Layering the cake with marzipan gives this golden cake a lusciously sticky and indulgent center. It’s particularly good served warm for afternoon tea or morning coffee.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

• 170 g/6 oz butter, at room temperature
• 140 g/5 oz caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 140 g/5 oz self-raising flour
• 85 g/3 oz ground almonds
• 75 g/3 oz candied cherries, quartered
• 115 g/4 oz marzipan, finely grated
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Grease a 22 x 12 cm/8½ x 4½ inch loaf tin, and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and ground almonds over the mixture, then fold in. Scatter the cherries over the mixture, then fold in until evenly distributed.

Spoon half the batter into the loaf tin and smooth out evenly. Sprinkle the marzipan on top. Cover with the remaining batter and smooth out evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with foil, then bake for an additional 25 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then lift out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve slightly warm from the oven or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar.