Raspberry Coconut Poke Cake

Everyone kept posting this recipe for a raspberry zinger cake, so I tried it. It was a package of cake mix, a package of raspberry jello, a jar of jam, a tub of cool whip, and some sweet desiccated coconut… and it smelled fake and tasted like chemicals. I used a nice but easy cake recipe, some easy jammy homemade gelatin, and this stuff called ‘So Delicious Cocowhip Topping’ that is dairy-free and has a bit of a coconut taste. I also used unsweetened coconut shred because I felt like the cake was sweet enough without dumping coconut flavored sugar on top. The verdict? It’s a nice cake. Plus, unlike the 100% processed food version it does not smell fake or taste like chemicals.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk 2% or whole
• 1/4 cup full-fat yogurt or sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup light-tasting oil
• 1 packet (see notes) gelatin + 2 TBSP cold water
• 1 x 10 oz bag of frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar
• 2 cups of water
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 9 oz tup of So Delicious Cocowhip Topping
• 1/2 cup of coconut shreds (unsweetened)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8-inch square cake pan with non-stick baking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. whisk together the milk, yogurt, and vanilla in a measuring jug and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and eggs until they become thick, fluffy, and at least double in volume, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the oil and beat for a few seconds to incorporate, scraping down the bowl as needed.
6. On low speed, alternate adding the dry mixture in thirds and the yogurt mixture in halves, starting and ending with the dry. Make sure each addition is mixed in before adding the next, and scraping down the bowl as needed.
7. Pour the batter int he prepared pan and back in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. While the cake is baking, stir gelatin into 2 tablespoons of water and set aside to bloom.
9. Put the raspberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice into a 2-quart saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Pour through a fine sieve into a measuring jug. If necessary, top up with boiling water to make 2 cups, or spoon out some liquid to reduce it to 2 cups. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin while the mixture is still hot, and leave to cool at room temperature until the cake is back in it’s cleaned lined pan.
11. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack while you clean and dry the pan.
12. Line cleaned cake pan with two layers of plastic wrap in an “+” pattern and be sure that they overhand by 5 inches on all sides.
13. Put the cake back in the lined pan and poke holes all over it with the fat end of a chopstick or something similar in size.
14. Pour 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of the gelatin mixture evenly over the cake, pausing to let it soak in. You can use more if you like. Refrigerate any gelatin leftovers for something else (great on biscuits!)
15. Pull the plastic wrap over the cake and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
16. When ready to serve, spread over the Cocowhip topping, and sprinkle the shredded coconut evenly over the top.
17. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Makes 12 Servings

Notes

• 1 packet of gelatin is 2 1/2 teaspoons or 7g.
• You could replace the raspberries with strawberries and skip the coconut.
• You could use freshly whipped cream, or cool whip to top the cake.