CHERRY HAZELNUT CAKE

SERVES 8 PREP + COOK 45 MINS

✦ ½ cup Natvia

✦ 150g butter, softened

✦ 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

✦ 2 eggs

✦ ½ cup plain flour

✦ 1 cup hazelnut meal

✦ ½ cup almond meal

✦ 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

✦ 16 cherries, with stalks

✦ ¾ cup thick cream

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 19cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above edges.

2 Blend Natvia on high speed until the consistency of icing sugar. Reserve 2 tsp.

3 Beat butter, powdered Natvia and zest in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating until just combined. Add sifted flour, meals and soda. Beat on low speed until just combined.

4 Spread mixture evenly into pan. Bake 15 mins. Top cake with cherries, gently pushing them a quarter of the way into the cake mix. Bake cake a further 20 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan 3 mins before transferring to a board. Dust with reserved sifted powdered Natvia.