Method (Cakes)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line three 8 inch loose base / push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have 3 cake tins you will have to bake the cakes separately. Just cover the unused batter with a damp tea towel until you’re ready to use it.
2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
4. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ along with the vanilla and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
6. Fold in the coconut and freeze dried raspberries. Mix until fully incorporated. Do not over mix or this can result in a dense cake. 
7. Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
8. Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in to the centre of the cake and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
9. Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before removing them from the tins. Leave the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack.  Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting.

Method (buttercream)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Sift in the icing sugar, vanilla an raspberry powder. Whip on high speed for around 5-8 minutes to incorporate it. If the buttercream is too thick, add some more butter. If it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy. 
3. Optional – add in a small drop of pink food gel for a vibrant pink colour. 

Method (assemble) 

1. Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Dollop or pipe some of the pink raspberry buttercream on top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
2. Add some raspberry jam into a piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe a swirl of jam in the middle. Sprinkle over some desiccated coconut. 
3. Place the second cake layer on top. Repeat with another layer of buttercream, jam and coconut and the third cake on top (refer to video for example). 
4. Give the entire cake a crumb coat (thin layer of frosting to help lock in any crumbs to prevent them in the final coat, using a cake scraper or pallet knife to get the sides smooth.
5. Place the cake into the fridge to set for 40 minutes. You want the frosting to be firm, this will make the final coat and applying the decorations easier.
6. Once it feels firm, apple the final coat of buttercream. While the buttercream is still soft, add desiccated coconut over the entire cake, up the sides and on top. Use your hand to very gently press the coconut into the buttercream (refer to video for example). 

Method (final decoration)

1. When the cake feels firm, remove from the fridge. Transfer left over buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle and pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake.
2. Add on some fresh raspberries, and coconut flakes.
3. Slice, serve and enjoy!