Cherry Marzipan Streusel Cake

Cherry and almond is one of the most classic combinations out there. We grow quite a few cherries in this state and I took advantage of some of the fresh local produce to make this cake. It had been a bit of a difficult week and I wanted to make something great. Cherries were in season and I had marzipan at home, so this cake was my choice. It was a little warm in my house when baking this, but luckily it wasn’t that hot.

The blog where I got this recipe gives another recipe for homemade marzipan. I’ve not tried making my own but that’s a great idea since marzipan is so expensive to buy. I’m usually torn between buying at the grocery store for $8 or heading to Ikea, where it is a lot cheaper, to stock up. I tend to buy lots of other things at Ikea when I go, and it’s a bit of an inconvenient trip. Luckily, I had stocked up not too long ago. I do think I will try to make my own one of these days!

Pitting cherries is cumbersome and fairly messy, but it’s a lot easier when you have a cherry pitter. I’m not usually a fan of uni-task tools, but the cherry pitter is a good investment. It makes pitting the cherries so much quicker! I used a thin metal springform pan and I had a little trouble getting the cake to bake in the center. I really should have used one of my better quality pans. The last few cakes I have made in this pan have had the same issue, so I’m blaming the pan! This cake is not super sweet, and the cherries are wonderful. I love almond flavor and wish that flavor was more distinct, but I enjoyed this cake a lot.

Cherry Marzipan Streusel Cake

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved

½ cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup marzipan, diced

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

½ cup buttermilk

1½ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

  

½ cup flour

½ cup sugar

⅓ cup marzipan, crumbled

4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Powdered sugar

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

Pit and halve the cherries and set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium until light. Add the marzipan and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.

   

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer running on low, stir in half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add the remaining buttermilk and flour mixture and again stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Top with the halved cherries.

   

Make the streusel topping: in a medium bowl combine the flour and sugar. Add the marzipan and butter and use your fingers to work the mixture until it resembles sandy clumps. Top the cake with the streusel.

   

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a thin knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove the sides of the pan and allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over the cake before serving.

Recipe from The Daring Gourmet