Anna Louise Cherry and coconut cake is one of those recipes that has been in British baking for generations — the combination of sweet, vivid glacé cherries and fragrant desiccated coconut in a butter sponge is one that has genuinely earned its longevity. It is not a fashionable combination. It is simply a good one.
The glacé cherries give bursts of intense sweetness and vivid red colour throughout the crumb. The toasted desiccated coconut gives fragrance and a slight chewiness. The vanilla sponge holds everything together in a way that is buttery, light, and satisfying.
I make this cake when I want something that feels genuinely nostalgic and completely reliable. It appears at village fêtes and church halls and family gatherings for very good reasons — it is universally loved, it keeps well, and it looks genuinely beautiful when sliced.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Cherry and Coconut Cake
For the Cherry and Coconut Cake
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 200g self-raising flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g desiccated coconut, toasted until lightly golden
- 3 tbsp coconut cream — from a tin of full-fat coconut cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g glacé cherries — rinsed, dried thoroughly, and halved
- 2 tbsp plain flour — for tossing the cherries before folding in
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 150g full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g icing sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp coconut cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
To Decorate
- 8 to 10 glacé cherries, left whole — halved if preferred
- 25g desiccated coconut, toasted — scattered over the frosting
How to Make Mary Berry Cherry and Coconut Cake
Step 1 — Toast the Coconut
Place all the desiccated coconut for the cake and the decoration in a large dry frying pan over a medium heat. Stir constantly for three to four minutes until evenly, lightly golden. Remove immediately and spread on a plate to cool completely. Set aside the 25g for decoration separately.
Step 2 — Prepare the Cherries
This step matters more than it might seem. Rinse the glacé cherries under warm water to remove their syrup coating. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper — very thoroughly. Halve each cherry. Toss the halved cherries in the two tablespoons of plain flour until lightly coated. Shake off any excess.
The rinsing removes the syrup that causes cherries to sink to the bottom of the batter. The flour coating gives the batter something to grip, keeping the cherries suspended throughout the sponge.
Step 3 — Preheat and Prepare
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease a deep 20cm round springform tin and line the base with baking parchment.
Step 4 — Make the Batter
Beat the softened butter and golden caster sugar together for four to five minutes until pale and very fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Add the toasted desiccated coconut and coconut cream. Fold gently until just combined.
Fold in the flour-coated cherry halves with four to five gentle strokes — distribute them as evenly as possible throughout the batter.
Step 5 — Bake
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin. Spread evenly.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the cake is deep golden, springs back when pressed in the centre, and a skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely with baking parchment after 35 minutes if the top is browning too quickly.
Cool in the tin for twenty minutes. Release the springform. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 6 — Make the Frosting
Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Add the sifted icing sugar in two batches, beating well after each. Add the coconut cream and vanilla. Beat for one to two minutes until smooth and spreadable. Do not overbeat.
Step 7 — Frost and Decorate
Spread the coconut cream cheese frosting over the top of the completely cooled cake — generously and evenly. Scatter the reserved toasted desiccated coconut over the frosting. Arrange the whole or halved glacé cherries over the top.
Tips For Best Mary Berry Cherry and Coconut Cake
Rinse and dry the glacé cherries thoroughly — and toss in flour. Cherries that sink to the bottom of a cake are one of baking’s most consistent frustrations. The combination of rinsing off the sticky syrup coating and tossing in a little flour dramatically reduces sinking. I do both steps every time and my cherries stay where they belong.
Toast the coconut before it goes into the batter. The fragrance and flavour difference between toasted and untoasted desiccated coconut is dramatic. Toasted coconut gives a warm, nutty, intensely coconut character. Untoasted gives something milder and less interesting.
Coconut cream rather than coconut milk in the batter. I make this point in every coconut recipe on this site — coconut cream is richer and more concentrated and gives a more pronounced coconut flavour in the finished sponge.
Do not overbeat the cream cheese frosting. The same instruction that appears in every cream cheese frosting recipe — and for the same reason every time. Two minutes after all the icing sugar is in and stop. Any more and the frosting becomes progressively more liquid.
The glacé cherry decoration on top is not just decorative. It signals immediately what the cake is — and what it is going to taste like. People pick up a slice and see the cherries in the crumb and the cherries on top and they know this cake is going to deliver on its promise.
Serving Suggestions
As an afternoon tea centrepiece — it looks genuinely beautiful on a cake stand. At a village fête or charity bake sale. As a birthday cake for someone who loves the classic combination. With a cup of tea on any occasion when something reliably wonderful is needed.
How to Store Mary Berry Cherry and Coconut Cake
At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The coconut keeps the cake moist.
In the freezer: Freeze unfrosted for up to 3 months. Make the frosting fresh when assembling.
Mary Berry Cherry and Coconut Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Toast 100g desiccated coconut in a dry pan 3–4 minutes until lightly golden — cool. Toast a further 25g for decoration — cool separately.
- Rinse cherries under warm water — dry very thoroughly. Halve. Toss in 2 tbsp plain flour — shake off excess.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line a deep 20cm springform tin.
- Beat butter and sugar 4–5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Sift in flour and baking powder. Add 100g toasted coconut and coconut cream — fold gently. Fold in floured cherry halves with 4–5 gentle strokes.
- Spoon into tin. Bake 45–55 minutes until golden and skewer comes out clean. Cover after 35 minutes if browning too quickly. Cool in tin 20 minutes — cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add icing sugar in 2 batches. Add coconut cream and vanilla — beat 1–2 minutes. Do not overbeat.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake. Scatter 25g toasted coconut. Arrange glacé cherries on top.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh cherries instead of glacé?
Fresh cherries give a less sweet, more natural flavour but significantly more moisture. If using fresh cherries, stone and halve them, dry them thoroughly, and expect the batter to be slightly wetter. Reduce the coconut cream by one tablespoon to compensate.
Can I use maraschino cherries?
Yes — rinse and dry them very thoroughly as the syrup they sit in is particularly sticky. The colour is slightly more vivid than glacé cherries.
Can I leave out the frosting?
Yes — the cake is very good without it. Dust the top generously with icing sugar instead and arrange the whole glacé cherries on top for the simplest possible decoration.
Can I make this as a traybake?
Yes — pour into a greased and lined 30x23cm traybake tin. Bake at the same temperature for 30 to 35 minutes. Spread the frosting over the cooled sponge and scatter the toasted coconut and halved cherries over the top.
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