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.
This marzipan and cherry cake recipe is my family’s favourite, whenever there’s some sort of family party my husband will ask to me to make it. It’s an almond sponge with glacé cherries running through it, and a layer of marzipan through the centre. I’ve tried a few different recipes for this cake and after a bit of trial and error I’ve ended up with this version.
I hope you enjoy it.
Marzipan and Cherry Cake
Delicious almond sponge with cherries and a layer of gooey marzipan in the centre.
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
Instructions
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Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan
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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
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Beat the butter (150g) and caster sugar (150g) until light and fluffy
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Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after after adding the first egg before adding the second.
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Add the almond extract (1 tsp)
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Fold in the self-raising flour (150g) and ground almonds (150g)
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Prepare the cherries by cutting half (75g) in half, keeping the other half (75g) whole
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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
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Fold the cherries into the cake mixture
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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
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Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and even out the top
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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.
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Scatter over the flaked almond (25g)
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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.
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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.
Recipe Notes
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of the page to let others know what you thought.
Watch a video of this recipe…
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
Hi, would this work with the marzipan chopped up rather than layered, I like marzipan but find it gives me toothache if I eat lots of it, or could i grate it maybe.
Yes it would work fins both ways. The only think to ensure is that there’s no marzipan on the top surface of the cake while it’s baking as it’ll burn and have a bitter taste. If you find marzipan too sweet you can also make this cake without the marzipan layer it’ll work fine and you’ll still have a good almond flavour from the ground almonds and almond extract in the mixture.
love the taste but can’t get it right – when i fold in the almonds and flour it becomes a thick mass that barely covers the pa. when halved – is it meant to be so thick you have to spoon and then spread?
The mixture is quite thick and it does need to be spread rather than poured. If you take a look at the video you should see what the consistency should be like.
Can this be a gluten free option?
I haven’t tried making this cake gluten free but I’ve had comments from people that have switched the self-raising flour for a gluten-free alternative and have said that it worked really well.
I have made this a few times as it is one of your Dad’s favourites as he loves marzipan. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks Mum x
This cake tastes incredible, I absolutely love marzipan. Like someone commented below my cake also sank very slightly in the middle, but it doesn’t matter when it tastes this good. My partner has already asked me to make this for his birthday in a few weeks time.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope your partner has a happy birthday and enjoys his cake!
Hello Charlotte
Do you use soft spreadable butter or block butter for this cherry and almond cake??
Butter block at room temperature so it’s soft enough to mix in.
How long does the Marzipan and Cherry cake keep for and is it firm enough to be decorated with fondant icing for a celebration cake? Normally I make a madeira sponge but would like to try your recipe as an alternative. Many thanks
It’ll keep for a few days in an airtight container. Personally I don’t think it’s the right sort of cake to be decorated, it’s got a very different texture to the sponges I usually use and I don’t think it would work with the icing.
Thank you so much for your advise. I’ve adapted a madeira recipe by adding ground almonds, cherries and almond essence, as an alternative. So far, so good! Thank you again.
Hi Charlotte!
Love this cake and have made it twice but I keep messing it up. Maybe it’s because I’m in the US. ;). My sweet British boyfriend requested the cake for his Birthday this year and I decided to double the recipe. I’m using a scale for the weights and have caster sugar and proper glace cherries so think I’m covered there. I baked at 355F (180C) but the outside is quite done, almost burnt, and the inside is still wet in places. I’ve covered it in foil and am continuing to bake it 5 minutes extra at a time. I don’t mind as I could eat the entire thing uncooked. So delicious! Others might like it to be baked through though. Any tips for a fan across the pond would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Rebekah. I’m not too sure about this one as it’s a recipe I’ve made over and over and never had that problem. One suggestion I saw online was that this can be cause by some types on cake tins, what sort were you using?
Hi! Thank you for the reply. I’ve used a loaf pan and a springform round pan. I’ll keep trying because it is EVER SO delicious! I think perhaps aluminum foil over the top halfway through might help. Either way, I’m not giving up, as we love it — we aren’t too proud to just eat the interior part. 🙂
I’m stumped then! I know someone has tried this as cupcakes and said they worked well so that might be worth a go (you could add the marzipan as a ball in the middle to make things easier). They would need cooking for less time (I’d suggest about 20 minutes) and so may avoid the problem you had.
Just an update: moved house and as it turns out, it was the old oven. Cake has been amazing in the new place. Thanks again for such a wonderful recipe!
That’s good to hear, I’m glad you finally got to enjoy it. I hope whoever moves into your old house doesn’t try it as clearly the recipe isn’t right for your old oven 🙂
Made as a surprise birthday cake for a maxi pan loving friend. Really easy and so tasty. I will definitely make again. Thank you
I made this cake for Easter and it tasted absolutely gorgeous and went down a storm with everyone. Great recipe, easy to make.
Thanks Annie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it
I had a marzipan and cherry cake when I was little, and the joy of it has stuck with me – now I have found the perfect recipe so I can indulge in it once again. Thank you!! Ive made the cake for my partner and family, I have even made cupcakes with the mixture (makes 12 perfectly) for my colleagues and everyone loves it. So thank you for such a simple recipe with great results, and for bringing childhood memories back to life 🙂
Thanks Leah, I’ve been meaning to try this as cupcakes for ages and hadn’t quite gotten around to it so its’ great to know that they work well.
I can almost smell that from here. Looks delicious.
It does smell lovely when it’s fresh from the oven 🙂
Hi! This tastes amazing.. But Iv made it twice now and both times it sank in the middle 🙁
Any ideas why? I’m following the instructions exactly and the first time I tried it on fan oven the second time not.. Confused..
Hi Sarah, Mine can sink down a tiny bit (if you look at the picture then you’ll see it slightly in the middle). If yours is dropping more noticeably then there a few things it can be – take a look at this post which has a few ideas. I know that too much baking powder can definitely be a problem as I made this once at the same time as another cake and accidentally switched the baking powder amounts because I wasn’t paying attention properly. The resulting cake sank so much that you could pretty much see the bottom of the tin! (I about 3 time as much as I was supposed to).
I hope this helps x
I use Doves Farm. Even people who are unenthusiastic about gf baking have lapped this up!
Thanks so much. I’ll definitely give it a try x
I have made this a few times with gluten-free flour and it’s absolutely delicious. Thanks Charlotte.
Thanks Jo, I’m so glad you like it. I’ve not tried making it with gluten-free flour before, which one do you use?
As you know, I am a marzipan fan too. This looks like a deliciously old fashioned kind of cake. Just my kind of thing.
#foodyearlinkup
Fionnuala
It’s one of our favourites. I made two just last week!
Love marzipan in cakes. Looks so yummy #tastytuesdays
Thanks Stacey
Oh wow that looks so accomplished, love it! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Thanks Vicki. Off to link up another recipe right now 🙂
That sounds lovely, I know it wouldn’t last long in our house! #tastytuesdays
Thanks, it never lasts long in our house either
I love marzipan and this cake looks and sounds delicious x #recipeoftheweek
Thanks Kirsty
I love marzipan, the addition in the cake is genius. It looks really tasty
Thanks, my whole family are big marzipan fans so I expect I’ll be posting some more marzipan recipes soon
My other half would love this cake! I must make it! Hope you raised a lot at the Macmillan coffee morning – great cause. #recipeoftheweek
My other half loves marzipan too, that’s why I first made it. I’m always on the look out for new marzipan recipes so if you have any then let me know.
I’m not sure of the final total at the coffee morning but it was busy so I’m sure it did well.
Your cake sounds really delicious with a combination of a couple of my favourite flavours. Hope it made it okay to the coffee morning. I organised one at my workplace and was really pleased to raise over £300 #recipeoftheweek
It nearly ended up on the floor again as I didn’t clip the lid on properly but fortunately I managed to catch it this time!!
£300 is a great amount to raise you must be really pleased.
Yes I am pleased. We had 17 bakes from 10 bakers