CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics | Page 36

Carefully dollop the cake mixture over the cherries and use the back of the spoon or spatula to smooth the
mixture so it’s even.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. If you have a fan oven, check after 40 minutes – the cake should
look golden brown on top and feel firm to the touch. If in doubt, insert a skewer and it should come out with
no raw mixture on it. If you have an older oven or one that’s a little temperamental, it may take a little longer
to bake this cake. Be patient and keep an eye on it.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, tip it out upside down on a platter or
board and gently remove the baking paper.
You can add an extra drizzle of kirsch liqueur over the cherry topping if you wish!
Serve as is, or scatter over some toasted almond flakes to decorate.
REVERSE CHERRY GIBSON
Gin, vermouth and corpse reviver cherries
This ‘reverse’ martini weights the gin and vermouth ratio in favour of the
vermouth for a lighter serve. This is contrasted with some sweet acidity
from the pickled cherry. The brands here make good partners, but experi-
ment away!
Gather
Half vanilla pod
4 shots (100ml/4oz) cider vinegar
50g (1¾oz) sugar
3 strips orange peel
1 stick cinnamon
100g (3½oz) fresh cherries (Rainier if possible)
Just under 1 shot (20ml/0.8oz) absinthe
4 shots (200ml/4oz) Cointreau
Just under 2 shots (40ml/1.6oz) Martini Extra Dry vermouth
1 tbsp Star of Bombay gin
Method
Pickled cherries:
Scrape out the vanilla seeds and put them and the pod in a pan with the cider vinegar, sugar, orange peel
and cinnamon. Heat over a medium heat for 10 minutes then allow to cool. Add to a clean preserving jar with
fresh cherries, absinthe and Cointreau. Leave to infuse in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.
To serve:
Stir vermouth and gin over ice. Strain into a frozen cocktail glass and garnish with a pickled cherry.