Cherry & marzipan cake

• butter↗250g g

  softened, plus extra for greasing

• golden caster sugar↗175g g
• eggs↗5

  beaten

• self-raising flour↗250g g

  plus an extra 2 tbsp

• baking powder↗ tsp
• zest 1 orange

  plus 2 tbsp of the juice

• natural marzipan250g g

  coarsely grated (easiest if chilled beforehand)

• almond tsp

  essence, optional

• glacé cherry↗200g g

  halved

• icing sugar↗100g g

  sifted

• toasted flaked almond↗50g g
• natural glacé cherries↗12
• orange↗zest 1

  zest 1

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and butter and line a 20cm round, loose-bottomed deep cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar together with electric beaters or a tabletop mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 250g flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice and beat well till thick, creamy and evenly mixed.

2. 2

   Toss cherries in the extra 2 tbsp flour and fold into the batter along with grated marzipan and almond essence (if using). Spoon into the prepared tin, level and bake for 1 hr 30 mins, or until well risen and golden. A skewer will come out clean when ready. Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

3. 3

   Mix the icing sugar with just over 1 tbsp water to make a loose but not-too-runny icing. Scatter the almonds over the top of the cake and position the 12 glace cherries around the edge, using a dot of the icing to fix. Drizzle the icing over the cake and finish with a scattering of orange zest.