Trust me when I tell you that this Coconut Raspberry cake will take away your winter blues. It will transport you to springtime in one bite! It’s January and we are buried in snow. I made this cake for Easter last year and it was so delicious! I need something to give me the hope of Spring, so I made it again for a ladies night in we are having in my neighborhood to bid farewell to a friend/neighbor that is moving. The tangy raspberry paired with the luxurious coconut buttercream frosting topping the spongy french vanilla cake is the perfect combination.

Coconut Raspberry Cake

Cake:

Betty Crocker French Vanilla Cake Mix
3 Eggs
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Vegetable oil

Raspberry Sauce:

1 box Raspberry Danish Dessert
1 12oz bag Frozen Raspberries
2 cups Water

Coconut Buttercream:

2 sticks (1 cup) Butter – room temperature
4 cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Coconut Extract
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Shredded Sweetened Coconut

Step 1: Bake the cake according to box directions

I used 2 – 9″ round pans and baked them for 25 minutes and then allowed them to cool on my stove before turning them out onto a cookie sheet to cool in the refrigerator. You can do this cake in a 9×13 pan or layer it the way I have done. Either way it is amazing. If you are doing the layer version, I recommend spraying your pan, adding a round of parchment paper and spraying it again with non-stick spray just to make sure they come out clean.

Step 2: Make the Raspberry Sauce

In a saucepan over Medium High heat whisk together the 2 cups of water and danish dessert powder. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in the frozen raspberries. Use the whisk to mash them up and incorporate them into the sauce. Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Step 3: Make the Coconut Buttercream

Using a hand mixer mix just the butter in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar, the vanilla, coconut and 1 Tbsp of water and mix thoroughly. Add the last 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of water and mix until fully incorporated. Start slowly so the powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere and then you can increase the speed of the mixer to get it light and fluffy.

Step 4: Assemble the Cake

Use a long serrated knife to cut each round cake in half. Place the bottom layer on a cake board or plate and top with 1/3 – 1/2 cup (approximately) of the raspberry sauce. Use the back of a spoon to spread it over the cake in an even layer.

Place the top layer from the first cake on top of the raspberry sauce and then pipe 1/2 of the coconut buttercream frosting onto the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread over the cake evenly. Top evenly with 1/4 cup of the shredded coconut.

Add the bottom layer from the second cake and top with raspberry sauce, just like the first layer. You will have some leftover, which is a great thing! It is amazing on waffles!

Add the last layer and top with the remaining buttercream frosting. Finish it with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, Chill cake in refrigerator for at least 1 hour,