Ingredients

250g/9oz self-raising flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g/4oz butter
75g/3oz desiccated coconut
125g/4oz caster sugar
200g/7oz glacé cherries chopped in halves.
2 eggs beaten
225ml/8 fl oz milk
25g/1oz shredded coconut, a few extra glacé cherries

Method

1. Base line a 20.5cm (8 inch) round cake tin or a long cake tin with buttered greaseproof paper, or grease the inside of the tin with butter and dust with flour.

2. Sieve the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter. Stir in the desiccated coconut, sugar and cherries.

3. Whisk together the eggs and milk then briskly beat it into the other ingredients until the mixture stiffens.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin levelling the top and scatter over the shredded coconut. Add a few whole cherries in a row along the centre.

5. Bake in the oven at 180° (350°F) mark 4 for about 1½ hours. Cover with foil after the first 40 minutes.

6. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.