Place the eggs (while still in the shell) in a bowl of warm water. This will warm them up and help them whip to a higher volume. Let them sit while you prep the cake pans and the ingredients. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Grease and flour two 8-inch square cake pans and place some parchment paper in the bottom of the pans. 

Place the milk and butter in a saucepan and warm it over low heat until the butter melts. Keep the pan on the lowest heat setting to stay warm while you beat the eggs. 

Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat on high speed for about 8 to 15 minutes. The eggs should triple in volume and become pale yellow in color. (see notes) 

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the egg mixture and fold in with a spatula until it is just barely combined, you will still see some flour streaks.

Add the vanilla to the warm milk mixture and pour the milk in the batter. Stir the mixture by hand. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is incorporated.

Divide the batter into the cake pans.

Bake for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Begin checking at 30 minutes.

When the cakes have finished baking, set the pans on a wire rack and let them cool in the pans. 

In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the top of 1/4 cup of water and allow to soften for 5 minutes

Pour the mixture into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and strain the mixture, pressing down to remove as much liquid as possible.  Discard the residue in the strainer. 

Place the gelatin in the microwave and heat until syrupy…about 10 seconds.  Whisk the gelatin into the raspberry mixture.  

Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl, pour the raspberry syrup over the sugar and whisk together until smooth.  Whisk in the red food coloring if using.  Transfer to the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until it is slightly thickened. 

Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. 

Using a sharp knife, trim the edges off the sponge cake  and cut into 2-inch squares or any size you want.   Place the cut squares on a plate and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes.  

Set up a 2-bowl dredging system, with the raspberry mixture in one bowl and the coconut in the other bowl.  

Remove the cake squares from the freezer.  Holding a cake square with a fork, spoon raspberry glaze over the cold cake, turning to cover it completely and letting the excess drip back into the bowl.  With the fork still inserted in the glaze-covered cake, hold it over the coconut bowl and spoon coconut on all sides of the cake.  Place the cake on the wire rack.  

When all the cake squares have been coated with glaze and coconut, place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to set.