Cherry & Almond Cake

Preheat the oven to 170°C, (fan 150°C, gas mark 3). Cut the cherries in half and rinse in hot water to remove all the syrup. Pat dry with kitchen paper.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, then gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time until well mixed, adding a little of the flour if the mixture curdles.

Fold in the flour, salt, cherries, ground almonds and almond extract until evenly mixed.

Spread the mixture into a 7 inch cake tin, top with flaked almonds and bake for 60-75 minutes, until firm to the touch and the cake has just begun to shrink from the side of the tin. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely.

To decorate, mix the icing sugar with a drop of water to make a very thick, pourable icing. Drizzle over the cake. This cake will keep a week in a cake tin.