What Baba Cooked

This is one of those recipes that gets passed around the family and everyone ends up making it and nobody can remember where it originally came from. My sister and I got it from our Mum, so it seems fair that she gets the title credit. I recently took it to a friends house and he swore his mum used to make the exact same cake, and I guess that’s the Croatian expat community for you!

Everyone inevitably adds their twist, and I’ve added everything from vanilla to amaretto liqueur, lemon or orange zest, and even a splash of orange juice. I’ve made it without separating the eggs and without whisking the whites, which is fine and just means the cake won’t be quite as light. I’ve also added ingredients in the wrong order, have added the cherries straight to the batter as well as halfway through pouring, and it just always turns out fine. All in all, it’s a very forgiving cake, you can get it into the oven in about ten minutes, and everyone loves it: the perfect recipe!

What you need:

• 250g softened unsalted butter
• 300g caster sugar
• 6 eggs, separated
• 370g self raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• rind of one lemon (I often like to add a splash of Amaretto liqueur)
• 680g jar of drained sour or morello cherries

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a rectangular cake tin, approximately 30cm by 23cm or near enough. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. While this is happening whisk your egg whites in another bowl to soft peaks.
• Add one egg yolk at a time until smooth, then add the flour in a few stages (turn the mixer down while you’re mixing the flour to avoid the flour ending up all over your benchtop). Add the vanilla, lemon rind, and any liqueur if using.
• Turning the mixer speed down to very slow, add the beaten egg whites in stages and beat on low until combined. Pour into your baking dish.
• Sprinkle cherries on top, gently pressing into the cake batter about a third of the way in.
• Cook for 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool, cut into squares, and dust with icing sugar.