Cherry Bakewell Cake

I had never heard of such a thing as a Cherry Bakewell Cake.  Reading the recipe I saw that it was really a sponge cake with a flavour of Bakewell Tart, and the addition of cherries.  I thought I would try it, and made it on the same day as I made my Bakewell Tart.  

I got the recipe from BBC Good Food and followed it precisely.  The end result was a most enjoyable cake, though I must admit that my preference would always be the traditional Bakewell Tart.

In the photos belowe you may notice that the cake is on the upturned lid of a plastic box.  I have come up with this as a nifty method of transporting the cakes I make, to my family’s house.  If I put them in the plastic box and then put the lid on it is difficult to remove them without making a lot of mess, and risking mashing the cake.  However, by putting the cake on the lid and then placing the box over the top, and sealing it, it is then very easy to get the cake out later.

• 200g butter, well softened, plus extra for greasing
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp almond extract or essence
• 4 large eggs

• ½ a 340g jar morello cherry conserve
• 175g icing sugar
• 5-6 tsp water or lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ready-toasted flaked almonds

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and make sure there’s a shelf ready in the middle. Butter and line the bases of 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins with baking paper.
2. Using electric beaters, beat together all the cake ingredients with a pinch of salt until smooth, then spoon into the tins and level the tops. Bake for 30 mins or until golden and springy. Don’t open the oven before 25 mins cooking time has passed.
3. When they’re ready, cool the sponges for a few mins, then tip out of the tins and cool completely on a wire rack. Make sure the top of one of the cakes is facing up as you’ll want a smooth surface for the icing later on.
4. When cool, put one sponge on a serving plate, then spread with jam. Sandwich the second sponge on top. Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl. Add the water or lemon juice, then stir until smooth and thick. Spread evenly over the top and let it dribble over the sides. Scatter with the nuts and leave to set for a few mins before cutting.