For the Cake
Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) standard / 140°C (280°F) fan. Line a 9″x13″ tin with baking paper.
Add the room temperature butter and caster sugar to a large bowl and cream together (use an electric hand mixer, or stand mixer if you have one!) until smooth, light, and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mix well after adding each egg.
Mix in sieved self raising flour, groung almonds, and baking powder in a little at a time – this will help the mixture is stay smooth.
Add in the milk and almond extract (if using) and mix well.
Pour your mixture in to your prepared 9″x13″ tin, smooth out until flat. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the surface of the cake has started to brown, and a skewer (or knife) comes out clean when inserted in to the centre of the cake. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15+ minutes, and then turning out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
For the Icing and Decoration
When the cake has fully cooled down, we can decorate: Add the jam to a bowl and stir to loosen it up. Spread the jam on to the cake, covering the entire surface in a thin even layer of jam.
Sieve the icing sugar in to a large bowl, and then add the water a little at a time until the desired thickness has been reached and the icing is smooth (I tend to prefer a thicker icing so go for 80-100ml, but you can add more water if you prefer it thinner!).
Pour the icing in to the centre of the cake and then carefully spread out with a spatula (or palette knife / butter knife). Some of the icing will fall off the sides of the cake, this is okay! 🙂 Top with the glacé cherries and then leave for at least 15 minutes at room temperature to allow the icing to firm up – slice and enjoy!
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