Cherry and Almond Cake

Ingredients :
* Butter, at room temperature – 200 gms
* Golden caster sugar – 200 gms
* Eggs, beaten – 4
* Self raising flour – 200 gms
* Glaze cherries, chopped – 200 gms
* Ground Almonds – 100 gms
* Almond extract/ essence – 2-3 drops
* Marzipan – 250 gms
* Blanched Almonds, halved lengthways – 50 gms
* Icing Sugar – for dusting

Method :
> Heat oven to 160°C. Grease a deep 20cm
round cake tin and line the base and
sides with greaseproof paper.
> Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and
beat until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the eggs a little at a time and
beta well after each addition. Mix in the flour one third at a time.
> Fold in the cherries, ground almonds and almond extract until evenly mixed. Spoon half the mixture into the tin.
>  Roll out the marzipan into 19cm circle. Lay this on top of the cake mixture in the tin, and then cover with the rest of the mixture. Level with the back of the spoon and scatter the almonds on top.
>  Bake for 1 ½ hours, covering with foil after 1 hour if it shows the signs of burning.
>  The cake is done when it shrinks away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
>  Cool in the tin for 20 minutes then turn out on a wire rack and leave to cool completely .