This is a cake we had earlier this week for our daughter’s birthday.  Jim came up with the recipe after seeing a similar expensive cake called The Bomb in an upscale bakery.  And it is “the bomb”, it is so yummy!  It reminds us of a wedding cake.

It has become a tradition in our house to make it for Easter since it has the white, symbolizing Christ’s purity and the red, symbolizing His blood shed for us.  But, it is our daughter’s favorite cake so she requested it for her birthday too!

White Raspberry Coconut Cake

1 box white cake mix
1/2  jar of raspberry preserves
Coconut

Icing:
3/4 cup of butter (softened)
3/4 cup of shortening
6 cups of powder sugar
3 Tbsp. milk
1 cup of cool whip

Grease 2- 8in. round pans and coat the pans in granulated sugar.  Make the white cake mix according to the directions on the box, and bake (according to the directions on the box) in the greased and sugared  round pans.  Let the cake cool completely.

Mix together the first 4 ingredients for the icing, then add the cool whip and mix well.  Slice the rounded top off of one of the cakes with a serrated knife so you have a flat surface. Then, slice both cakes in half horizontally with the serrated knife. 

Place a bottom slice on a cake-plate, then spread a thin layer of icing on top of that layer.  Add a layer of the raspberry preserves on top of the icing.    Repeat for the next two layers.

Place the final piece of cake (with the rounded top) on top of the cake.  Use the remaining icing to ice over the top and sides of the whole cake.  Garnish with coconut on top and you might want to add flowers, candles or raspberries (if topping with raspberries, top just before presenting/serving to avoid bleeding of raspberry juices on the icing).

We like it best made ahead of time (the day before), chilled in the refrigerator, but it’s not necessary.

It looks kind of complex to make with all the layers, but it is actually very simple.  If you don’t like coconut, you could easily leave that out and it would still be good. Enjoy!