Coconut Cake with Cocoa Raspberry Filling and Cocoa Whipped Cream

Prep Time: 40 mins | Cook Time: 35 mins | Course: Dessert | Serves: 12 

Moist and tender coconut cake with a cocoa raspberry filling, and cocoa whipped cream frosting. I give instructions for a 2-layer cake, but you could slice the cake layers in half and have a 4-layer cake with even more delicious raspberry filling. Inspired by The Bipolar Cook at Big Oven https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/white-chocolate-raspberry-coconut-cake/444748 

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder 

½ tsp salt 

1 ½ cups butter, softened 

1 ½ cups sugar 

1 Tbsp vanilla 

6 eggs 

¾ cup milk 

1 cup coconut flakes 

Cocoa Raspberry Filling:

12 oz raspberries 

½ cup sugar 

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 Tbsp cornstarch 

Chocolate Ganache: 

1 cup heavy cream

6 oz dark chocolate chips

Cocoa Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream 

¼ cup powdered sugar 

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 Tbsp chocolate liqueur, optional 

Preheat oven to 350*. Butter or spray oil 2 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set to one side. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the flour mixture, vanilla, eggs, milk, and coconut. Stir on low speed until the batter is mixed, mix for ½ minute longer. Spread evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. A toothpick tester will come out batter-free. Or a insta-thermometer test will come out at a minimum temperature of 200*. Cool cakes before turning them out of the pans.

In a saucepan, stir raspberries, sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch together. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 6 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the fridge, while you make the ganache. 

In a 2 quart measurer, heat cream in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally until firm enough to pipe.

Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks, then add cocoa powder, vanilla, and liqueur, if using. Whip to medium and pipe-able peaks. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe or spread with a cake spatula as desired. 

To assemble the cake, lay one cake on a cake stand (or serving plate, board, etc). Pipe a thick round of ganache using the A1 or another extra-large tip in a piping bag. Fill the center with the cocoa raspberry jam. Top with the remaining cake layer, smooth cocoa whipped cream around the edges, and pipe flowers tightly in a ring on top, fill in the middle with some more jam and a sprinkling of coconut, then refrigerate.