Ingredients:
Cake:
- 1 pkg. white cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake) - follow cake mix instructions
- 1 tsp almond extract or coconut extract
Directions for Cake Mix only:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cooking spray on 2 10" round cake pans. Flour the pans for a quick release of cake. You can also use parchment paper to line the bottom of the pans, but be sure to spray sides of pans with cooking spray.
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding almond or coconut extract.
- Pour batter into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake pans. Cool cake completely. Remove cakes from pans; discard parchment paper.
- Place one cake on cake plate. Top with frosting, then with preserves. Place second cake on top of frosting and frost completely. Sprinkle with coconut
For a denser Cake add the Following:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 large eggs = room temperature
- 1 1/3 cup water or milk (room temperature
- 2 T. vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream or yogurt
- 2 tsps. vanilla
Directions for a dense Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease and flour two 8" cake rounds, line with parchment.
- Combine all dry ingredients and whisk together.
- Add wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Divide batter between the pans and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire racks to cool completely.
Raspberry Cake Filling
Ingredents:
- 12 oz. unsweetened raspberries
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 3 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
- 2 tsp. raspberry extract or 2 T. raspberry liquor
Directions for Raspberry Cake Filling:
- Combine raspberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Once it has started boiling, turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer until the raspberries have completely broken down
- Remove from heat and pour the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
- Dissolve cornstarch into 1/4 cup water.
- Pour mixture back into the pan and whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
- Bring the mixture back up to a boil and simmer until it is thick and bubbly, whisking as needed.
- Pour mixture into a bowl and allow it to cool completely. *Original recipe from the Cake Central website.
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup cold milk
- 1 large pkg. white chocolate or vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 container (8 oz. ) frozen whipped topping, thawed or 8 oz. of whipped cream whipped (or you can add both to make a creamier frosting
- 1 cup raspberry cake filling - either made from scratch or you can use raspberry jam with seeds removed (see recipe below)
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Frosting:
- Combine milk, pudding mix and powdered sugar. Whisk 1-2 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped topping.
- Spread jam over bottom half of cake. Spread 1 cup (250 mL) of the frosting over jam. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with coconut. Refrigerate 1 hour.