Strawberry Coconut Cake

A delightful strawberry and coconut cake frosted with a light cream cheese frosting. The flavors are perfectly balanced and the cake is stunning, yet easy to decorate. If making more than a couple hours ahead of time, store in refrigerator.

Recipe Ingredients:

Cake:
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut

Frosting:
12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), at room temperature
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Filling and Topping:
3/4 of a 16-ounce package Driscoll's Strawberries, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 of a 16-ounce package Driscoll's Strawberries, sliced lengthwise
2/3 cup sweetened, shredded coconut, toasted

Cooking Directions:

1. For Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease bottoms and sides of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Line bottoms of each pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease paper and dust each pan with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine milk and coconut milk. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, with mixer on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture in several additions, starting and ending with flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in shredded coconut.
4. Spread batter into cake pans and bake 40 minutes or until golden and cake tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert to cool completely.
5. For Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until blended. Add confectioners' sugar and mix on low until combined.
6. Filling and Assembly: Place one cake layer on a cake plate or stand. If cakes have rounded top, gently trim with serrated knife to make flat. Spread a thin layer of frosting on cake layer and top with chopped strawberries, pressing to flatten and help strawberries stay in place. Place other cake layer on strawberries, with flat side up and press down gently to secure. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Press toasted coconut evenly on sides of cake and top with concentric circles of sliced strawberries. If not serving cake immediately, refrigerate until ready.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/10 of recipe): Calories: 755.83; Total Fat: 43.40g; Saturated Fat: 29.90g; Cholesterol: 191.39mg; Sodium: 343.28mg; Total Carbohydrates: 85.72g; Dietary Fiber: 1.76g; Protein: 9.27g.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.