Hugh's Fresh Cherry Cake - River Cottage

Ingredients

• 125g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 75g self-raising white or wholemeal flour
• 75g ground almonds (ready-ground or whizzed in a food processor)
• 1 tsp almond extract (optional but lovely if you like that extra almondy, frangipane taste)
• 300g fresh cherries, stoned and halved
• 25g plain white or wholemeal flour
• 25g ground almonds
• 50g caster sugar
• 25g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 50g blanched almonds, slivered
• 20cm springform cake tin, lightly greased and base-lined with baking parchment