Q
I’m getting into the swing of cooking with my new Aga and am really enjoying finding out how easy it is to use. I still have one bête noire, though. Whatever I do, cherries always sink when I make a cherry cake. Any suggestions?
A
There are several things you can do to ensure you don’t get that sinking feeling. Firstly, unless you are using the cherries whole, cut them into the desired halves or quarters before you rinse them clean of surplus syrup.
 Secondly, to rinse them effectively, place in a basin and pour over almost boiling water and to leave to soak for a few minutes, giving them an occasional stir. Then drain in a sieve and shake them onto some absorbent kitchen paper. Roll them around, replacing the paper if necessary, until they are completely dry. Thirdly, toss the dried fruit in a little of the measured flour reserved for mixing the cake mixture.
The final reason for the fruit to sink in the cake is either to have the mixture to slack or the oven temperature too hot. It is important to measure all the ingredients accurately: old-fashioned balance scales or electronic versions like the Aga hanging scales are the most accurate.
Make sure you use the correct size of eggs called for, as using ones that are larger than specified can make a surprising difference to the consistency of the batter. With most recipes for cherry cake the mixture is slightly thicker than for most deep cake, and it this that again helps keep the fruit suspended until the cake mixture has set.
With regards the actual baking, use the correctly stated tin size and shape of tin, as this is important to ensure that the amount of moisture driven off during baking is correct to produce a cake with the right texture and moistness. In a two-oven Aga, use one of the tins in the Aga Cake Baker in the roasting oven, or bake in a tin on a grid shelf on the floor of the baking oven in other models.
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