I’m not entirely sure what this rhubarb, raspberry and coconut celebration cake is in celebration of. The first time I made it, back in January, it was demolished for my brother’s 17th birthday. It re-emerged (with saggy frosting on a steaming hot Melbourne day) for a friend’s picnic party, then a few months later my brothers (back in Auckland) followed my painstaking instructions to make it for Mother’s Day. It got a final remake for photography purposes mid-year, and a smaller version made it to the team at the hospital on my last day of rotation in August (suffice to say it disappeared quickly). But today? Spring rhubarb and raspberries have finally arrived, and it deserved more than to reside in the depths of my Lightroom catalogue.
I guess it could also celebrate getting through the last few weeks of medical school. Six years of university has in hindsight flown by, and though thus far our responsibility has been to learn, it will soon be to work – a true cog in the wheel rather than spinning off to the side. I’m currently practically on the same ward as I will be starting in January, only then no longer as a student – something I’m acutely aware of when I try to grasp the nitty gritty details (sometimes more secretarial than medical) of being an intern. It’s scary and exciting and intimidating all at once. This blog will certainly continue though – there will not be a scarcity of people to test my baking experiments, even if I’m short on time.
Anyway. This rhubarb, raspberry and coconut cake. It’s a layer cake, but less intimidating than it might look at first glance – it’s a failsafe recipe without too many obnoxiously difficult components. All you need is the ordinary cake made in ordinary 20cm tins, an easy frosting, and time enough to avoid rush. No tricky curds or drips or piped frosting, no fancy colours or sharp and precise buttercream skills required (not that there’s anything wrong with those – I just rarely bother).
The flavour combination is a winner – nutty ground almonds and coconut, a hint of lemon, bursts of sweet raspberries and tart rhubarb. Creamy, rich and not-too-sweet cream cheese buttercream, tinted pink if you like with hibiscus or freeze dried raspberry powder, or simply left plain. The cake is easily made the day before serving – I’d recommend making the frosting and putting it together the day you plan to serve, but you could also do that the day before. It’s the sort of cake people seem to gravitate back towards for seconds – my kind of cake.
- 300 g unsalted butter
- 300 g caster sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essenece
- 1/2 teaspoon good quality coconut essence (optional)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened greek yogurt (135g)
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- zest of 1 lemon
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g ground almonds
- 100 g fine desiccated coconut
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 1/2 cups mix of raspberries and rhubarb cut into 1cm slices (frozen raspberries are fine , don’t defrost)
- 150 g unsalted butter room temperature (or just a bit cooler if a warm day)
- 500 g cream cheese cubed, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 2 cups icing sugar sifted
- 2-3 teaspoons hibiscus powder or freeze dried raspberry powder optional
- Optional decorations – coconut flakes, rose petals, flowers, raspberries
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Preheat the oven to 180°Grease and line 3x20cm cake tins with baking paper.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy.
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Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.
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Add the yogurt, lemon zest and coconut cream and mix until just combined.
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Add the flour, ground almonds, coconut and baking powder and mix until just combined.
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Evenly divide the batter between the three tins. Top with generous amounts of raspberry and rhubarb scattered evenly over the top of each cake (don’t press in).
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Bake for 15-25 minutes until the surface of the cake just springs back to touch and a skewer inserted comes out just clean.
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Leave to cool completely.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter until smooth and creamy, a couple of minutes. Add the cream cheese, a little at a time, until fully combined.
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Add the vanilla paste and beat to combine.
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Gradually add the sifted icing sugar over about a minute until just combined. Add the hibiscus powder or freeze dried raspberry powder to tint the colour if desired.
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Place one cake layer on the plate, cakeboard or cake stand you plan to serve it on.
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Top with a spoonful of cream cheese buttercream and use an offset spatula to spread evenly over the cake at about 1/2 cm – 1 cm thick. (I try to get on eye level to make sure the icing is level, as this is key to a straight cake!).
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Gently place a second cake on top. Repeat with the icing, then another cake layer, then icing again. If it is warm in your kitchen, at this point you may want to place the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes to make it easier to ice the sides.
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Gently spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. I use an offset spatula as I find this makes it easier to get a smooth layer. It may take a little bit of patience to get it even and smooth.
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If it is summer/warm, refrigerate for another 30 minutes to set the cake together.
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Decorate with edible flowers and serve.
Hello,
I have been following your blog for a couple of years now and love your creativity, stories and stunning pictures.I get very exited when i see one of your posts pop up in my inbox.
This cake sounds, and looks sensational. I am not at all partial to dense cakes though, preferring a moist cake but with a lighter crumb and texture, Could you please tell me how this cake bakes up?
Thank you for your commitment to bringing so many wonderful recipes into our lives. It really makes a difference ….life certainly tastes better but your blog gives great cause for celebration!
Regards Angela (from Brisbane).
Hi Angela, that is so lovely to hear. Thank you so much – you put a big smile on my face!
Hm I think it is somewhere in the middle – it’s quite a soft, light crumb but not light like a sponge cake texture.
Sorry I can’t be of more help – maybe you could bake a half mix to give it a try if you want to test it out?
Claudia
Oh my gosh! I just made this cake for my husband’s birthday and it is a marvel! So easy and impressive. Thank you so much!!!
Thanks Kylie, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
Hi there,
Thank you for this beautiful recipe. I’m
So excited to try it. I too have been following your blog for a few years now and just love everything you make. So thank joy for sharing such beautiful recipes 🙂 and congratulations on finishing up med school soon. What an amazing achievement.
Just a question a kit measurements – if I wanted to make just two layers of cake – how do I change the recipe measurements?
Thank you
Hi Sara! Thanks so much, that is so lovely to hear. If you want to make 2 layers, I would make a 2/3 mix of the batter, that way you’ll have enough for 2 x 20cm round cake tins. However, if you wanted to make 2 x 23cm round cakes then I would make the full mixture and divide it between the 2 larger tins instead of 3 smaller. Hope that helps!
I made this cake for my birthday and it was amazing! Was told it’s the best cake I’ve made so far. So moist and delicious. I only used raspberries as I didn’t have any rhubarb. Also only made 2/3 for 2 layers. Will definitely make this again. Wonderful recipe thanks for sharing
That is so lovely to hear Agnes! So glad it worked so well, thanks for letting me know.
Wow, making this now and am already really looking forward to it. I’m making it for someone’s birthday at work. Would it be alright if I left it in the fridge over night and ‘iced’ in the morning?
Hey Louise! Yes that would definitely work. Would love to hear what you think
Hi, this cake looks absolutely stunning.
Rhubarb & raspberry are my wife’s too favourite things. She’s allergic to coconut though, unfortunately.
I’d love to tweak the recipe to remove it if possible.
I’m guessing I could use double the ground almonds to replace the desiccated coconut? But could you suggest something to replace the coconut cream? Would double greek yoghurt work?
Thanks.
Hi Dave! Yes definitely can do double the ground almonds. In terms of the coconut cream, I would actually replace it with milk but greek yogurt should also work
Let me know how it goes!
Claudia