Cherry coconut cakes

Light little coconut cakes with a cherry topping. An alternative to cup cakes and just as pretty.

• Cooking: 18 mins
• Serves: 12

What you need:

For the cakes:

• 80g desiccated coconut
• 125g unsalted butter, melted
• 275g icing sugar, sifted
• 75g plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 5 egg whites
• 100g French glace cherries, chopped
• For the glaze:
• 250ml cherry juice
• 150g caster sugar
• 12 whole French glace cherries, to garnish
• desiccated coconut to garnish

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 180c. Grease a large 12-hole muffin tin and line the bottoms with a small circle of non-stick baking paper.
2. In a small saucepan, make the glaze by boiling the sugar, cherry juice and French glace cherries until syrupy, for 3-4 minutes. It should be the consistency of honey. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
3. In a large bowl, add all of the cake ingredients. Using a handheld electric mixer, mix for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Divide between the 12 holes and bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 2 minutes and then run a knife around the edges. Top with a wire rack and turn over. Let cool completely on the rack.
4. To serve, place one French glace cherry on top of each cake. Pour 1 teaspoon of the glaze over and let it run a bit down the sides. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

Cook's tip:

Use a large muffin tin to bake these sweet little cakes and be sure to line the bottoms with a circle of non-stick parchment paper so they come out easily.

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