CHERRY AND ALMOND CAKE

This cake is a part of history!  In July 1954 my Mother was listening to Woman's Hour on the radio. It was a momentous day!  Rationing had come to an end and you could finally buy quantities of butter. To celebrate the occasion the BBC broadcast this recipe and my Mother wrote it down...…

It is deliciously moreish, moist and almondy [is that a word?] and it is baked at a very, very low temperature for 3 hours. I have passed this recipe on to many friends and I am sure they have passed it on as well. I have lost count of the many times I have baked it and my husband loves it.

I posted this recipe during the first week of my Blog and FB pages, one year old in about two weeks time!  During the next few months I will be reposting some of my early favourites for all my new likers!

Prepare a 8" round loose bottomed tin, lightly oiled. No need to line it, as it is cooked at such a low temperature. Turn your fan oven to 120 deg C.

In a mixing bowl, cream:

8 oz butter  [do not even THINK of using margarine]

8 oz castor sugar

Whisk together 3 large eggs, then add to the above

Then add:

8 oz Plain Flour

½  teaspoon Baking Powder

4 oz Ground Almonds

a few drops of Almond essence

6 - 8 oz of glace cherries [the original programme suggested 4 oz, but I like more]

Mix together carefully and tip in the tin. Bake for 3 hours

After one hour turn down to 115 deg C and for the final hour bake at 110 deg C

Absolutely, perfectly, delicious

It freezes like a dream too!

As I type it is the morning of 2nd September and I have just made my Xmas Cake and popped it into the oven. Already the smell is filling the air - just wonderful. If you would like a brilliant Xmas Cake recipe go back to late November/early December. I have made this same cake for over 30 years and it was my cousin’s wedding cake recipe, made by her grandmother [no relation to me - the other side!]. When it is cool tonight I will pour brandy over the bottom and wrap to store. Taking it out to repeat the brandy at least tree times more before I marzipan and ice.