Ask a Chef reveals the secrets of those superb dishes you ate in cafes and restaurants and wanted to try yourself.
Ingredients
300g self-raising flour
400g brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g chopped, cold butter
300g fresh, frozen or preserved cherries
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
300ml cream
For the compote
cherries (as above)
125ml water
110g sugar
1 tsp cornflour
Method
Preheat the oven to 180degC. Grease and line a 24cm round spring form cake pan.
In a food processor pulse flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Press half into the base of the pan and top with half the cherries (if using preserved cherries, drain and reserve the liquid for the compote) Add baking powder and cocoa to the food processor and pulse to combine. Add the egg and cream and pulse again.
Spread the mixture over the cherries and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean. If it browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminium foil.
Cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the cherry compote.
Cherry compote
Put 125ml water and 110g of caster sugar into a pan. If using preserved cherries, use the preserving liquid instead of water. Place over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining cherries and simmer for 2 minutes. Mix 1 tsp cornflour with a little cold water, add to the cherry mix and cook for 1 minute until the liquid thickens. Cool completely.
To serve
Sprinkle the cake with good quality cocoa powder or icing sugar. Serve with whipped cream and the cherry compote.
Requested by Robyn McGregor, of AlexandraThis recipe comes from The Kitchen in Bannockburn, Central Otago.
• If you have enjoyed a dish in an Otago cafe or restaurant and would like the recipe, write to Ask a Chef, Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 181, Dunedin, fax 474-7422, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz , including your name, address and a daytime telephone number, and we will request it.
