Scottish recipes - Cherry Cake

Scottish Cherry Cake

Christmas is coming and Cherry cake brings back great Christmas time memories for me

I remember many a family get-together at Christmas and Hogmanay (a Scottish New Years Eve) at my grandparents home. Cherry cake and Black bun, and good old Scottish Fruit Loaf were always present at the table

It is a cake that I ate as a child and loved so much

It's cute to look at and just tastes amazing 

This recipe uses glazed cherries and not maraschino cherries. In Texas its not easy to get your hands on glazed cherries all year round but at this time of year some supermarkets have them in little tubs like this one. Otherwise you can buy them year round on websites like amazon.com

Glace Cherries

Apparently this cake has been around for decades and decades in the UK and no wonder, it is fantastic

While making Cherry Cake it is difficult to stop your cherries sinking to the bottom of your cake, but I use a little trick to stop the cherries sinking 

Cherry cake is sold in Shops everywhere in Scotland at this time of year, but since I am in Texas and can't find it, here is the great recipe I use

It is based on a Delia Smith recipe

You will need

8oz/225g Butter (softened)

8oz/225g Fine Sugar

4 large eggs

8oz/225g Plain (all purpose) Flour
half Tsp Baking Powder
9oz/250g Glace/Glazed Cherries

4oz/100g Ground Almonds 

half teaspoon of Almond Extract

1 Tbsp Milk
Brown sugar to sprinkle

• Set oven to 180C/ 350F and line an 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper (bottom and sides)

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar, until light and fluffy

Butter & Sugar

• In a small separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs

eggs

• Add the eggs slowly, beating gently as you go

mixture

• Sift in the flour and baking powder and carefully fold into the egg mixture

Flour

• Cut the cherries in halves and quarters 

Cherries

• Add the cut cherries to some extra flour (doing this will help stop the cherries sinking to the bottom when baked)

Flour & Cherries

• Add the cherries to the mixture and mix in well

Add cherries

• Add in the ground almonds, almond extract and milk. Again mix well

• Pour into the prepared tin and sprinkle the top with brown sugar

cake mixture

•  bake for 1hr until risen and golden on top

• Cool in the tin before placing on a platter

Cherry Cake

Cut into wedges and enjoy

Scottish Cherry Cake

Scottish Cherry Cake

This lovely cake is springy and spongy to touch and crispy on the outside

Us Scots think it is best enjoyed on Hogmanay

But you can enjoy this cake anytime of the year

Angela