Custard Cherry Cake

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

Equipment required: 20cm cake tin

• 225ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence (or seeds from 1 vanilla pod)
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 160g pitted cherries
• 350g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 whole egg
• 2 yolks extra
• 200g caster sugar
• 200g butter, cubed into small pieces
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 beaten egg for brushing on the pastry

Method

Place the milk, vanilla, egg yolks, sugar and flour in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a pot and slowly heat whilst whisking until it reaches the boil, then remove from heat immediately. Allow to cool. Fold in the cherries.

Sift the 350g of flour and salt into a cake mixing bowl. Add the whole egg and egg yolks, caster sugar, butter and zest and juice of the lemon. Work it together with your hands (or the dough hook if using a mechanical cake mixer) until you have a soft smooth dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Butter the cake tin and line with greased baking paper. Rest 2/3rds of the dough in the tin pushing the dough up the sides of the cake tin so the base and sides are all lined with the dough. Pour in the custard and cherries.

Roll the remaining 2/3rds of dough, making a lid to place over the filling.

Brush with a little beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven for 60 mins or until nicely browned. Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar.

For the extra special cake soak the cherries in 2 tablespoons of Cointreau or Grand Marnier for 1 hour prior to using.