Old-Fashioned Cherry Cake

What a pleasant surprise this cake was! It looked stodgy when I cut it into wedges, but it was nice and moist inside. In fact, it was even better the next day. I suppose one shouldn't doubt the Queen of Cakes whose recipe this is. Also, the cherries DID stay speckled throughout the cake rather than sinking to the bottom.

Unfortunately, there will be no recipe tagged to this as I cannot find the link on Delia Smith's website anymore. Looks like she's taken it off. I'll have to buy the book then. When I do, I promise to post the recipe here. Meanwhile, I hope you like the photo.  

As promised, here's the recipe. I found it scribbled on a piece on notepaper in the kitchen. I cannot promise that it is as written in Delia Smith's website or book though, as I usually scribble the recipe but never the method word-for-word. Anyway, here goes.

DELIA SMITH'S OLD-FASHIONED CHERRY CAKE

225 g Salted Butter, softened
225g Caster Sugar
4 large Eggs, lightly beaten
225g Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
250g Glace Cherries, quartered
110g Ground Almonds
1 drop Almond Essence
2 drops Vanilla Essence
1 tablespoon Full Cream Milk
2 tablespoons Demerara Sugar

Preheat the oven to 160 Celsius. Butter and flour a round 8 inch baking tin. Set aside.

Cream Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in Eggs little by little until well incorporated.  Beat in both Essences. 

Gently fold in Flour and Baking Powder until well mixed through. Toss quartered Cherries with the Ground Almonds and fold through the mixture. Lastly, mix in the Milk. 

Scrape mixture into the prepared tin, level the top and sprinkle the Demerara Sugar over it. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out cleanly. Let the cake cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes
Be careful not to burn the cake. If the top looks like it is getting dark very quickly and the cake is not done, place a piece of foil over the cake. Remove foil about 15 minutes before the end of the baking time. 

If you would like to be safe, use baking paper to line the baking tin.