Free Cooking Recipes

A moist cake which is simple to make, it keeps well and retains its freshness for at least 10 days if it is stored in a tightly- covered cake tin. With this cake, as with all cherry cakes, there is always the problem that the cherries tend to sink to the bottom of the cake. Some cooks recommend rolling the cherries lightly in flour before adding them to the cake batter. This method,
however, is not always effective. But whether the cherries are well-distributed or sink to the bottom, this cake is delicious.

4 oz. [1 cup] plus 1 teaspoon
softened butter
5 oz. [3/4 cup] castor sugar
3 large eggs
51/2, oz. [2/3 cup] almonds, blanched and ground
11/2 oz. plus 2 teaspoons [1/2 cup] self-raising flour
4 oz. cup] glace cherries, cut in half
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to moderate 350°F (Gas Mark 4, 180°C).
2. Evenly smear 1 teaspoon of butter on the bottom and the sides of a 63/4- x 31/4-inch round cake tin. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of flour. Shake the cake tin from side to side to coat the inside surface with a fine film of flour. Tip out excess flour.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon until it is very creamy.
4. Add the sugar and beat well until the mixture is light and creamy. Beating continuously, add the eggs one at a time alternating with spoonfuls of ground almonds.
5. Fold in the flour, cherries and vanilla essence. Turn into the prepared cake tin, gently tapping the tin on the table so that the mixture settles evenly. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a warm, dry skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.