For Lucy’s sister’s birthday party, I made a cherry bakewell cake. This cake is rich in almond favour with a tang from Greek yogurt, and the juicy cherry compote balances out the sweetness of the frosting. You can use whatever type of cherries you want — fresh, tinned, sour, candied, compote, jam — they’re all good! I decorated the cake with maraschino cherries, which were a bit sweet for me, but very pretty! If you can find them, freeze dried cherries are a bright, tart option for decorating.
For more cherry recipes see: Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes and Black Forest Gateau
Adapted from Every Nook & Cranny recipe.
Ingredients:
- 150g. softened butter
- 200g. caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 200g. Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 245g. all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 25g. ground almonds
To Fill:
- 1/2 cup cherry compote (I used Bonne Maman) – You can also use halved fresh or frozen cherries, or glacé cherries.
- 100g. soft butter
- 200g. icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
To Decorate:
- Icing sugar (for glaze)
- Lemon juice (for glaze)
- maraschino cherries for topping
Instructions:
Grease and line two 8 inch cake tins with reusable liners or parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Beat the butter and the sugar on high for several minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, and then add the yogurt and almond extract.
Sift over the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and fold in gently.
Divide the batter between the two tins and spread evenly.
If you are using fresh/frozen cherries, toss these in the ground almonds and then press them evenly into the batter. I used some of the whole cherries from the compote.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until light golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool a few minutes before transferring to cool completely on wire racks.
Make you buttercream by mixing the butter until light and fluffy, and then sifting in the icing sugar, adding in the almond extract at the end. If it is too stiff, add a drop of water.
Spread an even layer of buttercream on the bottom cake layer, then add a generous layer of cherry compote.
Add the top layer of cake. Then, prepare a glaze by mixing icing sugar with water and lemon juice until you get a runny consistency. Drizzle over the cake.
I piped buttercream and added maraschino cherries, but you can decorate as you wish!
Let the glaze set before serving.
