Cheery Cherry Lemon Cake Recipes

MARY'S CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 23cm/9in bundt tin or savarin mould with butter.
• Cut the cherries into quarters. Set aside five of the quartered cherries for the decoration later. Put the rest of the quartered cherries in a sieve and rinse under running water. Drain well then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper and toss in two tablespoons of the flour.
• Measure all the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and beat well for two minutes to mix thoroughly. Lightly fold in the cherries. Turn into the prepared tin.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until well risen, golden-brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
• For the icing, mix the icing sugar together with the lemon juice to a thick paste. Drizzle over the cooled cake using the back of a spoon, sprinkle over the toasted almonds and reserved cherries.

LEMON CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Pat cherries dry with paper towels; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk., Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with cherries. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack., For topping, in a bowl, beat cream cheese, lemon juice and peel until smooth. Beat in enough confectioners' sugar until mixture achieves desired consistency. Cut cake; top each piece with a dollop of topping.

CHERRY POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat.
• Vigorously whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cornmeal, flour and salt, smoothing out any lumps. Whisk in the milk and almond extract.
• Add the butter to a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet over direct heat. When the butter has melted, swirl it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Right before you are ready to pour the batter into the pan, give the batter another whisk. (Cornmeal tends to sink to the bottom so re-whisking right before pouring it in is important.) Pour the batter into the cast-iron and cook until the batter begins to set, about 5 minutes. Every few minutes, using a rubber spatula, move some of the batter from the edges to the middle, like making scrambled eggs, to help it cook.
• Remove the skillet from the grill and distribute the cherries evenly over the surface of the cake. Place the cast-iron over indirect heat, close the grill and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the grill and immediately sprinkle it with the remaining teaspoon of granulated sugar. Allow to cool slightly before loosening and sliding it onto a plate. Slice and serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.
• (Alternatively, you can begin to bake the cake over medium-high heat on a stovetop, then finish it in a 375 degrees F oven for 30 minutes.)

SWEET CHERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch cake pan (or cast-iron skillet), add the cherries, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and 2 tablespoons melted butter; toss gently to combine. Place in the oven for up to 10 minutes to begin softening the cherries while you make the cake batter.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, sour cream, vanilla and baking soda with the remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Sprinkle the flour over top then fold it in until evenly combined and a thick batter is formed.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a medium mixing bowl with a handheld electric beater, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes or until stiff. Add 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold, then add the remaining egg whites and fold until fully incorporated, trying to keep as much air as possible in the whites.
• Remove the hot pan from the oven, shake it gently to toss the fruit a final time, then dollop the cake batter over the top, and gently spread it evenly to the edges. (It's OK if some fruit juice or cherries pool over the edges of the batter.)
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, run a butter knife around the edges, and then allow it to rest for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting it onto a lipped platter to catch any juices.
• Once the cake has cooled, make the lemon whipped cream, if desired: In the cleaned bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a medium mixing bowl using a handheld beater, add the heavy cream, lemon juice and granulated sugar, and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds to thicken and combine, then turn the speed to high and beat until desired stiffness.
• Serve the cake at room temperature, with lemon whipped cream, if using.

SOUR CHERRY AND LEMON ICE-BOX CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly grease the baking tin and line the base with parchment paper. If you want to remove the cake from the tin to serve, you can line the tin with a piece of parchment paper that overhangs the two long sides.
• For the cherry compote, place the cherries, kirsch, sugar and lemon juice into a large saucepan and cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the fruit softens and releases a lot of juice. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cherries to a heatproof bowl, leaving the syrup in the pan. Continue cooking the syrup until it is reduced to about 240 ml (8½ fl oz / 1 cup).
• Place the cornflour in a small bowl and whisk in a little of the cherry syrup to form a smooth paste. Add this to the cherry syrup in the pan and simmer, stirring, for a couple of minutes, or until slightly thickened. Pour the syrup over the fruit, cool slightly, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until cool.
• For the filling, whisk together the mascarpone, icing sugar, 600 ml (20 fl oz / 2½ cups) of the cream and the vanilla in a bowl until the mixture just starts to hold its shape. Add the lemon curd and continue whisking until the mixture holds soft peaks.
• To assemble the dessert, spread a thin layer of the lemon cream over the base of the prepared tin, then cover with a layer of biscuits, breaking them up as needed. Spread over half of the remaining lemon cream and then dollop over about a third of the cherry compote. Repeat the layering a second time and then finish with a final layer of biscuits.
• Cover the tin with clingfilm and refrigerate or freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
• Just before serving, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks and spread over the dessert. Cut into slices and serve each portion with a spoonful of the remaining compote.
• Store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; if refrigerated, it will keep for 3-4 days.