Cherry Almond Cake Mary Berry Recipes

EASY CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C/160C Fan/Gas 3½. Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin (approximately 13x23cm/5x9in) with baking paper.
• Cut the cherries in half, tip into a sieve and rinse well under warm water to remove the sticky syrup. Dry well on kitchen paper and tip the cherries into a bowl, add the plain flour, mix well to coat and set aside.
• Cream together the softened butter and 175g/6oz caster sugar until really pale and light. This will take 3-4 minutes and is quicker and easier using a freestanding mixer but an electric hand whisk also works well. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix well between each addition.
• Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix again to combine.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the bowl, add the ground almonds and milk and beat until smooth and thoroughly combined.
• Fold the cherries into the mixture and spoon into the prepared loaf tin. Spread level with the back of a spoon, sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar and scatter with the flaked almonds. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 1 hour until the cake is golden-brown, well-risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly loosely cover the top with a sheet of foil for the last 15 minutes.
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then carefully lift out onto a cooling rack and leave until cold before slicing.

CHERRY LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and almond extract (if using).
• Toss the cherries with 2 tbsp of the flour in a bowl. Tip the rest of the flour, the ground almonds, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the bowl with the sugar and eggs, and mix until just combined. Fold in the cherries and any remaining flour in the bowl. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth over the top.
• Bake for 50-55 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve as it is, or mix the icing sugar with the extract and enough milk to make a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle over the loaf cake, and scatter over the flaked almonds to serve.

CHERRY & MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and butter and line a 20cm round, loose-bottomed deep cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar together with electric beaters or a tabletop mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 250g flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice and beat well till thick, creamy and evenly mixed.
• Toss cherries in the extra 2 tbsp flour and fold into the batter along with grated marzipan and almond essence (if using). Spoon into the prepared tin, level and bake for 1 hr 30 mins, or until well risen and golden. A skewer will come out clean when ready. Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Mix the icing sugar with just over 1 tbsp water to make a loose but not-too-runny icing. Scatter the almonds over the top of the cake and position the 12 glace cherries around the edge, using a dot of the icing to fix. Drizzle the icing over the cake and finish with a scattering of orange zest.

EASY CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line the base and sides of a 20cm deep cake tin. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one by one. Fold in the almond extract, flour, ground almonds and baking powder, followed by the cherries and milk.
• Scrape into the prepared tin, scatter over the flaked almonds, then bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins. Cool the cake in its tin before serving.