Cherries are in season here at the moment, so when I had picked up some nice cherries I decided to make a cherry version of M&M’s Strawberry Cake. It turned out great, is easy to make, and can also be made with strawberries or peaches or other fruit.

Ingredients

For 8-10 servings, 24 cm (9-10″) springform pan

500 grams (1.1 lbs) cherries

125 grams (1 stick) butter (at room temperature)

250 grams (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour (or all purpose flour mixed with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

200 grams (1 cup) sugar, preferably vanilla-scented (created by storing used vanilla beans in the sugar jar)

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

zest of 1 lemon

120 ml (1/2 cup) milk

1 Tbsp kirsch

confectioner’s sugar

Preparation

Rinse and dry the cherries. Take off the stems. Pit them by cutting around the pit with a pairing knife. You will get two halves, one with the pit. You can take out the pit with your fingers.

Put the pitted cherries in a bowl and toss with 2 Tbsp of the sugar and the kirsch.

Put the sugar and the butter in the bowl of your mixer.

Beat until creamy.

Add the egg and the milk.

Beat until mixed.

Add flour and lemon zest. Beat until barely mixed.

Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

Butter a 24 cm (9 or 10″) springform pan and dust with flour.

Put in the batter and even out the surface with a spatula.

Push in the cherries with the cut side down.

If you have cherries left like I did, use them to make a nice pattern on top.

Bake for 10 minutes at 175C/350F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 160C/325F and bake for another 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool to room temperature and dust with confectioner’s sugar (use a sieve for that).