CHERRY ALMOND CAKES

Makes 9

This is my second favourite cherry cake, beside cherry clafoutis, that I love making during the summer when cherries are in season. When not in season, I use any berries and they turn out equally delicious. My son loves them topped with chocolate and I cannot blame him. These cakes are so pretty and unpretentious and require the littlest amount of time you can possibly spend in the kitchen. This is a recipe that I always make when I end up with extra egg whites sitting around and it can be easily doubled as you will definitely not have enough of them.

3 egg whites

100 g caster sugar

70 g almond flour

35 g all-purpose flour, sifted

90 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus extra for greasing

A pinch of salt

¼ tsp almond extract

9 fresh cherries, halved and stoned (or a mix of your favourite berries)

Preheat oven to 430°F/ 220 °C.

Grease a 9-cup muffin pan with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites slightly, until just a little frothy. Do not whisk to reach soft peaks. Add caster sugar and stir, followed by almond flour, salt, almond extract and all-purpose flour. Stir until well combined. Pour in melted butter slowly and stir until well incorporated.

Pour batter into muffin pan, distributing it evenly. Top with halved cherries.

Bake for 7 minutes. Lower temperature to 350°F/ 180°C and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes until cakes are golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool slightly before transferring cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.