Step 1

Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and grease and line a 24cm (9in) cake tin with baking paper.

Step 2

Place almond meal, butter, sugar and baking powder in your food processor. Pulse or whizz in little bursts until the mixture comes together in coarse crumbs. Be careful not to mix to a smooth dough – you want it crumbly and loose.

Step 3

Press HALF the crumbs into the base of the prepared cake tin to form the base.

Step 4

Mix ricotta, extra sugar and vanilla extract (if using) until combined. Spread the ricotta filling over the base leaving a 1.5cm (1/2in) boarder around the edge.

Step 5

Place cherries on top of the ricotta. I like to leave the middle clear so you can see the ricotta filling but it’s up to you.

Step 6

Loosely sprinkle the remaining crumbs around the edges of the tin to form a boarder around the ricotta.

Step 7

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake is well browned.

Step 8

Cool to room temperature before serving.