Cherry Bakewell cake

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas Grease a 20cm/8in round springform tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Step 2

Wash the glacé cherries in a sieve under hot running water to remove the sticky syrup. Dry them on a double thickness of kitchen paper, then cut into quarters and dust in 2 teaspoons of plain flour. Set aside.

Step 3

Prepare the crumble before starting to mix the cake. For the crumble, combine the melted butter, flour, sugar and flaked almonds and mix well until the mixture starts to clump together. Set aside.

Step 4

To make the cake, cream the butter and caster sugar together in a stand mixer for about 4 minutes, or by hand in a bowl using a wooden spoon, until pale and light. Add the vanilla paste, almond extract and lemon zest and mix to combine. Gradually add the beaten eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing well between each addition.

Step 5

Sift the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and a pinch of salt into the bowl and mix until combined.

Step 6

Fold half of the glacé cherries and diced marzipan into the mixture, then spoon into the lined tin and spread level. Scatter the remaining cherries and marzipan over the mixture in an even layer. Finally, scatter over the crumble mixture.

Step 7

Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, or until well risen and golden brown. Cover the top of the cake loosely with foil for the final 10 minutes if it is browning too much.

Step 8

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 40 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 9

To decorate, mix the lemon juice with the icing sugar to make a smooth, drizzly icing, adding more icing sugar if needed. Drizzle the icing over the cold cake, then scatter with halved cherries and leave to set for 20 minutes before serving.