This simple loaf cake is cherry delicious!
Mary Berry says that the secret of a good cherry cake is to have the fruit evenly distributed rather than it all sinking to the bottom. I’ve never quite mastered this trick although in this loaf cake, the ground almonds help as does rinsing and drying the cherries of all the sticky syrup.
I originally made this cake in a round tin but I followed in my mother’s footsteps and baked this as a loaf. My mum has all kinds of baking tins but loaf tins are her favourite, she swears that cakes bake better in a loaf shape. I’m not sure I concur with mum on the Great Baking Tins Debate but I must agree, that in this case, mother is always right!
I like to add a few flaked almonds on the top of the cake because it looks pretty and it adds a bit of crunch but they’re entirely optional and rather than the cherry on the cake, they’re the almonds on the cake!
Have you got a favourite baking tin? Do you have any baking secrets to share?
Ingredients
200g glace cherries
175g soft unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour, sifted
pinch of salt
50g ground almonds
handful of flaked almonds, optional
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 170C. Lightly grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- Halve the cherries and rinse under the hot tap to remove all their sticky coating. Drain well, then leave to dry between several sheets of kitchen paper.
- Sift the flour and salt and set aside.
- Put the soft butter into a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer and beat well for a minute until creamy. Add the sugar and beat well until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the ground almonds.
- Tip the cherries into a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of the sifted flour. Sift the rest of the flour into the bowl and carefully fold into the mixture. Finally tip in the cherries, plus any remaining flour int the bowl, and carefully fold together all the ingredients.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Make a slight hollow in the centre of the cake so that it will rise and bake evenly and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until firm to the touch. Cover with foil if the cake is browning too quickly.
- Remove the tin from the oven and stand it on a wire rack. When the cake is completely cold, carefully remove it from the tin and peel off the lining paper. Store in an airtight container.
How to – Thermomix
- Preheat oven to 170C. Lightly grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- Halve the cherries and rinse under the hot tap to remove all their sticky coating. Drain well, then leave to dry between several sheets of kitchen paper.
- Place butter in TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7.
- Insert the butterfly, add the sugar and mix for 30 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again for another
- 30 seconds on speed 4.
- Remove butterfly and scrape down sides. With the blades running on speed 3, add the eggs one at a time through the hole in the lid, beating well after each addition. This should take about 30 seconds.
- Add the almonds and mix for 5 seconds on reverse speed 4.
- Tip the cherries into a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of the sifted flour.
- Add the rest of the flour and the salt into TM bowl and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again for another 10-15 seconds on speed 4.
- Add the cherries, plus any remaining flour in the bowl, and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 2. If necessary, fold the cherries through with the spatula.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly.Make a slight hollow in the centre of the cake so that it will rise and bake evenly and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until firm to the touch. Cover with foil if the cake is browning too quickly.
- Remove the tin from the oven and stand it on a wire rack. When the cake is completely cold, carefully remove it from the tin and peel off the lining paper. Store in an airtight container.
