Comfort cook Treat yourself with this black cherry and frangipane bake

This easy-to-make pudding has Bakewell flavours plus oodles of fruit

Essentially this is a pastry-less tart. And the good news is, because there’s no shell, you can quite legitimately have a larger portion! Almonds and cherries are a classic combination, and this recipe, nodding to a Bakewell, can be knocked up in less than an hour.

— 125g very soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

— 500g frozen pitted black cherries (or fresh, if available)

— 125g caster sugar

—3eggs

— 125g ground almonds

— ¼ tsp almond essence

— 35g plain flour

— 15g flaked almonds

— cream or ice cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Lightly grease halfway up the sides of a baking dish that’s about 25cm wide and 10-11cm deep. Scatter the frozen cherries over the base of the dish (no need to defrost).

Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar for about five minutes until light and fluffy. Then add one of the eggs, incorporating it into the mixture for a couple of minutes before adding the second one. Continue whisking for another couple of minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times with a spatula to ensure everything is evenly blended.

Now add the ground almonds. Once incorporated, add the third egg and the almond essence, and mix. Then gently whisk in the flour until just combined. The frangipane is now ready.

Take large spoonfuls of the frangipane and dot it over the cherries. Using a spatula, gently encourage the mixture to the edges of the dish. Don’t worry if they don’t extend that far: the mixture will spread out while it’s baking.

Finally, sprinkle the flaked almonds over the surface, then pop in the oven, uncovered, for 35–40 minutes until golden and the fruit is starting to bubble through in places. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving with fresh cream or ice cream.