Coconut Raspberry Cake

This coconut raspberry cake is a moist coconut cake filled with a cream cheese frosting and a homemade raspberry jam, and then covered in toasted coconut. The perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Coconut raspberry cake is made using my same tried and true popular coconut cake, but with an upgrade of a homemade raspberry jam filling. The raspberry adds the perfect balance to this sweet and moist cake,

For more coconut recipes you should try my chocolate chip coconut cookies, my almond coconut granola or my pumpkin coconut cake.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Cake
• Ingredient Notes
• Recipe Instructions
• Assembling the Cake
• FAQ
• Storing & Freezing
• Other Popular Recipes to Try
• Coconut Raspberry Cake

• Raspberries: I used frozen, no need to even defrost.
• Yellow Cake Mix: You need this mix as a base, but will not follow the recipe on the back.
• Vanilla Pudding Mix: You want to make sure it's not cook & serve or sugar free, those will not yield the same results.
• Eggs: Using room temperature eggs is key.
• Unsweetened Coconut Milk: This is the kind you find in a can in the asian section, not the kind in the fridge. You can substitute with regular milk if you need to.
• Oil: I use canola, but coconut oil would be great also.
• Sweetened Shredded Coconut: If you can't find sweetened, unsweetened will work fine. Make sure it's shredded though, the flakes are too large for the cake.
• Cream Cheese: Philadelphia is by far my favorite cream cheese. Make sure this is room temperature before you begin making the frosting so you're sure not to have any lumps.
• Flaked Coconut: I love the look of the thicker flakes on the outside, but shredded is fine if you prefer not to buy two kinds of coconut.

Recipe Instructions

Raspberry Jam Filling

Step 1: Using a medium saucepan, add raspberries, sugar and lemon juice and cook over low-medium heat until everything comes together and the raspberries can become all mashed. Continually cook for about 8-10 minutes allowing the mixture to thicken.

Step 2: In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water. Quickly mix this into the raspberry jam and allow to cook and thicken for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Step 3: Pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely. You can put it in the fridge to rush the process if needed.

Coconut Cake

Step 4: In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, coconut milk (stir before adding), and oil for about 2 minutes on medium speed. Fold coconut in.

Step 5: Divide and evenly pour between 3 cake pans and smooth the top with a spatula. This becomes about 390g or 13.75 ounces in each pan.

Step 6: Bake for about 22-25 minutes,or until the cake no longer jiggles and the middle bounces back when very lightly pressed. It should be a light golden brown along the top and sides. Cool for about 15-30 minutes in the pans before putting on a cooling rack, and then allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

Step 7: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Beat just until combined and fluffy. Make sure not to over mix.

Toast the Coconut

Step 8: Melt a teaspoon of butter in a large frying pan. Once melted add coconut and stir over low-medium heat until starting to turn light brown. Be careful not to burn. When finished toasting pour onto a piece of wax paper or paper towel to cool.

Assembling the Cake

Step 1: Place one of the cake layers, top side up, on a cake plate or serving stand. Spread a small amount of frosting over the first layer. Pipe a small amount of buttercream around the rim of the cake ( I usually use a ziplock bag to pipe and cut a corner of the bag), and fill inside the rim with raspberry jam filling.

Step 2: Place the second cake layer, top side up, on top of the frosting. Repeat spreading a small amount of frosting again over the second layer, piping the rim and adding raspberry jam filling again.

Step 3: Place final cake layer, top side down. Frost the entire cake, top and sides, with a thin crumb coat layer of the cream cheese frosting. Place in the fridge or freezer for about 10-15 minutes to chill.

Step 4: Pull the chilled cake out, and frost the cake with the remaining frosting. I did all buttercream, but if you have extra and wanted to, you could do the top of the cake with more raspberry jam.

Step 5: Cover the whole cake with the toasted coconut.

FAQ

Storing & Freezing

The best coconut cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days while remaining fresh. You can also store it in the fridge if you prefer to eat it cold.

After baking the cake layers, allow them to cool completely, then wrap them well in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. They can be frozen for a few months. I usually just pull them out of the freezer once I am starting to make my frosting, or an hour or two before I want to assemble. You can also freeze individual slices of cake wrapped in plastic wrap to eat as desired.

Other Popular Recipes to Try

For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do!