Cherry Cake

Ingredients

• 200g (7oz) red glace cherries
• 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 175g (6oz) softened unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• 50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
• 3 large eggs

For the decoration:

• 175g (6oz) icing sugar
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 15g (½oz) flaked almonds, toasted
• 5 red glace cherries (quartered)

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 23cm/9in bundt tin or savarin mould with butter.
2. 2
   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.
3. 3
   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.
4. 4
   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.
5. 5
   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.