[chrissie B]

just made a cherry almond cake and i have a ritual which never fail which is once in the cake is in the ove i cover the glass door and dont peek till times up so what did i do i peeked and my cake sank in the middle on the up side tastes great
chrissie b

[LilacSandy]

If you would like to send us all a slice Chrissie we can test it for you. 

[mumofstig]

If you would like to send us all a slice Chrissie we can test it for you. 

I like your style, Sandy 

[chrissie B]

dont know why the cherrys sank it wasent a thin cake , tomorrow ive got a few for dinner they cook i cope with the mess so im throwing some custard on whats left .
chrissie b

[Auntiemogs]

My Nan always used to give them a quick 'jiggle' (sorry, can't find the word) with some flour?

Still, would be lovely if we could test the recipe for you (my goals are lower than Sandy's, lol!)? 

[mumofstig]

In Home Economics Lessons (anyone remember them?  ) I was taught to wash all the sticky off and dry them before adding to the cake.

[tosca100]

Mmmmmmm my favourite cake. My mum always used to make it for my birthday.

I use a James Martin recipe which is delicious, but the cherries nearly all sink, even if they are washed and floured. Even when he makes it apparently.  But I would always use whole cherries (love the juicy texture of them) and I suppose cutting them smaller would help with not sinking.

Just wouldn't be the same, let the cherries sink!

[chrissie B]

i didnt wash them just cut i half , they werent sticky , the son gave me a jar of cocktail cherries once which i pt into a batch of flap jack it was yummy i might do cake againe using the cocktail cherries as it has almonds in it , did you want the recipie ?
chrissie b

[Auntiemogs]

Ooh yes please Chrissie! 

[hamstergbert]

Tried this one at the weekend (adapted from a Mail on Sunday recipe a week or two ago)

Worked very well, a little more solid than my usual cherry and almond but delicious and a pleasing sort of texture.  Also I didn't have any (dried) sour cherries so used (dried) cranberries

90g   glacé cherries (increased to 100gm as other cherries lower)
80g   dried cherries (used a 75g pack)
80g   sour cherries (substituted 75g cranberries)
230g  plain flour
1 vanilla pod - instead I used 1.5 tsp of good almond extract.
230g  soft butter
230g  caster sugar
4 large eggs
100g   ground almonds
˝ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk

Also added a tespoonful of poppy seeds.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and lightly grease a 20cm cake tin, 7.5cm-10cm deep (8in x 3in-4in). Dust with flour, then line with baking parchment or greaseproof.

Halve the glacé cherries.  (I also after halving them swilled em in a sieve with boiling water to remove most of the sticky).  Put the dried and sour cherries together and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 15 minutes, then drain the cherries, pat them dry and when cooled, toss them with the glacé cherries in 2 tbsp of the flour.

Soften the butter in the microwave for a few seconds and cream with the sugar.  When well mixed, split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds and add them to the butter/sugar mix.  Or use good standard of vanilla essence in lieu.  Beat for about 5 minutes until light in colour and quite fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating all the time

Fold in the mixed cherries and ground almonds, then sift in the flour and baking powder and combine well.

Add the milk and carefully but quickly mix all the ingredients together. Pour into the prepared tin and level the top with a spoon.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, covering with foil after 40 mins,  From about 55 mins on check frequently with the skewer trick.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a little caster sugar and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out to cool fully on a wire grid.

Thought:  Although the cherries by and large didn't plummet too much, I wonder if there is a case for putting 2/3 of them in to the mix, put half the mix in the cake tin, then stir in the other 1/3 into the remaining mixture - sort of skew the initial distribution upwards.  Anyone got any views on whether this could work?

And yes, the picture reveals I gave it five mins too long in the oven

[chrissie B]

cake looks good , i like that darker edge on cakes , just finished mine put some custard on it , yum ,
chrissie b