Cherry and marzipan cake with orange blossom syrup

Name: Cherry and marzipan cake with orange blossom syrup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 14
Cuisine: Turkish recipes
Ingredients: 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing; 185g golden caster sugar; Zest of 1 lemon; 2 tsp orange blossom water (we like Nielsen-Massey, available at Waitrose, Ocado and Sainsbury’s); 4 large free-range eggs; 150g self-raising flour; 100g ground almonds; 1 tsp baking powder; 150g marzipan, chopped into 1cm cubes, tossed lightly in flour (see tip); 300g cherries, stoned, finely chopped, patted dry and tossed lightly in flour (see tip); 50g shelled, unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted in the oven; Icing sugar to dust; For the syrup; Juice of 1 orange; Splash of orange blossom water; 1 tbsp golden caster sugar

Easy
August 2013

Easy
August 2013

Serves 14
Takes 25 min to make, 1 hour 20 mins to cook, plus cooling

This cherry cake recipe combines exotic Moroccan flavours with a staple British stone fruit – in season from June each year.

Or, for a year-round treat, plump for our cherry loaf cake, which contains glacé cherries.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 359kcals
Fat: 22.7g (9.9g saturated)
Protein: 6.6g
Carbohydrates: 31.7g (24.5g sugars)
Fibre: 0.7g
Salt: 0.3g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 359kcals
Fat: 22.7g (9.9g saturated)
Protein: 6.6g
Carbohydrates: 31.7g (24.5g sugars)
Fibre: 0.7g
Salt: 0.3g

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Ingredients

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
185g golden caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp orange blossom water (we like Nielsen-Massey, available at Waitrose, Ocado and Sainsbury’s)
4 large free-range eggs
150g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
150g marzipan, chopped into 1cm cubes, tossed lightly in flour (see tip)
300g cherries, stoned, finely chopped, patted dry and tossed lightly in flour (see tip)
50g shelled, unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted in the oven
Icing sugar to dust

For the syrup

Juice of 1 orange
Splash of orange blossom water
1 tbsp golden caster sugar

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
185g golden caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp orange blossom water (we like Nielsen-Massey, available at Waitrose, Ocado and Sainsbury’s)
4 large free-range eggs
150g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
150g marzipan, chopped into 1cm cubes, tossed lightly in flour (see tip)
300g cherries, stoned, finely chopped, patted dry and tossed lightly in flour (see tip)
50g shelled, unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted in the oven
Icing sugar to dust

For the syrup

Juice of 1 orange
Splash of orange blossom water
1 tbsp golden caster sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 170°C/fan150°C/gas 3½. Lightly grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper, then wrap a folded sheet of baking paper around the outside and tie with string (to protect the sides of the cake during cooking). Set aside. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl with the sugar and lemon zest for 3-5 minutes until pale and fluffy, then beat in the orange blossom water.
Beat in the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, then stir through the flour, almonds and baking powder with a pinch of salt. Stir through half the marzipan pieces and half the cherries, then transfer to the prepared tin and poke in the remaining marzipan and cherries, making sure they’re just covered by the cake mixture.
Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then turn the heat to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3 and bake for 50-60 minutes more. Check after 30 minutes; if it’s looking dark, cover the top with foil – not before, as opening the oven door will make the cake sink. It’s cooked when a skewer pushed into the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
About 5 minutes before the cake has finished cooking, make the syrup. Put all the ingredients in a pan and heat gently until the sugar has melted. When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and drizzle over the syrup. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t leave the cake to cool on the base of the tin or the bottom will be soggy.
When ready to serve, roughly chop the pistachios, scatter over the top of the cake and dust with icing sugar. The cake will keep in an airtight container for 4 days and tastes best the day after you make it.

Method

Heat the oven to 170°C/fan150°C/gas 3½. Lightly grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper, then wrap a folded sheet of baking paper around the outside and tie with string (to protect the sides of the cake during cooking). Set aside. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl with the sugar and lemon zest for 3-5 minutes until pale and fluffy, then beat in the orange blossom water.
Beat in the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, then stir through the flour, almonds and baking powder with a pinch of salt. Stir through half the marzipan pieces and half the cherries, then transfer to the prepared tin and poke in the remaining marzipan and cherries, making sure they’re just covered by the cake mixture.
Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then turn the heat to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3 and bake for 50-60 minutes more. Check after 30 minutes; if it’s looking dark, cover the top with foil – not before, as opening the oven door will make the cake sink. It’s cooked when a skewer pushed into the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
About 5 minutes before the cake has finished cooking, make the syrup. Put all the ingredients in a pan and heat gently until the sugar has melted. When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and drizzle over the syrup. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t leave the cake to cool on the base of the tin or the bottom will be soggy.
When ready to serve, roughly chop the pistachios, scatter over the top of the cake and dust with icing sugar. The cake will keep in an airtight container for 4 days and tastes best the day after you make it.

delicious. tips

When adding heavy ingredients to cake batter (such as the marzipan and cherries), tossing them in flour first helps stop them sinking, as does reserving half of them to push into the top of the mixture.

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Caroline Toye says:
2nd Jul 2015 at 10:21 pm
I love this cake because I adore almond in any shape or form and this method makes the cake so moist and then you add cherries….mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Clara Glass says:
28th Jun 2015 at 12:04 pm
I love this recipe because it’s a winning combination of delicious Middle Eastern and British ingredients. The addition of marzipan cubes is inspired! And it’s pretty healthy too..
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