Cherry Bakewell Bundt

Start by preheating your oven to 180c/gas 4. Grease your bundt tin with butter (I use a pastry brush to get into all the nooks and crannies), then liberally dust with flour and shake out the excess.

Remove the stones from the fresh cherries, blitz in a food processor with the maraschino cherries until you have a puree, then leave to one side. In a free-standing mixer, or by hands using some elbow grease, beat together the butter and sugar until it is pale and light. Gradually beat in the eggs, followed by the almond extract and salt. Beat in half the flour and baking powder, just enough to combine, followed by the milk. Gently fold in the remaining flour and baking powder with a large metal spoon, and finish by folding in the ground almonds.

Spoon one third of the cake mixture into your bundt tin, then evenly spoon over a third of the cherry puree, gently rippling it into the batter. Repeat twice, so both mixtures are used up, then pop the tin into the oven and bake for around 50 minutes – 1 hour, until your cake is golden and cooked through. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out on to a rack to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, scatter the almonds on a baking tray and pop them into the oven for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Leave to one side to cool. When you are ready to decorate, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in just enough amaretto to make a thick icing. Drizzle it over the cake and scatter over the toasted almond flakes.