Upside-down sour cherry cake

A quick and easy sour cherry cake – exactly how we like it! Although it’s quite hard to find fresh sour cherries in England, I normally just buy them frozen. Trust me, they’re equally as good. The best part of an upside-down cake is that you don’t have to worry if the cherries will fall to the bottom. Why? Because they are purposefully placed on the bottom of the cake tin and then after it has been baked, you turn the cake upside-down. So easy!

Ingredients for the cake:

• 115 g butter
• 190 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 200 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 125 g kefir or buttermilk

Ingredients for the cherry layer:

• 350 g sour cherries, de-pitted
• 50 g sugar
• 1 Tbsp potato starch
• 1 tsp cinnamon

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the cherry layer and set aside. If you’re using frozen cherries, thaw and drain out the excess water beforehand.

In a mixing bowl, add in butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one after the other, beating continuously after each addition. The batter may look ‘broken’ however this doesn’t affect the cake in any way. Add in the lemon extract and mix. Add sifted flour and baking powder, then kefir (or buttermilk). Mix with a spatula, only until combined.

Line the bottom of a cake tin (23 cm in diameter) with baking paper. Lightly grease the bottom with butter. Pour the cherry layer onto the bottom and level. Then, pour the cake batter on top, level.

Bake at 170°C for about 40 minutes or longer, until a stick inserted into the cake comes out dry. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.

After cooled, turn the cake upside-down onto a cake stand so that the cherries are on top. Cut into slices and serve.

Enjoy!