CHERRY & ALMOND BAKED PUDDING

A golden, nutty baked pudding studded with juicy cherries and finished with Chantilly cream — the perfect summer dessert.

INGREDIENTS

For the pudding:

• oil or melted butter, for greasing
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons extra
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¾ cup Bonnita butter, softened
• generous ¾ cup superfine sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1¾ cups pitted cherries
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon toasted slivered almonds
• icing sugar, for dusting
• Parmalat cream, to serve

For the Chantilly cream:

• 125ml cream
• 5ml vanilla essence
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 2-litre ovenproof dish, 5.5cm deep.
2. Sift 1½ cups flour with the baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, and almond extract. Beat until smooth. Toss the cherries in the extra 2 tablespoons flour, then stir half into the batter.
3. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the batter with a large metal spoon.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish. Scatter the remaining cherries over the top. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown.
5. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and dust lightly with icing sugar. Serve warm with Chantilly cream.
6. To make Chantilly cream: Whip the cream with the vanilla (and icing sugar, if using) until firm peaks form.