Image by © Patricia Niven 2014

This was the first cake I made for the restaurant. We wanted something that would sit on the bar counter and just make people stare. It has been with us from the first day and I have a feeling it will stay there until the end. We do vary the fruit on top, so we use red plums or yellow plums or raspberries, but really the cherries are the best version. The contrast between the cherries and the green pistachios, and the addition of mahleb to the cake batter, together create something electric. It is such an easy recipe to follow, I am sure it will become a huge favorite in any household.

Makes a 9-inch diameter ring cake

½ cup sugar, plus 1½ tablespoons for the topping
⅓ cup light brown sugar
1¼ cup ground almonds
¼ cup ground pistachios
½ cup desiccated coconut
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon self-rising flour (preferably Gold Medal brand)
A pinch of salt
1¼ teaspoon ground mahleb
10 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large eggs
2 cups cherries
Scant ½ cup roughly chopped pistachios, for the topping

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1) Preheat the oven to 375° F and lightly grease a 9-inch diameter ring cake tin with butter.

2) Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour over the melted butter and mix in the eggs. Spoon the batter into the pre-greased tin and smooth down.

3) Remove the pits from the cherries — you can do this with a cherry pitter or by just pulling them apart and popping the pits out with your fingers. I like to do this over the cake tin, so that any juice drips onto the cake and adds color. Drop the pitted cherries onto the batter and sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining 1½ tablespoon of sugar and the roughly chopped pistachios. Bake in the center of the oven for 25–30 minutes, then turn the cake around and bake for a further 8–10 minutes, until the cake between the cherries goes all golden.

4) Allow the cake to cool in the tin, as it needs time to settle, then gently remove by running a knife around the edges. Covered well, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week (not much chance of that happening), but for the best flavor, allow it to return to room temperature before eating.

Recipe courtesy Little, Brown and Company. Copyright© Saritamar Media Limited 2014

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