Coconut and cherry bundt cake

Those of you that have come here via Instagram will know that I have an abundance of cherries at the moment and am slightly obsessed with them. They’re so beautiful! I also have a gorgeous new Nordic Ware cake tin and wanted to do something with both, so I decided to write myself a new cake recipe. We’ve had a bit of a roller coaster few weeks, with Archie’s supper club, followed by his 1st birthday, so we just wanted a slightly low key and quiet weekend. And personally there isn’t much better on a lazy day than baking, writing and eating warm cake in the glorious sunshine (I would say with a cup of tea but lets be honest, I’m on the sauvignon).

 

I’m chuffed to bits with how this has turned out. Its relatively simple and really delicious, it tastes so familiar. A bit like a super moist (sorry) English madeleine – does anyone remember them? My mum used to make them for us with custard! (Nothing like the dainty French ones). I’ll definitely be making this again, as I imagine it will keep well too, and so far is a big hit with everyone who has tried it. Also, importantly, it works amazingly in my new cake tin and looks just gorgeous.

COCONUT AND CHERRY BUNDT CAKE

Serves 16

• 250g unsalted butter, room temperature (plus extra for greasing)
• 650g caster sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large eggs, free range or organic
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 350g plain flour (plus extra for the tin)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 x 400ml tin of reduced fat coconut milk
• 75g unsweetened desiccated coconut (or coconut shavings that are blitzed up)
• 200g fresh cherries, stones removed
• 75g maraschino cherries, or glace cherries

Start by preheating your oven to 180/ 350/ gas mark 4. Grease your bundt tin with butter (I use a pastry brush to get into all the nooks and crannies) and then liberally dust with flour, and shake out the excess.

Blitz 150g of the fresh cherries with the maraschino cherries in a food processor till you have a puree, then leave to one side.

In a free standing mixer, or by hand with some elbow grease, beat together the butter and 500g of the caster sugar until it is pale and light. Gradually beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract and salt. Beat in half of the flour and baking powder, just enough to combine, followed by 300ml of the coconut milk. Gently fold in the remaining flour and baking powder with a large metal spoon, then finish by folding in the coconut.

Fill your bundt tin by a 1/3 with the cake mixture, then evenly spoon over 1/3 of the cherry puree, gently rippling it into the batter. Repeat twice, so both mixtures are used up, then pop the tin into the oven and bake for around 50 minutes – 1 hour, until your cake is golden and cooked through. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Whilst the cake is baking make the glaze. Pour the remaining 100ml coconut milk into a small pan with the remaining 150g caster and fresh cherries. Pop onto a medium heat and gently bring to a rolling boil, swirling to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat a little, just enough to keep the syrup lightly bubbling, for around 8 minutes, until thickened and syrupy. When the cake has been turned onto a cooling rack evenly drizzle over the coconut syrup. Drizzle with 2/3 of the syrup and keep the rest for serving.