Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

Loaf

• 1 cup ground almonds, or almond meal
• 1 ¼ cups, and 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Amaretto almond liqueur
• 1 cup Amarena cherries, drained and cut into halves

Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Amarena cherry syrup
• 1 teaspoon melted salted butter
• 2 teaspoons whipping, or heavy, cream

To decorate

• Toasted flaked almonds
• Additional Amarena cherries, drained

Method

Loaf

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare 9” x 5” inch loaf pan with baking spray, or grease with butter, and set aside until needed
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, salt and baking powder. Whisk together well
4. Beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
6. Add the almond liqueur and mix to combine
7. Add ½ the flour mixture and mix briefly
8. Add the remaining of the flour mixture and fold just until no flour spots remain
9. Toss the cherries in 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and fold in the batter
10. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center. *If the loaf begins to brown too much before it has completed baking, cover it loosely with aluminium foil
11. Cool 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan. Allow to cool completely before glazing

Glaze

1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, cherry syrup, and melted butter until just smooth
2. Add in the cream one teaspoon at a time until you can pour the glaze

To finish

1. Drizzle the glaze over your cooled loaf
2. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and dot surplus Amarena cherries to your liking
3. Slice and serve

Loaf will keep best for up to three days at room temperature in an air-tight container