So English, so traditional, and so, so delicious...yes, it's the charming cherry cake of old that everyone knows and loves!!! My take on cherry cake is flavoured with fresh lemon juice and zest for a delightful zingyness and extra moistness. It makes a gorgeous accompaniment to a cup of tea in the afternoon, or served warm with lashings of custard.
Ingredients...
- 200 g margarine/butter, softened
- 200 g caster sugar
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 75 g ground almonds
- 200 g glacé cherries
- finely grated zest and juice of one medium lemon
Method :)
- Grease a 20 cm round cake tin. Line the base and sides with non stick baking paper.
- Preheat oven to 160c/fan 140c.
- Rinse the glacé cherries in a sieve under the cold tap. Shake them well and then dry on kitchen paper or with a clean tea towel. Then, quarter the cherries with a sharp knife.
- beat the butter or the margarine in a bowl with an electric mixer until very soft. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when you're down and whisk briefly once again so it is all nicely incorporated.
- Beat the eggs lightly in a jug, and then pour about a quarter of the eggs into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat well, and then add another quarter, and beat again. Repeat with the remaining two quarters.
- Put the quartered cherries into a bowl and add the almonds and a good spoon of flour. Mix well.
- Sieve in the remaining flour and the baking powder. fold in gently with a large metal spoon.
- Add the cherry mixture and fold gently in once more, and then fold in the lemon zest and juice.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin.
- Bake for 1 hour -1 hr and 10 minutes. After an hour check to see if it is ready. It should be a deep golden brown colour and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Be very careful though that it doesn't go too dark. If the skewer comes out clean remove from the oven; if its sticky with batter, return to the oven and check once again in 5-10 minutes.
- Leave in the tin for about 20minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper and leave to cool.
Yumm.... looks delicious Emmy. I will have to try one of your recipes one of these days but I know that the end result wont look anywhere near as good as yours. Have you considered making a career out of your baking one day? XX karly :)
ReplyDeleteawww thanks hun!! Are there any traditional Tanzanian cakes that you can tell me about? ;) I would love to Karly, I'd love to have my own bakery..I'm just uncertain as to whether it would be possible with the current economic climate :/ but everyone is allowed to dream I suppose hun! xxx
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