Cherry and almond cake

24 cm tin

Ingredients

• frozen (or fresh) cherries — 400 g
• almonds (whole or flaked) — a handful
• sugar — 150 g
• butter — 180 g
• eggs — 4
• vanilla in any form — to taste
• flour — 200 g
• baking powder — 2 tsp

Method

1. Thaw the cherries and drain the juice.
2. Beat 180 g of butter with the sugar and vanilla to a light cream; the mixture will turn pale.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to beat. At first the batter will look split — that is normal, it smooths out once the flour goes in.
4. Add half of the flour and beat. Then add the rest with the baking powder. The batter should be smooth.
5. Grease the tin with butter. A 24 cm tin works well; larger is fine, smaller is not.
6. Spread the batter in the tin. Arrange the cherries on top, without their juice, and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Slice the almonds into thin flakes, or use ready-made flaked almonds, and scatter them over the cake.
8. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 40–50 minutes. Go by your own oven and always check with a skewer.