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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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