Coconut Torte
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1- 8" layer cake
 
Bring a little taste of sunshine to your kitchen with this Coconut Torte! The coconut and simple raspberry filling will have you looking forward to sunny summer days in no time!
Ingredients
COCONUT TORTE
  • 2½ c flour
  • 2 c sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ⅔ c shredded coconut
  • 1 c coconut milk
  • ½ c canola oil
  • 2 tsp coconut extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 c hot water
  • approx ½ c raspberry preserves (I used Hero Velvet), plus 1 tsp lemon juice
COCONUT FROSTING
  • 5 Tbsp flour
  • 1 c coconut milk
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 1 c sugar
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • approx ½ - 1 c shredded coconut for garnish
Instructions
COCONUT TORTE
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2- 8" round cake pans using a baking spray or butter and flour.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
  3. Add the shredded coconut and whisk it in to the dry ingredients.
  4. With the mixer on low speed add the coconut milk, oil, extracts, and eggs. Increase to medium speed and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
  5. Return the mixer to low speed and very slowly add the hot water. Stop the mixer and scrap down the bowl very well and mix on medium for about 30 seconds.
  6. Scrape down the bowl again and fold in anything that may not have mixed in on the bottom or sides of the bowl. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
COCONUT FROSTING
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the flour and coconut milk whisking constantly over medium high heat until mixture becomes very thick. It will be pudding like in consistency.
  2. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and coconut extract. Cover with plastic wrap directly over the "pudding" to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool completely.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter, sugar, and salt together until smooth.
  4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cooled milk/flour mixture to the butter. Mix on medium high speed until light and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times making sure to get the bottom of the bowl.
ASSEMBLY
  1. If necessary, level the tops of both cooled cakes. Torte the 2 cake layers by cutting them in half, you now have 4 cake layers.
  2. Apply a dollop of buttercream to a cake board or cake stand and place the first cake layer (bottom side down) on it.
  3. Spread some of the raspberry preserves keeping it about ¼ - ½" away from the edges keeping it all in the center.
  4. Repeat this process with the middle 2 layers (reserve the flat bottom part for the last layer) spreading an even layer of raspberry preserves between each layer.
  5. Place the final cake layer on a plate (bottom side up). For best results chill the stacked cake in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  6. Now it's time to crumb coat the chilled cake. Drop about a half cup of buttercream on the top of the cake and begin spreading it over the top and allowing it to go over the sides, add more buttercream if you need to. Spread a thin layer all over the cake. Don't worry if any cake is showing, you will cover that with the final coat of buttercream. Chill the cake in the freezer again for 15 minutes.
  7. Now you can spread or pipe the final layer of buttercream all over the cake and garnish with shredded coconut.
  8. Chill the finished cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow to come to room temperature for about 20 - 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe by The Red Eye Baker at https://www.theredeyebaker.com/2018/03/coconut-torte/