Morello Cherry Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, gas mark 4.Grease and flour a 1lb.450g loaf tin. Line the base with greaseproof paper.
• Cream the butter, add the sugar and beat well until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition. If the mixture looks as though it might curdle, add a tablespoon of flour.
• Add the flour and stir until just incorporated. The mixture should be of a reluctant dropping consistency so if it is too thick, add a little milk.
• Add the cherries and lemon zest and pile into the loaf tin.
• Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
• Heat the lemon juice, add the caster sugar and allow to dissolve. Pour this over the still warm cake and leave to get cold, then remove from the tin.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a large square traybake tin, about 28 x 28cm, with baking parchment. Put all the cake ingredients (apart from the cherries) in a large mixing bowl or tabletop mixer and beat together until thoroughly combined. Toss the cherries in a little flour, then fold them into the cake mixture using a spatula. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 mins until the cake is golden brown, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then add the lemon juice and enough water to make a thick yet fairly fluid icing. Transfer 3 tbsp of the icing to a small bowl and set aside. Spoon the remaining icing over the cooled cake - it should be liquid enough to level itself out; if not, use a knife to smooth it. Knead the marzipan to soften it, then incorporate enough red food colouring to turn it bright red. Roll into 48 cherry balls.
• When the icing is almost set, place 2 balls directly next to each other on the icing, in rows of 4, with enough space between each to cut 24 equal pieces. Colour the reserved icing with green food colouring, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a very fine nozzle, or simply snip off the end, and pipe cherry stalks next to the marzipan balls. When all the icing is completely set, take the cake out of the tin and cut into 24 pieces.