Grease and flour a 900g (2 pound) loaf tin. You can use lard, butter, or oil, but lard is recommended for best results.

Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F) or gas mark 4. If your oven is fan-assisted, set it to 150°C (302°F).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and oil. Use sunflower oil for extra lightness and moisture.

Add the granulated sugar, vanilla extract, desiccated coconut, and salt to the bowl.

If you don’t like coconut, you can substitute it with raisins, sultanas, or lemon zest, or simply leave it as a plain vanilla cake.

Add the baking powder and self-raising flour (or plain flour with the additional baking powder) to the mixture.

Whisk everything together until well combined. The batter will be a bit runnier than ordinary cake batter, which is expected.

Pour the batter into the greased and floured loaf tin.

Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes.

After 50 minutes, check the cake with a cocktail stick. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it’s still sticky, bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully take the cake out of the tin. If it’s reluctant to come out, run a thin-bladed knife around the edges of the tin.

Spread a generous amount of your favorite jam on top of the cake. Strawberry jam is recommended.

Sprinkle extra desiccated coconut over the top of the jam.

Cut into slices and enjoy. This cake is fantastic served on its own or with custard for a delicious dessert.