Cherry and Hazelnut Cake

, from Issue #41. August, 2015
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Cherry and Hazelnut Cake

This is a great cake to end the meal or to serve at a morning or afternoon tea. It has a chewy, fudgy centre with a crisp meringue-like crust. Other fruits such as plums and apricots can also be used.

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

1 x 425 gram tin pitted black cherries, well drained
2 eggs
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
100 grams hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped

To serve
icing sugar for dusting
softly whipped cream

22 cm round spring form cake tin, well greased and the base lined with baking paper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 150˚C.

Place the cherries between paper towels and press gently to remove excess liquid. Divide in half and reserve one half for the topping.

Beat the eggs, both sugars and the vanilla until light and fluffy and tripled in volume.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and hazelnuts in a large bowl. Using a large metal spoon, gently but thoroughly fold the flour mixture and one half of the cherries into the eggs, making sure there are no hidden pockets of flour in the batter. Tip into the tin then dot the remaining cherries over the top of the batter. Don’t push them into the batter. Bake for 1 hour until the top is crisp and golden. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely.

To serve: Gently run a knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the sides of the cake. Remove the cake from the tin and peel off the lining paper. Place on a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream. The cake will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.