Chocolate, Nut and Cherry Cake Recipe

225 g/8 oz/1 cup butter or margarine, softened

225 g/8 oz/1 cup caster (superfine) sugar

4 eggs

A few drops of vanilla essence (extract)

225 g/8 oz/2 cups rye flour

225 g/8 oz/2 cups ground hazelnuts

45 ml/3 tablespoons cocoa (unsweetened chocolate) powder

10 ml/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

5 ml/1 teaspoon baking powder

900 g/2 lb stoned (pitted) cherries

Icing (confectioners') sugar for dusting

Method:

Cream together the butter or margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla essence. Mix together the flour, nuts, cocoa, cinnamon and baking powder, then fold into the mixture and mix to a soft dough. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 20 cm/8 in round and press gently into a greased loose-bottomed cake tin (pan).

Spoon the cherries on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for 30 minutes until springy to the touch. Remove from the tin to cool, then dust with icing sugar before serving.