Coconut Raspberry Sponge Cake

A simple, light Coconut Raspberry Sponge Cake with a subtle coconut flavour, filled with sweet raspberry jam and covered in raspberry frosting. This cake will be a delight on any dessert table.

I first made this in May when the trees of London were laden with white and pink blossom, the air was warming up and days were slowly getting longer. These delicate white flowers proved to be the perfect decoration for this light, moist cake.

Team Coconut?

Are you with me or are you with me? I adore coconut. Having spent many years in Asia growing up, I developed such a strong love for coconut in all its forms, its flesh, milk, cream, water, toasted flakes … you name it, I like it. (Actually…you can keep coconut oil..just saying). Let’s not get started with coconut and chocolate…oh hello Bounty chocolate bar!

However, I do know that there are a few out there that aren’t fans…um hello my two girls. Are we even related??! As I was baking this I asked them to promise me that they would have a taste instead of ruling it out at the mere mention of coconut. Why? Because I knew that this was too good to be missed. The coconut is subtle here and isn’t over powering. Yes it has desiccated coconut in it but this provides the perfect nod to the coconut taste needed.

That Jammy Centre

So once in a while I just want easy. Easy sponge cake, easy filling, easy frosting. Sometimes we don’t have hours slaving away over multiple stages of a recipe. The day I made this, was one of those days and so without a second thought I picked up my jar of Bonne Maman Raspberry Conserve and slathered it over the bottom layer of the cake. I adore Bonne Maman products and remember many an afternoon tea as a child being given baguette with butter and Bonne Maman jam.

You want to know the best bit? Once made, if you leave the cake overnight that jam soaks into the sponge above and below it leaving you with a delicious, jamie, sticky sponge centre. Oh yeah. So good!

Does raspberry pair well with coconut?

One hundred percent absolutely. Raspberry and coconut is a perfect flavour pairing for the warmer months. It has such a tropical vibe to it and will have you coming back for more. Imagine coconut ice-cream swirled with raspberry coulis and drizzled with chocolate sauce. I think I might just have to make that!

For the buttercream I simply let half a cup of frozen raspberries de-frost and then placed them in a sieve over a bowl and pushed the pulp and juice through the sieve. Then on the stove top I reduced the raspberry juice until it was a thicker consistency, this only took a few minutes. After beating the butter and and icing sugar together I then added the freshly squeezed raspberry pulp to the buttercream for the flavour but also for that beautiful shade of pink.

So… how did my two daughters fair eating my cake? What do you know…they loved it. Absolute truth! The coconut isn’t over powering and teamed with the raspberry buttercream they had a slice after school three days in a row. Now that’s saying something!!

Tips on making my Coconut Raspberry Sponge Cake

With only two simple components this really is a simple cake to throw together.

The coconut sponge

1. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. This will help with the fluffy, light texture of the cake
2. Pour the eggs slowly in a steady stream whilst beating, and mix till combined
3. Fold in the flour, coconut and milk until incorporated.
4. Pour into the two cake tins and that’s it! You’ll have a beautiful sponge cake in next to no time.

The raspberry buttercream

To make the buttercream we first have to create raspberry juice.

1. As the raspberries defrost, mash them with a fork to break them down and squeeze as much juice out of them as possible. Push them through a sieve placed over a bowl and discard the pulp.
2. Place the juice over low heat in a small saucepan and simmer until it thickens. Remove from the heat and cool.
3. Beat butter, icing sugar and salt until pale and then add half of the juice and beat. Add a small amount of the puree at a time, beating with each addition until you reach your desired consistency and taste.

What more ideas of desserts filled with fruit? Check out these:

Roasted Strawberry Mascarpone Ice-cream. Recipe found here.

Fruit Pavlova with Roasted Plums and Fresh Figs. Recipe found here.

Chocolate Raspberry Crumble Bars. Recipe found here.

Coconut Sponge Cake with Raspberry Buttercream

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 10
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

A simple, light moist sponge cake with a subtle coconut flavour, filled with sweet raspberry jam and covered in raspberry frosting. This is the perfect cake for the spring and summer warmer months.

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Ingredients

For the coconut cake

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup (150g) caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup (120g) self raising flour, sifted

1/2 cup (50g) desiccated coconut

3 tablespoons (45ml) milk

3/4 cup (245g) raspberry preserve

 

For the raspberry buttercream

1 cup (130g) frozen raspberries

3/4 cup (170g) butter, softened

3 1/2 cups (385g) icing sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

 To decorate

1/4 cup (25g) desiccated coconut

1/4 (25g) coconut flakes

A couple of sprigs of spring blossom

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Instructions

For the coconut cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease and line x2 20cm/8inch round spring form tins or cake tins.
2. Beat the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy, in a large mixing bowl, using electric beaters or a stand mixer. Slowly add the egg whilst beating the mixture and if it begins to curdle then add a spoonful of flour.
3. Fold in the flour, desiccated coconut and milk with a large metal spoon.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and level the surface. Bake for 25-30 minus until springy to such and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5 to 10 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

 

For the buttercream:

1. Mash the raspberries with a fork and then push them through a sieve over a bowl. Keep the pulp and juice in the bowl but discard the seeds in the sieve. Place raspberry juice in a small saucepan over a medium heat and let simmer until the juice reduces and thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. In the mean-time, in a large bowl, beat the butter, icing sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add half the cooled raspberry puree and beat until combined. Now add bit by bit until you have flavour and natural colouring that you would prefer.

 

To decorate:

1. Pipe the buttercream around the edge of the bottom layer of cake and spoon a 1 cm layer of raspberry conserve gently levelling with an offset spatular.
2. Place the remaining cake onto the top and then using an offset spatular scoop the buttercream around the side of the cake and onto the top. Use the offset spatular to speed it evenly and smoothly all around the cake and over the top. For the pattern that I made on the sides of the cake, use the offset spatular tip to make the ridges vertically.
3. Sprinkle with desiccated or toasted flaked coconut over the top and decorated with the spring blossom.

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Keywords: sponge cake, dessert

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