Sweet Coconut Bread

Fresh cherries, grated coconut, and mixed peel are the star ingredients in this sweet coconut bread recipe, a favorite in the Bahamas.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 1 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 31 mins
• Calories: 225 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 tablespoon water, or more if needed
• 4 ounces candied mixed fruit peel
• 2 (8 ounce) packages grated coconut
• 4 ounces fresh cherries, pitted and cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon mixed essence
• 5 teaspoons white sugar, or more to taste
• 0.5 cup milk
• 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup shortening
• 0.25 cup baking powder
• 3.5 cups brown sugar
• 0.75 cup seedless raisins

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease five 8x4-inch baking pans.

Step 2

Combine brown sugar, coconut, flour, raisins, fruit peel, cherries, baking powder, mixed essence, and nutmeg in a large bowl using a large wooden spoon.

Step 3

Combine margarine and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour melted mixture into flour mixture, alternating with milk, until batter is just mixed. Add water, a teaspoon at a time, if more moisture is needed.

Step 4

Pour batter into the prepared baking pans, smoothing the tops with the back of a wet spoon. Sprinkle white sugar over each loaf.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert onto cooking racks.