Line the bottom of a 6” (15cm) springform pan with parchment paper, grease lightly and sprinkle with coconut flakes.
Separate the eggs, beat the egg whites together with the sugar until stiff and set aside. Beat the egg yolks for 2-3 minutes, then add the butter, cream cheese and milk.
Mix the dry ingredients (flour, raw cocoa, baking powder and salt) and combine with the liquid mixture.
Carefully fold in the beaten egg white using a spoon and not an electric mixer (you want to keep the volume of the egg white and the air bubble that has formed – this makes the cake fluffy and soft). Add the cherries at the end.
Pour the dough into the springform pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Chill the cake for 10 minutes and take it out of the springform pan. Let it cool down completely and cut it into two equal parts.
Vanilla cream
Once the cake has cooled down, cut it into 4 even slices. Arrange the slices on a plate and spread the cream evenly on each slice. Decorate with fresh cherries.
Assembling the cake
In a bowl, combine the cream, vanilla bean and icing sugar and mix with a whisk until the cream thickens and remains lightly on a spoon.