Cherry and Coconut Cake

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!

Jump to:

• Why I love this recipe
• Ingredient notes and substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert tips
• Serving and storing
• FAQ's
• Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

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

Related Recipes

📖 Recipe

This post was first published in December 2013 but was republished with new content and pictures in February 2022.