Cherry Crumble Cake

• unsalted butter↗180g g

  softened, plus extra for the pan

• golden sugar↗220g g
• large eggs↗3

  lightly beaten

• self-raising flour↗250g g
• baking powder↗½ tsp tsp
• ground almonds↗50g g
• sour cream↗80g g
• fresh cherries↗300g g

  pitted, halved

• plain flour↗45g g
• cold unsalted butter↗35g g

  cut into cubes

• golden sugar↗20g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C with convection/gas mark 4. Butter the bottom of a deep 20 cm removable-bottom cake tin and line it with parchment paper.

2. 2

   To make the crumble topping, place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingers until a coarse crumbly texture forms. Add the sugar, mix, then transfer to the refrigerator.

3. 3

   Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and sour cream, then most of the cherries, leaving a handful for decoration. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the remaining cherries, then bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Sprinkle the crumble on top, then return the cake to the oven and bake for another 30–50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the tin.

5. 5

   Cut the cake into thick slices and serve with custard sauce or ice cream, if desired. Store in the tin or an airtight container for up to three days.