Raffaello Cake

• Cake:
• 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 5 drops vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Topping:
• 1/4 cup apricot jam, or as desired
• 1 (16 ounce) can apricot halves, drained
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, or more to taste
• 20 almond coconut candies (such as Raffaello)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Cook and stir flaked coconut in a skillet over medium-low heat until golden and toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Mix butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until smooth; add flour, baking powder, and toasted coconut and mix well.
4. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy; continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites will form sharp peaks. Carefully mix egg whites into flour mixture; pour into the prepared cake pan.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake is clean, about 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan and completely on a wire rack.
6. Place apricot jam in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat until easily spreadable, 15 to 20 seconds. Spread jam onto the cooled cake and top with apricot halves.
7. Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
8. Crush 15 almond coconut candies in a bowl using a fork; fold into the whipped cream. Spread whipped cream mixture onto cake. Cut remaining 5 candies in half and arrange on the cake.

coconut, butter, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, topping, apricot, apricot halves, heavy whipping cream, almond coconut candies

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244521/raffaello-cake/ (may not work)