shredded coconut on top and around it - I found it easier to press the coconut onto the sides.