Cherry & Almond Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch (20 cm) square or round baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and fine sea salt until evenly combined.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and melted butter until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until incorporated after each addition.

Whisk in the whole milk and almond extract until the batter is smooth and homogenous. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula just until combined; do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

If using fresh cherries, pit them now. Place the cherries in a small bowl and toss with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

In a small cup, dissolve the cornstarch in a teaspoon of cold water (just enough to make a slurry). Stir the slurry into the cherries to lightly thicken their juices so they won't sink excessively into the batter during baking.

Evenly spoon the cherry mixture over the cake batter in the pan, gently pressing cherries into the batter but leaving some on the surface for an attractive topping.

Make the almond crumble: In a small bowl combine the sliced almonds, light brown sugar, rolled oats and flaky salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs and some pea-sized pieces form.

Scatter the almond crumble evenly over the cherries and batter, then sprinkle the additional toasted almond slices on top for texture.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30–38 minutes, or until the top is golden, the crumble is set and a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding large cherries) comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.

If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 8–10 minutes of baking.

Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the cake out and cool further to warm or room temperature before slicing.

Cut into 8 squares (or 6 larger slices). Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop (about 2 tbsp) of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

For extra finish, dust lightly with powdered sugar and scatter a few extra toasted almond slices over each piece.