5 to 6 ounces white chocolate

½ cup water

4 egg whites

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup almonds, finely chopped

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

½ cup raspberry jam

White chocolate curls

2 cups flaked coconut

Whipped Cream Frosting:

2 cups whipping cream, chilled

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Generously grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans.  Break or chop white chocolate in small pieces.  Melt with water on top of a double boiler set over hot water, stirring occasionally.  Cool.  In a medium-size bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gradually beat  in ½ cup of sugar; continue beating to form stiff shiny peaks.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream remaining 1 ½ cups of sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt into another medium-size bowl.  Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk and white chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour.  Fold in almonds and coconut, then fold in egg whites.  Divide batter evenly among prepared pans.  Bake in a preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pans about 5 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.  Split one layer in half horizontally.  Spread bottom half with raspberry jam.  Replace top half; use as middle layer of cake.  Prepare Whipped Cream Frosting.  Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of the cake.  Garnish with white chocolate curls and gently pat coconut onto sides of cake.  Cover cake loosely and refrigerate.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

In a medium-size bowl, beat cream with sugar until stiff.