Cherry and nut cake recipe

1 x 28 cm / 11in springform tin
500 g / llb 2ozs cherries
150g / 5 1/2 oz sugar
150g / 5 1/2oz softened butter
4 eggs
100g / 4 oz plain chocolate
1 tbsp icing sugar
200g / 7 oz ground hazelnuts
4 tbsps sponge cake crumbs or digestive biscuit crumbs

First wash cherries and remove stones and dry,
Cream the butter and sugar, separate the eggs whites in another bowl,
Grate chocolate,
Whisk egg whites until firm peaks,

Add eggs 1 at a time to the creamed butter,
Add ground hazelnuts and chocolate,
Fold in egg whites,

Heat the oven to 180c / 350F gas mark 4

Grease the tin , sprinkle with cake or biscuit crumbs bottom on the tin
(crush cake and biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin no mess)

Arrange a pattern of cherries on top of the cake / biscuit crumbs
,
Bake the cake on a low shelf for 1 hour, turn the oven off leave for 10 mins
When cool put icing sugar on the top

Now enjoy this with a cup of tea or a coffee