Raspberry Coconut Cake

Hello friends! Let’s make this beautiful Raspberry Coconut Cake today! This post is sponsored by Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Layers of light and fluffy Coconut Cake, filled with Coconut Fudge and Raspberry Jam, covered in Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, and topped with Coconut Fudge Truffles.

I used Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk to make the scrumptious Coconut Fudge filling for the cake, and also for the Coconut Truffles.

This Raspberry Coconut Cake is so delicious, it’s worthy of being a wedding cake, or dedicated to a special celebration such as a birthday, or for a holiday celebration!

It’s the type of cake you bring if you want your dessert to be the show stopper, and the talk of the party!

Why is this Raspberry Coconut Cake the best ever? The Coconut cake layers are so soft, fluffy, and light, complimented by the fudgy Coconut filling, the tangy Raspberry jam, all brought together by the rich and creamy Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.

Not to brag, but it’s one of my best cakes!

Ok, maybe bragging a bit.

The reason why the cake layers are so fluffy, is because we fold stiff peak egg whites into the cake batter! This will ensure the cake has a very light texture and fine crumb!

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show! The Coconut Fudge filling made with Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk!

This filling is worthy of being eaten with a spoon!

The ingredients are very simple:

• Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Shredded Coconut
• Butter
• Coconut milk

How to make the Coconut Fudge Filling

To make the Coconut Fudge Filling, start by placing the condensed milk, shredded coconut, and butter in a small saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, making sure to stir non-stop.

Once mixture comes to a boil, lower heat to medium-low, and don’t stop stirring. The mixture will stick to the bottom or the pan and burn the instant you stop stirring.

Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes, until thick, and you can see the bottom of the pan once you run a spatula through the fudge.

When that happens, add the coconut milk, keep stirring and cooking for another 2 minutes, until thickened.

Remove to a bowl, and let the fudge cool down on top of the counter, until it’s room temperature. The perfect consistency to be spread on the cake will be at room temperature. If you put it in the fridge might become too firm to be spread on the cake layers.

The recipe for the Coconut Fudge Truffles on top of the cake is basically the same as the filling, but without the coconut milk, and adding another 5 minutes of cooking.

Here you can find a recipe and full instructions, plus a video on how to make the Coconut Fudge Truffles.

You will have some leftover fudge from the filling, but it will be too soft to be rolled into the fudge balls, but I have included instructions in the recipe below on how to divide the fudge into two different mixtures and make one for the filling of the cake, and one for the fudge truffles for the top! Check it out down below!

Condensed milk fudge is one of Brazil’s staple desserts, and I was born and raised in Brazil, so naturally I had to bring some of my traditions with me when I came to live in the US 8 years ago, and this was one of them.

I use condensed milk fudge in quite a bit of my recipes. Here are some recipes for you to check out:

• Macadamia Coconut Cupcakes (with coconut fudge balls)
• German Chocolate Macarons (also with the coconut fudge, can you tell it’s my favorite variation?)
• Key Lime Brigadeiros
• Key Lime Pie Cake (with key lime fudge as the filling for the cake)
• Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes and Chocolate Strawberry Cake (with a white fudge as filling)
• Brigadeiro Macarons (with the traditional chocolate fudge)
• Brigadeiro Cupcakes
• Almond Cupcakes (with almond fudge)

Now back to our Raspberry Coconut Cake. Here are some tips on how to assemble the cake.

How to assemble the cake

Start by placing a cake layer on a plate or cake stand.

Pipe a ring of Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting around the edges of the cake layer. This will help keep the filling in the cake and prevent it from leaking to the sides.

Fill the first layer with some of the Coconut Fudge. You will need about 1/3 cup of filling per layer.

Fill the next layer with Raspberry Jam. And finish with a final filling layer of Coconut Fudge.

I have included a recipe for Raspberry Jam below, but feel free to use store-bought.

How to frost the cake with the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

To frost the cake, start by spreading a thin layer of Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting around the cake.

Smooth it out with an offset spatula.

Then, place the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This process is called Crumb Coating, and it helps seal the cake crumbs in the cake, so they aren’t showing in the final layer of frosting.

Remember to keep the frosting covered while not being used, since it will start to form a crust.

Remove the cake from the fridge and spread a thick layer of frosting around the cake, which will be the final layer.

Pipe some decorations on top of the cake, and top with the Coconut Fudge Truffles or raspberries, and why not both!

I hope you liked today’s recipe!

Thank you for reading my blog! Have a lovely day!

Raspberry Coconut Cake

Camila Hurst

This Raspberry Coconut Cake is full of coconut flavor, filled with coconut fudge, and raspberry jam. Topped with a Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, and coconut fudge truffles!

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 people

Calories 420 kcal

Ingredients

  

Coconut Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (4 oz, 113 grams)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar 7 oz, 200 grams
• 3/4 cup coconut milk 177 ml**
• 1/3 cup coconut yogurt* 78 ml
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or coconut extract
• 2 cups cake flour 9 oz, 255 grams
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 egg whites

Coconut Fudge

• 1 can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk 14 oz, 396 grams
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup coconut milk

Raspberry Jam***

• 5  oz  raspberries frozen or fresh about 1 heaping cup
• 2  tablespoons  maple syrup or sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3  teaspoons  cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons  water

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup cream cheese 8 oz, 226 grams
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 4 oz, 113 grams
• 4 cups powdered sugar 18 oz, 510 grams
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or coconut extract

Instructions

 

Coconut Cake

• Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Spray or grease 4-6” cake pans, and line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. Alternatively, you can use 2-8” cake pans, but your cake won’t have 3 layers of filling, but only 2 when assembling it.
• Add butter to the bowl of an electric mixer.
• Cream butter for 1 minute.
• Add sugar and oil. Cream together with the butter for another minute until fluffy and lightened in color, at medium high speed.
• Add coconut milk, yogurt, and vanilla (or coconut) extract.
• Mix until combined.
• Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the bowl. Mix with a spatula to combine.
• Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks, on a clean bowl, with clean beaters, at high speed, for 2-3 minutes.
• Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the cake batter. Fold to combine.
• Add another 1/3 of the stiff whites to the cake batter. Fold until incorporated.
• Then add the remaining egg whites to the cake batter. Fold gently until the batter is smooth and incorporated.
• Divide batter equally onto prepared pans.
• Bake on pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes. Time may vary, make sure to test if the cake is ready by poking the top gently with your finger. If the cake springs right back it means it’s ready to be removed from the oven.
• Once cakes are baked, remove them from the oven.
• Let cakes cool down for 10 minutes, then flip them onto a cooling rack.
• Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
• You can also wrap them in plastic, once they’ve cooled, and let them rest in the fridge overnight.

Coconut Fudge

• Place condensed milk, shredded coconut, and butter in a small saucepan.
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring non stop. Once it gets to a boil, lower heat to medium-low.
• Don’t take your eyes off the fudge, and don’t stop stirring.
• Cook mixture for about 10 minutes, until it’s thick and you can see the bottom of the pan.
• When that happens, add coconut milk to the pan, and keep stirring non-stop, and bring it to a quick boil for another 2 minutes.
• Remove fudge to a small bowl. Let it cool completely.
• Don’t place it in the fridge, or it may become too firm to spread on the cake.
• You will have leftover fudge mixture. You can freeze it for up to 2 months, or leave it in the fridge for up to 1 week, covered. This stuff is really delicious and won’t go to waste, you will want to eat it with a spoon!
• If you want to make the truffles to put on top of the cake, the coconut fudge truffles is pretty much the same recipe for the filling, without the coconut milk, and needs to be cooked about 5 minutes longer. You can find a recipe for it here.
• Or, you can follow the steps until it’s time to add the coconut milk to the fudge truffles. At this point, remove half of the mixture to another small saucepan, mix only HALF of the coconut milk in (2 tablespoons), and cook for 1 minute. This will be used for the filling of the cake. Let it cool down on the counter until it’s room temperature.
• Return the other saucepan with the remaining fudge to the stove, and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring non-stop, until very thick. Remove to a small bowl and place it in the fridge. When this mixture becomes cold, you can lightly butter your hands, spoon some of the fudge and roll it between your buttered hands, then roll it into some shredded coconut, and place it on mini paper cups. Keep the fudge truffles in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Raspberry Jam

• Place raspberry, maple syrup (or sugar), and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. If mixture becomes dry, add a tablespoon of water (or more lemon juice), to the pan.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in the water.
• Add it to the pan and cook for 1 minute until the jam is thick.
• Remove it to a small bowl. Let it cool in the fridge until completely chilled.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cream on medium-high speed for about 90 seconds until very fluffy and light.
• Scrape the bowl.
• Sift powdered sugar.
• Add sifted powdered sugar and coconut milk to the bowl, along with the vanilla or coconut extract.
• Mix on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated.
• Raise speed to medium high and cream for another minute.
• Adjust consistency. If the frosting seems too thick, add a bit more coconut milk (about 1 teaspoon at a time) until you achieve a smoother consistency.
• If the frosting seems too runny, add some more powdered sugar, as necessary.
• Always keep this frosting covered while not using, because it will form a crust.
• You can make the frosting ahead and leave it in the fridge overnight, then take it out an hour before using to ensure it will be at room temperature to frost the cake. Also make sure to whisk it briefly before using to make it creamy and smooth again.

To assemble

• Place a cake layer on a cake plate or stand.
• Put some of the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting in a piping bag and snip the end of the bag to form a small hole.
• Pipe a circle of frosting around the edges of the first cake layer. This is meant to keep the filling inside the cake without leaking out to the sides.
• Fill the bottom layer with about 1/3 cup of the cooled down Coconut Fudge.
• Spread evenly.
• Top with another cake layer.
• Pipe another circle of frosting around the edges of the cake.
• Spoon some of the raspberry jam in the middle of the cake.
• Top with another cake layer.
• Pipe another circle of frosting around the edges of the cake.
• Fill it with the coconut fudge.
• Top with the last cake layer.
• Frost cake with the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.
• I did a crumb coating, which means I spread a thin layer of frosting around the cake, and then placed the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes so the layer of frosting would set.
• This is called crumb coating, and it helps keep crumbs away from the final layer of frosting coating the cake.
• While the cake rests in the fridge, remember to keep the remaining frosting covered with plastic wrap, so it won’t form a crust.
• Then, remove the cake from the fridge and apply a thick coating of frosting.
• Place some frosting in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cake. Top with raspberries and the Coconut Fudge Truffles.

Storage

• This cake will store well in the fridge for up to 4 days, make sure to keep the leftovers covered.

Notes

*Yogurt: Regular yogurt, or even vanilla will work as well

**Coconut milk: Make sure to use coconut milk, not coconut water, not coconut juice, not coconut cream. Coconut milk can usually be found in the Thai food aisle, or in the baking aisle, and it comes in a can. There is about 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk in a can, and you will only need one 13.5 oz. can for this entire recipe including the cake layers, the filling, and the frosting.

***Raspberry Jam: If you don’t want to make your own raspberry jam, use store bought, you’ll need about 1/4 cup to fill the cake.

****Cake size: As reported by readers, if you bake the batter in the 8″ pans, the cakes will be quite thin. So I recommend doubling the recipe, by simply doubling each ingredient, and then using 3-8″ pans to bake the cakes.

Keyword cake, coconut, raspberry