Cherry, pistachio & coconut cake from Honey & Co.: Food from the Middle East (page 257) by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • cholbrook on December 25, 2025

    Can sub mahleb with a pinch of ground cardamom, and some ground cinnamon too.

  • cholbrook on December 25, 2025

    Incredibly easy to make! Can be made the day before and then heat up individual slices with a drizzle of cream on it, if you’re preparing it for a dessert to a ‘big meal’

  • metacritic on November 03, 2020

    Very easy and totally satisfying. I made with plum but will look forward to trying with other stone fruits - esp cherries - in months ahead.

  • Miquette on July 10, 2020

    I thought this was fantastic! My MIL gave me a jar of ground mahleb and this was the first time I've used it. I baked mine in a 9-inch springform lined with parchment. My springform has a ceramic base and silicone sides, so I did not have any problems with overbaking along the edges. Took it out of the oven at 38 minutes as per the recipe instructions once the cake was golden brown between the cherries. I was concerned that it may need to bake longer based on previous comments, but was perfectly moist and set in the center after cooling.

  • Sparkles75 on July 26, 2019

    Love this cake! So simple and the payoff is fantastic. I didn't have mahleb so used cardamom instead. Excited to see what it would taste like with the mahleb

  • stockholm28 on July 04, 2018

    This is a delicious cake, but I used the wrong pan and it was overbaked along the edges. It calls for a ring pan. I used a springform pan lined with parchment. I had to cook it an additional 15 minutes so that the center was not raw, but the edges ended up really dark. The flavors are fantastic; the coconut, almond flour, pistachios, cherries, and mahlab result in an addictive flavor. It is primarily made with almond flour and there is a small amount of self-raising flour. I subbed A.P. and a 1/2 tsp of baking powder. It could easily be adapted to be gluten free. It only takes one bowl (plus something to melt the butter and grind pistachios). I had never cooked with mahlab and the house smelled wonderful while it was baking. I used sour cherries.

  • TrishaCP on July 09, 2017

    Hi, yes I did use a dark-colored pan, so a lower cooking time would likely help (at least for part of the bake). Definitely worth tinkering with, the cake is delicious! Thanks for your note.

  • a2cook on July 09, 2017

    TrishaCP: Did you use a dark colored pan by any chance? I used a Williams Sonoma gold touch 9-inch round pan and didn't have any issues after making the timing adjustments mentioned in my original note. Perhaps try decreasing the temperature to 350 or 325 and increasing the baking time.

  • TrishaCP on July 09, 2017

    This is a great tasting cake- the mahlab is very intoxicating and it is different (in a good way) in flavor profiles I usually use in baking. I had a really bad bake with it however, most likely due to changes I made since I didn't have the right pan. (I also used a 9 inch round cake pan.). As mentioned below, I did need to bake it longer to get it cooked in the middle (probably 10 minutes more), and this is what caused the problem. By the time it was baked through in the middle, the cake had gotten really hard and firm on the edges- very close to being burned- which made it impossible to turn out of the pan. Although I had greased the pan well, the edges were simply stuck to the pan. If you don't have a ring cake pan, I would definitely consider a spring-form pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom, which would make it easier if you get the tough edges that I got.

  • a2cook on June 19, 2016

    This is a fantastic cake with a very unique combination of flavors! It tasted even better the next day! This is the first time I used mahlab, and it lends such an enticing, intoxicating scent throughout the house while the cake is baking. I used a 9 inch round cake pan, instead of the ring cake pan recommended in the book, so I needed a few extra minutes to get the middle baked (around 43 minutes total) I can see this cake working well with coconut oil or even a mild olive oil as a substitute for the melted butter.

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