Made with fresh cherries and coconut milk, this cherry and coconut cake makes a moist and flavorful summer dessert. Don't forget the extra cherries on top!

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Why I love this recipe
- The fresh cherries in it make it so juicy, sweet and delicious.
- The coconut adds a nice subtle sweetness to balance out the tartness from the cherries.
- It's the perfect dessert if you love coconut. If you love coconut check out my mango coconut cake and coconut fillo pie for further inspiration!
- It's an easy summertime dessert - similar to my raspberry almond cake.
- It's dairy-free. There is no butter or milk in this recipe.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cherries. - Fresh cherries. Pitted and sliced in half. You can substitute with canned cherries; however, drain them first. Frozen cherries work well too.
- Desiccated Coconut. - Provides the cherry coconut cake with a distinct chewiness and flavour. You can sub with raw shredded coconut instead.
- Sugar. - I'm opting for caster sugar (superfine sugar). You can use regular granulated sugar or for a more caramel-like flavour, use brown sugar.
- Self-Rising Flour. - Can sub with all-purpose flour. Ensure you add one tablespoon of baking powder to the all-purpose flour to allow the cake to rise.
- Coconut Milk. - Make sure it's good quality, authentic brand. You can sub with coconut cream. Just avoid the coconut milk from a carton.
- Vanilla. - I always use vanilla extract or paste in my baking recipes.
- Eggs. - Room temperature and medium-sized (60g each).
How to make this recipe
- Steps 1-2: Preheat oven to 180 deg C and line and grease a 22cm (10 ") cake tin with parchment paper. Pit the cherries, slice them in half and set them aside.
- Step 3: Combine the flour, caster sugar, and desiccated coconut in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Step 4: In a separate medium bowl or jug, whisk the coconut cream, eggs and vanilla.
- Step 5: Toss the cherries in one tablespoon of flour and coat well.
- Step 6: Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Step 7: Gently fold through the flour-covered cherries.
- Step 8: Pour the cake batter into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes. The cherry cake is ready when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 mins before inverting onto a cake rack.
Expert tips
- Use ripe cherries for best results.
- Use a cherry pitter to remove the pits from the cherries. (This will make your job a lot easier!).
- Use canned coconut milk - not the one sold in a carton. Canned coconut milk has a lot more flavour and is less watery.
- Toss the cherries in a bit of flour before folding them into the cake batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom as it bakes.
- Top the cake with extra fresh cherries and dust with powdered sugar (icing sugar) for a stunning presentation.
Serving and storing
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing it into pieces.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- Top with cream cheese icing for an even more decadent dessert.
- Store the cherry and coconut cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Alternatively, store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat each slice in the microwave for 20 seconds before serving.
FAQ's
If you bake ahead, allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap and aluminium foil before you freeze it.
Unwrap the cake and let condensation form on the foil when ready to serve. Then, unwrap the foil and enjoy!
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Cherry and Coconut Cake
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Conversions
Ingredients
- 220 grams cherries, freshly pitted sliced in half. (see note 1 & 2)
- 225 grams self-rising flour
- 180 grams sugar, caster (superfine)
- 85 grams desiccated coconut
- 270 ml coconut milk, from a can (see note 3)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 deg C and line and grease a 22cm (10 ") cake tin with parchment paper. Pit the cherries, slice them in half and set them aside.
- Combine the flour, caster sugar, and desiccated coconut in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- In a separate medium bowl or jug, whisk the coconut cream, eggs and vanilla.
- Toss the cherries in one tablespoon of flour and coat well. (see note 4)
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Gently fold through the flour-coated cherries.
- Pour the cake batter into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes. The cherry cake is ready when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 mins before inverting onto a cake rack.
Peter's Tips →
- Use ripe cherries for best results.
- Use a cherry pitter to remove the pits from the cherries. (This will make your job a lot easier!).
- Use canned coconut milk - not the one sold in a carton. Canned coconut milk has a lot more flavour and is less watery.
- Toss the cherries in a bit of flour before folding them into the cake batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom as it bakes.
- Top the cake with extra fresh cherries and dust with powdered sugar (icing sugar) for a stunning presentation.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
This post was first published in December 2013 but was republished with new content and pictures in February 2022.
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