Preheat and Prepare: Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Grease a round cake tin (about 20cm in diameter) with a little butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper to ensure your cake can be easily removed once baked.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift the self-raising flour. Add the demerara sugar and desiccated coconut, mixing well to combine.
Add Butter and Eggs: Work the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs and milk, mixing until you have a smooth, thick batter.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, sprinkle with a little extra desiccated coconut to decorate before serving.
