A simple, fruity, cobbler-style cake with chewy-fluffy results
Meera SodhaSat 21 Sep 2024 07.00 EDTShareThis is the easiest “cake” I’ve made in a while, and it’s a great recipe for non-bakers. I’ve put cake in inverted commas, because the dish is actually based on an old American recipe for cobbler in which a batter is made very simply by mixing flour, milk, sugar and baking powder, pouring it into a hot pan with melted butter and cherries, then baking until golden. It’s a very casual affair that results in a delicious, chewy crust, a fluffy middle – and one very pleased home cook.
Very easy cherry cake with pistachio creamThe pistachio cream is lovely for a special occasion, but it does mean you need to buy some ready-made pistachio butter, so is a little expensive – if you prefer, serve this with vegan vanilla ice-cream or creme fraiche to lower the cost (and effort). You’ll need a 26-28cm-wide ovenproof frying pan, so if yours is smaller, you may need to increase the baking time a little.
Prep 5 min Cook 45 min Serves 6
300g frozen cherries, defrosted1 orange, zest finely grated, then juiced to get 2 tbsp150g caster sugar 150g plain flour 1½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp fine sea salt 140g whole oat milk ½ tsp vanilla paste 120g unsalted vegan butter
For the pistachio cream (optional)120g pistachio butter1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp agave syrup A pinch of salt
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. In a medium bowl, mix the cherries with the orange juice. In a second bowl, mix the orange zest, caster sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, then stir in the milk and vanilla paste, and whisk again. Stir half the cherries and all the orange juice into the batter.
Try this recipe and many more of Meera’s dishes on the new Feast app: scan or click here for your free trial.Melt the butter in an ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat and, once it’s frothing, scrape in the batter – don’t stir it into the butter, though. Evenly scatter the remaining cherries over the top, then bake for 30 minutes, until golden.
While the cake is baking, make the pistachio cream, if using. Put all the ingredients and 50g water in a small blender (or use a stick blender) and blitz until light and fluffy.
When the cake is ready, serve it straight away with dollops of pistachio cream (or ice-cream/creme fraiche) on the side.