Mary Berry Cherry and Coconut Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's cherry and coconut cake is a fragrant, moist coconut sponge studded with glacé cherries — a beautiful, classic British bake.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Cooling Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings: 10 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 460

Cherry and Coconut Cake:
200 g unsalted butter softened
200 g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
200 g self-raising flour sifted
1 tsp baking powder
100 g desiccated coconut toasted until lightly golden
3 tbsp coconut cream from full-fat tin
1 tsp vanilla extract
200 g glacé cherries rinsed, dried thoroughly, halved, and tossed in 2 tbsp plain flour
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
150 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
50 g unsalted butter softened
200 g icing sugar sifted
3 tbsp coconut cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
Decoration:
8 –10 glacé cherries whole or halved
25 g desiccated coconut toasted

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.

Rinse, dry, and flour the cherries — the single most important step for keeping them from sinking.

Toast the coconut before baking — the fragrance and flavour difference is dramatic.

Use coconut cream not coconut milk — richer and more concentrated.

Do not overbeat the cream cheese frosting — it becomes runny after 2 minutes.

The glacé cherry decoration signals the flavour immediately — do not omit it.

Freeze unfrosted for up to 3 months.