CHERRY CAKE

I love to consume fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits in cooking up family meals and baking desserts/cakes. It gives me diversity and a new look and new flavours to the same old things.

If you ever had BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES/MUFFINS, and are really fond of them, then you have to have this cake. I love blueberry cupcakes myself, and find out that this recipe is really close to them. This cake is SUPER MOIST, and the addition of almond meals gives it an amazing hint. We are all familiar with the magic of BALCK FOREST CAKE( which also requires cherries as a major ingredients), every bakery is filled up with lots and lots of these. But this particular cake is different from black forest cake in the sense that it doesn't require any icing to make it moist. It is moist in itself because of the addition of fresh chopped cherries. Here is the recipe

Recipe courtesy: Joy of baking

RECIPE

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 grams) 
• 3/4 pound (350 grams) fresh sweet cherries, divided
• 1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (55 grams) ground almonds (or almond meal)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
•  3/4 cup granulated white sugar (150 grams) (I used fine granulated)
• 1tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4tsp pure almond extract(optional)(I added it)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C.
2. Grease a 9' baking pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper. 
3. In a small sauce, melt the butter. Remove from flame and let it comes to room temperature.
4. Rinse, dry, and pit all the cherries.
5. Then take about 14 cherries (about 1/3), cut them in half, and set them aside (place on a sheet of paper towel, cut side down) to be placed on the top of the cake during baking. 
6. To the rest of the cherries, cut into quarters (to be folded into the cake batter).
7. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt. 
8. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and light coloured (about 3-5 minutes).
9. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
10. Then fold in, with a rubber spatula or wire whisk, the melted and cooled butter and milk just until incorporated. 
11. Next, fold in the flour mixture just until moistened.
12. Gently fold in the quartered cherries.
13. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the surface.
14. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven.
15. Quickly arrange the remaining cherries, cut side down, on the top of the cake. 
16. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean.
17. Cool for 10-15mins
18. Enjoy warm with a cup of tea/coffee or serve cold with dollop of cream/Ice cream and seasonal fruits for a pleasing dessert.

*If you find the cake over browning, cover it with a piece of aluminium foil.

Fareeha Furhan.