Every year I would make this for my daddy on Valentine's Day it was so special and the memories are priceless to see his face light up.
We usually don't post much about family, but this recipe has to be a tribute to him and dad was so appreciative, he deserves more than this shout-out.
I can't express enough the cherished memories and gratitute and how lucky I am for the kindness, support he gave me as a child and without his teachings cooking foods, support, love, and life in general, I wouldn't be the woman I am today.
Although you can make this cake with a mix or from his mom (my grandmother) scratch cake, it's a delicious easy cake, always made for him with love, this ones for you dad.
Great Alternative to a Large Cake!
Cupcakes are also a great alternative if you don't have a heart pan
Perfect for small families, just bake the cupcakes, freeze them, slice the tops off, cut out the center with mini appetizer cutters, filled, and put the tops back on.
Mini heart shaped cupcakes tins, or smaller heart pans can be used or any shapes at all you happen to have on hand or need for your party theme your hosting.
Use and Seedless Jams
- raspberry
- pineapple
- apricot
- orange marmalade
- blueberry
- cherry
- peach
- strawberry
- blackberry
Toppings:
- powdered sugar
- powdered sugar with added unsweetened cocoa powder
- drizzled with a glaze
- using a piping bag with sweetened whipped cream
- melted white or dark chocolate
- ganache
Cookie Cutter Heart Shaped for the Centers
- animal shapes for the kids
- holiday themes
- birthday themes
- letters of the alphabet
- wedding bells
- baby shapes for baby showers
Heart-Shaped Pan with Cookie Cutter Heart
These pans and cutters are easily found online and you can scroll to the bottom of the page to order from Amazon (which is an affiliate link I do make a small commission from)
Any flavored cake mix or your favorite homemade scratch cake can be used in this recipe.
More Cake Mix Flavors to Use
- strawberry
- red velvet
- orange
- lemon
- coconut
- pineapple
- cherry
- butter pecan
- yellow
- white
- funfetti
My Dad and Me
Carmen Colenzo 1912-1995 RIP
Valentine's Day Raspberry Coconut Cake Pin for later
Raspberry Coconut Cake and more Tips
This festive cake is very easy to make for Valentine's Day or use any holiday-themed cookie cutters.
Seedless jams were always what dad preferred unless it was homemade then seeds would be in the preserves.
Use any flavor jams you prefer, pineapple and apricot were grandma's favorites.
Again, use a cake mix or scratch cake (which is much denser) and freeze it to slice if it's a whole cake.
Raspberry Coconut Cake
Ingredients
- Raspberry Coconut Cake
- Tools: 1 Heart Shaped Cake Pan greased, Heart Shaped Cookie Cutters or Use Cupcake Tins and see photos in the post
- White Cake Mix or your favorite recipe for a Homemade Cake
- 1 jar Strawberry Preserves or seedless Red Raspberry Jam or Strawberry Preserves
- 1 cup of coconut put through the food processor till fine
- Bake cake mix as directed or make the cake from scratch.
- Cool completely.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a heart-shaped pan or use cupcakes tins with liners.
- Note: We rarely used a white or yellow cake mix and made this from scratch recipe. (dad also loved Grandma's sponge cake recipe)
- Bake cake mix as directed on the package or make the cake from scratch.
- Cool completely.
- See tips below on how to assemble and create the cakes.
Notes
Tips:
If you freeze the cake first it slices easier to split these cakes with a sharp knife evenly.
Use a cookie cutter to cut the heart shape on only one cake for the jam to peek out the top.
Fill with your favorite seedless jam, then add the coconut, and sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar.
Only cut one heart in the middle with the cookie-cutter heart shape for the top.
See the above photos in this post:
for cutting layers with cookie cutters appetizer sized heart shapes
Sprinkle cooled cake with powdered sugar when cooled or frost
Filling the cake or cupcakes:
For split cake layers fill with jam, and sprinkle with coconut careful not to fill the middle hole with the coconut to cover the jam in the center.
Replace the heart cut in the center on top of the filled cake then powder sugar on the top of the cake.
For Cupcakes:
Bake in Pretty cupcake liners for whatever your holiday theme is.
You can slice the top of the cupcake off when cooled then cut the heart shape in the top part of the slice, then spread the jam on the bottom part of the cupcake, add the coconut and replace the top.
Or use the smallest available heart-shaped cookie cutter directly in the middle of your cupcake and pull it out and set them on wax paper until all is completed.
Fill with coconut, jam on top, and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.
Grandma's Scratch Cake
Valentine's Day Raspberry Coconut Cake Pin for later