Australian brush cherry cake

Eating intrusive, introduced species as a means of ecological intervention.

This fruit has a mild, tangy flavour that suits it well for sweet contexts. Cakes, jams, sodas are the perfect vehicle to celebrate it while also eliminating it from non-native environments.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted and crushed Australian brush cherries (foraged from the neighbourhood )

• 1 cup brown sugar - 200 g

• ½ cup sunflower oil - 125 ml

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup all-purpose flour - 140 g

• ½ cup maize meal - 70 g

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ⅓ cup amasi or yoghurt - 84 ml

• 2 TBSPNS brown sugar - 24 g

Method

1. Rinse cherries in clean water and remove any stems and the seeds by hand. Set aside

2. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Spray a 22 cm loaf pan with cooking spray, or line with baking paper.

3. Beat 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil, with a whisk or mixer until evenly mixed

4. Beat in two eggs until really fluffy and light.

5.  In a separate bowl sift, 1 cup flour, ½ cup maize meal, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda

6. Stir into egg mixture, alternating with 1/3 cup amasi until mixture is smooth. Fold in cherries; pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle 2 table spoons brown sugar on top.

7. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Slice cake and serve with some jam