Cherry Bakewell Cake

If you’re anything like me and have a soft spot for almond, then this Cherry Bakewell Cake is perfect for you! Inspired by the classic Bakewell tart, it’s packed with that familiar sweet almond flavour, layered with fruity cherry jam, and topped with a simple glacé icing with a hint of lemon. Decorated with flaked toasted almonds and vibrant glacé cherries, this recipe is everything we love about a traditional Bakewell — just in cake form. Whether you’re baking for a celebration, afternoon tea, or simply because it’s a rainy Sunday, this is the kind of cake that always goes down a treat.

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Prep: 30

Cook: 40

Total: 1 10

Servings:

Equipment

2 8" round cake tins

Ingredients

For the almond sponge cakes:

325 grams Unsalted butter or baking spread room temperature
350 grams Caster sugar
2 teaspoons Almond extract
3 large Eggs or 4 medium eggs. Room temperature.
250 grams Self-raising flour or 250g plain flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder
100 grams Ground almonds
3 tbsp Milk whole or semi-skimmed

For the icing and jam filling:

200 grams Icing sugar
0.5 teaspoon Lemon juice only
2-3 tablespoons Cold water
100 grams Cherry or raspberry jam

For the decoration:

20 grams Flaked almonds
8 Glace cherries

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Start by making the almond sponge cakes:

Preheat oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Lightly grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, caster sugar and almond extract together until light and fluffy.
325 grams Unsalted butter or baking spread, 350 grams Caster sugar, 2 teaspoons Almond extract
Beat in one egg at a time until combined. To stop the mixture from curdling, add 1 tablespoon of the 250g flour with each egg.
3 large Eggs
Add the remaining flour, ground almonds and milk. Fold until combined.
250 grams Self-raising flour, 100 grams Ground almonds, 3 tbsp Milk
Divide the mixture evenly between the baking tins and smooth out the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the sponge is risen and golden. Leave in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare the icing:

Mix the icing sugar with two tablespoons of water and the juice of half a lemon. The icing should be smooth, thick and spreadable. If it's too thin, add more icing sugar. If it's too stiff and dry, add a tiny drop of water and mix.
200 grams Icing sugar, 0.5 teaspoon Lemon, 2-3 tablespoons Cold water

Assemble and decorate the cake:

Place one spoonful layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread the jam on top, leaving a 1cm border around the outside edge. Place the other sponge layer on top and press down to sandwich the two cakes together.
100 grams Cherry or raspberry jam
Pour the icing on top of the cake and spread it to the edges, letting it drip down the sides.
Pop the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan and place over high heat. Swirl the pan occasionally until the almonds are golden and smell delicious. This should only take a couple of minutes, but watch the almonds the whole time as they can burn very easily.
20 grams Flaked almonds
Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top of the cake and dot the glacé cherries around the outside. Slice and enjoy!
8 Glace cherries