Delicious almond sponge with cherries and a layer of gooey marzipan in the centre.
Tomorrow there is a coffee morning at my son’s school, as at many other places around the country, to raise money for Macmillan. I’ll be going along to support the school and this brilliant charity and I’ll be doing my bit by drinking lots of tea and coffee and sampling lots of cake!! This year I’m taking this marzipan and cherry cake as my contribution to the baking.
I’m really hoping my cake this year is more successful than last year’s effort – coffee cake with white chocolate icing. The cake tasted delicious, the problem was that I didn’t put the tin lid on properly.
That combined with the fact that I tripped as I was walking out of the front door meant that the cake ended up all over my hall floor rather than in the school hall where it should have been (actually there were three pieces that managed to stay in the tin, but I wasn’t sure I could turn up with three pieces of slightly battered looking cake so I ate them at home!).
Since then I’ve invested in a much sturdier cake tin and I’ll be wearing sensible shoes, so fingers crossed no mishaps tomorrow.
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Marzipan and Cherry Cake
INGREDIENTS
- 150 g unsalted butter - softened
- 2 large eggs
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150 g self raising flour + a little extra for dusting the cherries
- 150 g ground almonds
- 25 g flaked almonds
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 150 g glacé cherries
- 150 g marzipan
- A little icing sugar – to help roll out the marzipan
RECIPE VIDEO
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan
- Butter and line a deep 18cm cake tin – alternatively I use Delia Bake-O-Glide reusable cake tine liners which don’t need to be buttered
- Beat the butter (150g) and caster sugar (150g) until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after after adding the first egg before adding the second.
- Add the almond extract (1 tsp)
- Fold in the self-raising flour (150g) and ground almonds (150g)
- Prepare the cherries by cutting half (75g) in half, keeping the other half (75g) whole
- In a seperate bowl, sprinkle a little flour over the cherries and mix to lightly coat the cherries – coating the cherries in flour will help to stop them sinking to the bottom of the cake when it bakes
- Fold the cherries into the cake mixture
- Roll out the marzipan (150g) into a circle roughly the same size as the tin – sprinkle a little icing sugar on the worktop and rolling pin to prevent the marzipan from sticking
- Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and even out the top
- Lay the marzipan on top of the mixture in the cake tin then add the other half of the mixture and even out the top.
- Scatter over the flaked almond (25g)
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes – You can use a skewer to check if it’s done, however a little of the marzipan may stick to the skewer meaning it doesn’t come out clean even when the cake is cooked.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes, remove from the tin and transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely (although the cake tastes delicious eaten warm.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Peanut-Free (contains Tree Nuts)
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Fish-Free
- Crustacean-Free
- Mollusc-Free
- Celery-Free
- Mustard-Free
- Lupin-Free
Andy Popplestone says
Absolutely delicious cake I’ve made several times, usually with a wheat free flour. I tend to add additional cherries which makes it even more delicious! My daughter is avoiding eggs at the moment but loves this cake! I wonder if anyone has tried substituting flax eggs into the recipe to make a vegan version? If so any tips? I’m about to give it a try!
Lesley says
I had some left over marzipan so good to use it in making this delicious cake. I did need to bake a little longer as it wasn’t cooked in the centre. But tasted good.
Terry says
Great recipe – I use it a lot but usually add a layer of raspberry jam on the marzipan which makes it even more delicious…like a Bakewell Tart without the pain of making pastry. Have also made it with gluten free flour and a plant based butter alternative and it was brilliant. Everyone loves it!
Donna says
Hi,
Do you know if anyone has used gluten free flour and if they have how did it turn out, do I need to make any adjustments? Thanks 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve had several comments from people who have made this cake with GF flour and they’ve all said it works well.
Naomi says
Hi! Can you use Brandied cherries instead?
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tried it but I would expected it to work.
Maria Wildman says
Hi Charlotte,
This cake looks lovely. Could I possibly bake it in a 2lb loaf tin?
Charlotte Oates says
It’s not something I’ve tested but I believe others have and it worked well.
Liz Webstet says
Fabulous cake. I have baked it several times,and it turns out consistently well.
Absolutely delicious.
Margaret Pirnie says
Brilliant cake, brilliant recipe. Never fails to impress.
Tracy Hill says
Yet again, another great tasting cake made from Charlotte’s lively kitchen, I love making your cakes, thank you for sharing.
Tracy
Trine says
Too bad the whole recipe (including the instructions) doesn’t toggle between metric and US oz. Confusing at times!
Charlotte Oates says
Unfortunately there are limitations to the number of variations I am able to include in the recipe card due to limitations in the software.
JU says
This is a favourite in my house. When I asked my 10 year old son what cake he wanted for his birthday, he chose this one, then I made another the week after for my birthday too. I have made this cake so many times now, it’s so easy to make and is delicious!
Hetal says
This is one of my favourite recipes. Can it be made a couple of days in advance and if so what is the best way to store it? Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
Almond sponges store very well. The best way to keep the cake is to wrap it well in clingfilm and store in an airtight container in a cool place (not the fridge). It should be fine for a couple of days.
Jennifer says
Can this be done with a 20cm deep tin instead of an 18cm one?
Charlotte Oates says
You can use a larger tin but the cake will be shorter. You may also need to adjust the cooking time as it will likely cook more quickly than a deeper cake.
Sonia Rego says
Excellent recipe everyone loves it.
Janice says
Great recipe that makes a really delicious cake. Ideal to use leftover marzipan.
Annlisa says
I made this for the first time.
Yes, really yummy!
I used raspberries instead of cherries. I cut them in fourths. I think halves would work well.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Ana says
can you use fresh cherries instead
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tested it so I can’t be 100% sure of the results, but I would expect it should work OK.
Alison Murphy says
Could this cake be frozen at all?
Made it a few times now and was thinking of making it for Xmas and icing but would like to make it at the beginning of the week and ice the day before x
Charlotte Oates says
This cake will freeze well. Make sure to wrap it well to prevent freezer burn.
Sarah says
Hi Charlotte, I’m looking forward to baking this cake for a friends birthday. Could it be frozen after baking ?
Thanks,
Sarah
Charlotte Oates says
This cake will freeze well. Make sure to wrap it well to prevent freezer burn.