MORELLO CHERRY RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and make sure there’s a shelf ready in the middle. Butter and line the bases of two 20cm round sandwich tins with baking paper.
• Using electric beaters, beat together all the cake ingredients with a pinch of salt until smooth, then spoon into the tins and level the tops. Bake for 30 mins or until golden and springy. Don’t open the oven before 25 mins cooking time has passed.
• When they’re ready, cool the sponges for a few mins, then tip out of the tins and cool completely on a wire rack. Make sure the top of one of the cakes is facing up as you’ll want a smooth surface for the icing later on.
• When cool, put one sponge on a serving plate, then spread with jam. Sandwich the second sponge on top. Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl. Add the water or lemon juice, then stir until smooth and thick. Spread evenly over the top and let it dribble over the sides. Scatter with the nuts and leave to set for a few mins before cutting.

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven. Rub some butter around the inside of a 500g/1lb loaf tin or insert a baking liner. Cut the cherries into quarters, put them into a bowl, add some warm water and stir to wash off the syrup. Drain the cherries, spread them out onto kitchen paper and pat them dry. Put the cherries into a bowl, sprinkle with cornflour and stir until well mixed. Chop the butter into small cubes. Put the butter cubes and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg followed by the ground almonds. Beat in the second egg. Sieve the flour into the mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in the cherries. Tip into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes. If a cocktail stick pressed into the centre of the cake comes out clean, it is cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then gently turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.