- Category: Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 can of Pitted Sour Cherries (14.5 ounces), drained, with the juice saved aside (adjusted with water to make 3/4 cup).
- 2/3 cup Sugar (for the juice)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1/3 cup Soft Butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar (for the cake)
- 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Bran
- 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
- 1/4 cup Water (or 3/4 cup plain milk instead of evaporated + water)
Method
- Drain well and save the juice of canned sour cherries. Set the cherries aside. The juice should measure close to 3/4 cup. If it does not, then add water until the liquid measures 3/4 cup. If your fortunate and have home-canned cherries, then use 2 cups of the cherries and 3/4 cup of juice.
- In a medium-low saucepan, combine the cherry juice with 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the cherries, and set the mixture aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease either an 8x8 square baking pan, or a 9 inch round pan.
- Spread the cherries evenly in the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter with 1/2 cup of sugar and orange zest (I use a microplane, and didn't bother measuring the rind. I simply used the rind of one whole orange).
- Beat one egg well, then add to the sugar mixture.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add bran.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine 1/2 cup of evaporated milk with 1/4 cup of water.
- Now you'll add the milk mixture and the flour, alternating between the two, and ending with the flour. I added a third of each at a time. (example: pour a little milk, sprinkle in some flour mixture, pour more milk, sprinkle more flour, then the last of the milk, and finally the last of the flour).
- This mixture is thick! Glob and spread the batter evenly (or as evenly as possible) over the cherry mixture.
- Bake for about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool for about 5 or 10 minutes, then turn the cake out (upside-down) onto a serving plate. My cherries oozed all over the plate, so I'd wait longer than 5 minutes next time. Great Grandmother said to serve this warm, though a friend was quick to point out that we now have microwave ovens for that...