How to Make This Healthy Coconut Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven and prepare cake pans
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 (see tip*.)
Step 2: Whisk dry ingredients
Whisk cake flour, whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Whisk egg whites
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment until medium soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Transfer the whites to a medium bowl.
Step 4: Beat butter
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 1 cup of Greek yogurt. Scrape sides again. Beat in vanilla and coconut extract.
Step 5: Add flour mixture to butter
Turn off the motor, and add the flour mixture. Fold in by hand with a rubber spatula. Do not over work.
Step 6: Fold In Whipped Egg Whites
Fold in egg whites until no white streaks remain.
Step 7: Spread Batter in Pans
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread out. Set cake pans in the oven on the center rack.
Step 8: Bake the Cake- Test for Doneness
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 the 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. Run a knife along the edges. before turning out onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 9: Make the frosting
Beat neufchatel in a mixing bowl on medium speed until soft and smooth. Add in butter, two tablespoons at a time, beating constantly. Add ½ cup coconut 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 of Greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. If the frosting is very loose refrigerate it, stirring once or twice until it is slightly stiffened, 20 to 40 minutes.
Step 10: Assemble the healthy coconut cake
Remove parchment rounds from the 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 the 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.
Step 11: Top with coconut and raspberries and chill
Pat coconut all over the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 40 minutes to 1 hour to stiffen the frosting if necessary. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries before serving.
