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Cherry Cake Tested Recipe

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Cherry Cake Recipe

As soon as sweet cherries are in season, I cannot resist putting some aside to make this pretty Cherry Cake with its polka dot design. This recipe is adapted from Patricia Well's The Provence Cookbook and it is very similar in looks and flavor to a Cherry Clafoutis, only instead of a thin pancake-like batter, the cherries are suspended in a cake batter. It is wonderful when served warm from the oven, with or without a dollop of whipped cream, custard, or creme fraiche.

 

A common problem when adding a heavy fruit like cherries to a cake batter is that the fruit tends to sink to the bottom of the pan during baking. While this in no way affects the flavor of the cake, it does not allow us to appreciate the cherry's full beauty. Luckily for us, Patricia Well's came up with a great idea; instead of adding all the pitted cherries when we mix the cake batter, she tells us to put some aside. Then, about halfway through the baking time, we pull the cake from the oven and quickly place some cherries, that have been cut in half, on top of the partially baked cake. This step, while a little more time consuming, keeps the cherries floating on the top of the cake producing that wonderful polka dot pattern. 

As always, it is important to choose our fruit carefully. Look for cherries that are bright dark red, shiny, plump, and quite firm and make sure there is no browning around the stems. Once we have the cherries, we need to remove the pits. Pitting of cherries is always a tedious job and the task is made easier if you have a cherry pitter. However, if you do not own such a tool, than you need to do it by hand. The easiest way I have found to do this, is to make a small slit in the cherry, with a small sharp knife, from the stem end to the bottom of the cherry. Then, using the tip of the knife or your thumbnail, remove the pit. This process is best done over a bowl so any dripping juice will fall into the bowl and not stain your countertop. 

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Cherry Cake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).  Butter and flour an 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Rinse, dry, and pit all the cherries. Then take about 1/4 of the cherries, cut them in half, and set them aside to be placed on the top of the cake during baking. Leave the remainder of the pitted cherries whole (to be folded into the cake batter).

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon colored (about 3-5 minutes). Add the melted butter, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Gently fold in the whole pitted cherries (not the cherries that you have halved for the top of the cake). Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. 

Bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven. Quickly arrange the remaining cherries, cut side down, on the top of the cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of softly whipped cream.

Makes 8 - 10 servings.

Cherry Cake:

1 pound (454 grams) fresh cherries, pitted

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup (80 ml) milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)

Zest of 1 lemon (the outer yellow skin of the lemon)

 
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