Recipe: Fresh cherry and almond cake

Fresh cherry and almond cake. Picture / Babiche Martens.

FRESH CHERRY AND ALMOND CAKE
Serves 8-10

• 110g butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp almond essence
• 1 cup ground almonds
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup fresh cherries, halved, stones removed

Topping
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup cherries
• 1 Tbsp icing sugar

1. Set the oven to 180C. Line the base of a 20cm tin with baking paper and grease the sides.

2. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla and almond essences. Fold through the ground almonds, flour and baking powder. Lastly, fold through the cherries then pour into your lined tin.

3. In a small bowl mix the slivered almonds and sugar. Sprinkle around the outside of the cake. Place cake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool.

4. Serve on a plate, piled high with cherries and dusted generously with icing sugar. A bowl of lightly whipped cream is the perfect accompaniment.

- VIVA