Valentine's Day cake

Photo by Cafe Kim

I'm bringing dessert to a party celebrating Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year (both holidays fall on Feb. 14 this year) and have been practicing making this lovely, raspberry-filled cake with coconut-vanilla icing. The verdict? Definitely yummy, but four-layer cakes are way too complicated. Here's how to do it with only two:

 

Valentine's Day cake

Photo by Cafe Kim

Valentine's Day Cake (inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake from Baking: From My Home To Yours)

(For the cake)

1 box white cake mix (and ingredients on box)

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

(For the filling/icing)

1 container white frosting

1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves or jam

1.5 cups sweetened, shredded coconut

Prepare cake mix, adding lemon zest to the batter, and bake according to directions in two round cake pans. Cool cake.

Put one layer of cake on cake plate or serving platter. Ice top layer with frosting. Spread with preserves. (If preserves are too thick to spread, gently heat with 1 teaspoon water in saucepan until spreadable.) Place the second layer on top and frost top and sides of cake. Press coconut into sides and top.

Let assembled cake set for a couple of hours before cutting. Serve with a glass of ice-cold milk or a flute of champagne!

How are you celebrating Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year?

Read more about Valentine's Day.