Cherry Cake

(Copied from old blog...originally posted 25th April 2009)

I decided to have a bit of baking therapy today. I've been suffering with a migraine for the past day or two so whilst the kids were a-napping I thought I make a cake to take my mind off the fact that my head feels like it's going to explode. I wasn't sure what kind of cake I fancied but settled on Cherry Cake. I think the appeal of this one is that it doesn't need any icing - I think I have had a bit of an icing overload recently so it's definitely a welcome break.

The worst part of making this cake was quartering the sodding glace cherries - what an icky sticky job that was but a necessary evil. I'll take this opportunity to talk cherries - it's quite important that after quartering the cherries you wash and dry them thoroughly. This should stop them sinking to the bottom of the cake but I make no promises.

Apart from that, it's a very straightforward cake (if not one with a really long baking time, but you do have to play it by ear). Perfect cake for an English afternoon tea.

Cherry Cake

Ingredients

150g glace cherries
225g self-raising flour
50g ground almonds
1.5 tsp baking powder
200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
4 eggs

Method

Lightly grease the cake tin (7" tin) and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 160c/325f/gas 3.

Cut each cherry into quarters and rinse under cold running water to remove excess syrup. Drain well and dry very thoroughly on kitchen paper.

Place all the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and beat well for about 1 minute to mix thoroughly. Carefully fold in the cherries.

Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1-1.5hours until the cake is well risen, golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

This cake can be made either by hand or with an electric mixer. I generally always use my mixer as I am a lazy moo. I also find if using an electric mixer that if you give the butter a quick beat before adding the other ingredients it mixes a lot better.

Anyhow, this cake turned out really well - quite moist but firm and dry on the outside, although I did still have a bit of cherry sinkage in places but that could have been down to bad mixing on my part! Still yum though and enjoyed by all members of the family!

love & kisses
Mrs M x