Maria's Cherry Cake - Stone Fruits #1

This is the cake that I've been wanting to make for the longest of time.

I recieved this cookbook from Aunt Grace for Christmas when I was 15. I was totally taken by the look of the cherry cake featured in the book. During that time, fresh cherries are unheard of.  I had my first taste of fresh cherries when my friend Yoke Waie gave me some after his parents returned from a holiday in Australia. That was when I was 18. My 2nd time eating this was when I was 21, buying 100gm for RM15 at Petaling Street with my then boyfriend. Expensive right? But it's so hard to come by that I didn't care much for its price. That ex-boyfriend paid for my cherries :p

These few years, the price of cherries have gone down a lot, making it more affordable. Last year I didn't make this, so this season, I just have to try out this recipe that has been bugging me for 18 years. The recipe came in decilitres and I had to convert the amount from a 12 inch pan to a 9 inch pan.

Maria's Cherry Cake
Recipe source: Adapted from Cakes and Dessert (MPH Publishing 1987)

250gm cherries, cut into half, seeds removed (1 punnet, the recipe called for 1L of cherries, and used whole. That's too expensive and I don't fancy the taste of the baked seed).
100gm butter
125gm icing sugar (reduced from 200gm)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
2 medium eggs (grade c)
150gm all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 150(fan)/170C. Prepare a 9 inch pan. Line the base and grease the sides.
2. Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs gradually.
4. Add in vanilla and lemon zest.
5. Sift flour with baking powder and fold into the beaten butter.
6. Spread out the mixture onto prepared pan and arrange halved cherries. No need to press in.
7. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. When cake has cooled, dust with icing sugar before serving.