100ml| 3 1/2 fl oz cold water + 2 tsp cornflourcornstarch
2tbspAmaretto or brandyoptional
300g| 10 1/2 oz fresh cherries
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250g| 8oz soft unsalted butter plus more for the cake tin
250g| 8oz caster sugar
3large eggs
1tspalmond extract
250g| 8oz ricotta
60ml| 2 fl oz | 1/4 cup milk
150g| 5 1/2 oz self-raising flour plus more for the cake tin
150g| 5 1/2 oz fine semolina
10Amaretti biscuitsground to a powder
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To serve
5Amaretti biscuitscrumbled
300g| 10 1/2 oz crème fraîche or lightly whipped creamoptional
Instructions
Pit half the cherries and keep the rest whole. Dilute the cornflour in the water.
Put the sugar, water, Amaretto or brandy in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to the boil and add the cherries. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Transfer the cherries to a bowl and continue cooking the syrup for another 10 minutes until reduced.
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease a deep 21cm (8 1/2 in) bundt tin with butter or shortening and dust with flour.
Sift the flour, semolina and ground Amaretti biscuits into a bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer for several minutes until pale and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through.
Crack the eggs into a measuring jug and add the almond extract. Lightly beat together with a balloon whisk.
Gradually add the beaten eggs to the butter mixture while whisking on maximum speed until thoroughly incorporated.
Mix the ricotta and milk together.
Alternate folding the flour and ricotta to the batter, starting and ending with the flour.
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure there are no dry pockets of flour.
Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt tin and level.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until springy to the touch and coming away from the sides of the tin.Test that a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for five minutes then carefully turn out onto a cooling rack.
Carefully drizzle the still warm cake with some of the cherry syrup – it should absorb easily.
Top with some of the cherry compote and sprinkle with crumbled Amaretti biscuits.
Serve warm with extra cherry compote and crème fraîche on the side.