Now this is what I consider the quintessential spring cake. Creamy white chocolate, tart raspberries, and a hint of tropical coconut – what would be more perfect for a wedding dress-like Easter cake?
I don’t celebrate Easter, but my husband grew up with it and I like to indulge him in his favorite seasonal/holiday treats. The white chocolate gives the sponge extra richness, while the raspberries/coconut balance the acidity-to-sweetness quotient. The secret ingredient, though? Just a hint of sour cream in the frosting. What looks like a plain, white confection is packed with deliriously distinct and contrasting flavors.
Ingredients:
Cake:
4 squares of white baker’s chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup hot water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 TSP baking powder
1 TSP baking soda
1/2 TSP salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1.5 cups buttermilk
1 TB vanilla
1 cup fresh raspberries, lightly dusted with flour
Frosting + decoration:
4 squares of white Baker’s chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup hot water
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 TB vanilla extract
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup raspberries
Directions:
Over low heat, use a saucepan to melt the white chocolate and hot water. Stir until combined and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cake pans with parchment paper, then butter and flour them.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream together the 2 sticks of butter and the sugar until light and airy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until completely combined. Add in the dry ingredients alternatively with the buttermilk, and then mix in the vanilla and liquid white chocolate.
Delicately fold in the dusted raspberries, ensuring to keep then in tact. Pour the batter in the cake pans and bake for roughly 30 to 35 minutes. (Start checking the oven around 20 minutes.) Test it by inserting a toothpick into the center; if it comes out clean, remove from the oven.
While the cake is still baking, combine the remaining white chocolate and hot water. Keep stirring, and when melted and smooth, remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
While the sponges are cooling, make the buttercream. In your mixer, cream the butter, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add in the cooled white chocolate and beat until the mixture is evenly creamy.
When your cooled cakes are leveled, spread a thick layer of buttercream on one sponge and sprinkle with about a half cup of the coconut flakes. Place the other sponge on top of the first and frost the entire cake. Decorate as desired with the remaining raspberries and coconut flakes.
