Can I use all-purpose flour instead?

If you don't have cake flour, use 2 tablespoons less of all-purpose flour than the listed amount. The texture won't be as tender, but the cake will still be delicious.

Why is it important to whip the egg whites separately?

By beating the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter, it allows for a lighter and fluffier batter. Taking the time to do that helps to make the overall cake lighter just by adding air. Cool huh?

What if the cream cheese frosting is too runny?

One of the days I tested this cake it was really hot out, so the frosting got a little too soft. I fixed the problem by letting it set up in the fridge for a few minutes before spreading it on the cake.

Storing instructions :

Store the cake under a cake dome or large bowl or cover it with plastic wrap. Since the frosting has Greek yogurt and cream cheese, keep it refrigerated. It should stay good for up to 3 days, but it's best eaten within the first 1 to 2 days.

Healthy Raspberry Coconut Cake

Description

This delicious coconut cake is made a little healthier by swapping some of the butter out and using Greek yogurt instead. It has a blend of whole grain flour and light cream cheese to make it more nutritious, but it is still decadent tasting and the perfect celebration-worthy cake for Easter, Mother’s Day, or another festive occasion

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the cake

3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 stick unsalted butter, (8 tablespoons) softened
1 1/4 cup sugar, light brown sugar, granulated maple sugar or coconut sugar
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons coconut extract

For the Frosting

1 8-ounce package Neufchatel cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, light brown sugar, granulated maple sugar or coconut sugar
3 tablespoons Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

To Assemble and Decorate

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, room temperature.
1 cup raspberries

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Instructions

To Make Cake: Arrange one oven rack in the center of the oven. Set a second rack below it. Place a roasting pan with water on the lower rack. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 9-inch deep cake pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment rounds.
Whisk cake flour, whole-wheat flour,baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. If using stand mixer, scrape the whites to a medium bowl with a silicone spatula.
Switch to paddle attachment. Add butter and 1 ¼ cup sugar to the bowl and beat on medium-high until creamed together, about 1 ½ minutes. Add yolks, while beating, one at a time. Scrape sides, and continue beating until very light and fluffy looking. Gradually beat in Greek yogurt. Scrape sides again. Beat in vanilla and coconut extract. The batter should be very pale and fluffy, almost like a mousse.
Turn off motor, and add flour mixture. Fold in by hand with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix. Fold in egg whites just until no white streaks remain.
Divide batter between the prepared pans and spread out. Set cake pans in the oven on the center rack. Bake until puffed and starting to turn lightly golden along the edges. The top should spring back when lightly touched, 22 to 28 minutes. Test center of the cakes with a toothpick. It should come out clean.
Let cakes cool in their pans on a cooling rack at least 15 minutes before turning out onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
To Make Frosting: Beat neufcatel in a mixing bowl on medium speed until soft and smooth. Add in butter, two tablespoons at a time, beating constantly. Add ½ cup sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat, scraping sides once, until the sugar is dissolved in the butter mixture and it is very fluffy, 3 minutes. Taste a small amount to make sure that sugar is not grainy anymore. Scrape sides and beat in 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Refrigerate, stirring once or twice until slightly stiffened, 20 to 40 minutes.
Assemble Cake: Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each layer in half (this should give you 4 layers total.) Lay small sheets of parchment on a platter touching in the middle to protect the platter from frosting. Set first cake layer, cut side up, on the center of the seams. Spread ¼ cup raspberry jam just on top of the first layer. Top with two more layers of cake and jam. Top with the fourth layer of cake. Spread the frosting all over the top and sides of the cake.
Pat coconut all over the cake. Refrigerate cake 40 minutes to 1 hour to stiffen the frosting if necessary. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries before serving.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Make the cake layers a day in advance. Wait until they are completely cooled, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store them in the fridge until ready to use. (Alternatively, store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave out at room temperature to thaw)

You can also make the frosting a day in advance. In that case, refrigerate it in an airtight container until ready to use.

The cake can be frosted and coated with coconut and then refrigerated up to two days. Add the raspberries on top just before serving. Make sure to bring to room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/16th cake
Calories: 239
Sugar: 19 g
Sodium: 217 mg
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 8 g