Gluten Free Cherry Bakewell Cake

This recipe proves gluten free can still be scrumptious, by replacing flour with marzipan the cake stays moist and incredibly light – ensuring your friends and family can enjoy an ample slice without feeling full! With lots of stirring required, this recipe is also fun for little hands to get involved with and literally put the cherry on top of their show stopping creation.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8-12

Equipment:

x2 Pyrex Asimetria cake pans (20cm)
Non-stick baking parchment
Spatula
Palette knife
Sieve
Pyrex 1 litre mixing bowl
Electric hand whisk or wooden spoon
Cooling rack

Ingredients For the cake

200g marzipan, grated
A few drops of almond extract
200g golden caster sugar
200g soft unsalted butter
6 large free range eggs
200g cornflour
2tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

For the filling

100g butter
225g icing sugar
1tbsp amaretto, or a few drops of almond extract
Half a 340g jar of good quality cherry jam

To decorate

Icing sugar and Glace cherries

Method – Pyrex Gluten Free Cherry Bakewell Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to: electric 180°C / electric (fan) 160°C / gas mark 4.
2. Grease and line your cake tins.
3. Put the sugar and grated marzipan into a bowl.
4. Add the soft butter and mix with an electric hand whisk, or wooden spoon, until you have a smooth paste.
5. Add the eggs one at a time to combine each without the mixture curdling. If the mixture does curdle, add a teaspoon of cornflour.
6. In a bowl sieve together the cornflour, baking powder and salt.
7. Add to the egg mixture and fold in gently until all just combined.
8. Pour the mixture into the two tins, smooth the top gently with a spatula.
9. Bake for 25-30mins, until a skewer comes out clean and the cake is golden and springy to touch.
10. Whilst the cakes bake, make the icing by beating together the icing sugar, amaretto/extract and butter together for at least 5mins until light and fluffy.
11. When the cakes have baked turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Once cooled, place a small blob of icing onto your serving plate and put one half of the cake on top, spread the icing over, then the jam (stir the jam to make it easier to spread and stop it dragging the icing).
13. Top with the other half of the cake, then dust generously with icing sugar and scatter on some glace cherries.