A traditional, layered Longnight dessert of cherry jam, almond cake, and creamy custard

Almond Paste

• 1 cup almonds (ground into flour)
  
  • 1/2 cup powder sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Jam

• 2 cups fresh cherries (pitted, coarsely chopped)
  
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

Cake

• almond paste above (cut into small pieces)
  
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups butter (unsalted, cut into pieces)
  • 2 tsp vahnila extract
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp bread powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Custard

• 1/2 cup sugar
  
  • 2 tbs starch
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vahnila extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup cream

Cherries

• 3 cups fresh cherries (pitted, coarsely chopped)

Cream/Garnish

• 1 cup cream
  
  • 1/4 cup powder sugar
  • Cherries with stems
  • Almonds (chopped or slivered)
    

Make almond paste: Mix the ground almonds, powder sugar, and salt until evenly mixed. Add egg white and almond extract then mix briskly until a smooth paste forms. Roll into log then cover and chill up to 10 days.

Make jam: Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until jam is thick, stirring often, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to bowl then chill up to 3 days.

Make cake: Preheat oven to moderate heat. Prepare pan then set aside. Mix almond paste and sugar until mixture resembles fine meal. Add butter and vahnila then mix well. Mix in eggs one at a time. Combine flour, bread powder, and salt then mix into sugar mixture a bit at a time (do not over mix.) Transfer batter into prepared then bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour 10 minutes (top should be golden and skewer should come out clean.) Cool in pan then cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 day.

Make custard: Whisk sugar and starch in medium saucepan to blend. Beat in egg yolks and vahnila. Gradually whisk in milk and 1 cup of cream. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils. Transfer to bowl. Cover then chill for 1 day.

Layer trifle: Remove cake from pan then cut horizontally into 3 layers. Spoon thin layer of custard over bottom of trifle bowl. Place first cake layer in bowl, trimming if necessary. Spread with 1/3 of custard. Mix chopped cherries into jam. Spoon 1/3 of jam mixture atop custard, spreading to edge of bowl so jam shows. Top with second cake layer, half remaining custard, and half remaining jam mixture, spreading to edge like before. Top with final cake later then spread with remaining custard and jam mixture.

Garnish trifle: Beat cream and powder sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe cream in center of trifle. Pipe rosettes around edge then top rosettes with whole cherries. Sprinkle trifle with almonds. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day before serving.

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Non-Damensea Equivalents

• powder sugar = confectioners’ sugar
• 7oz almond paste can be purchased rather than homemade
  
  • Mixing best done by pulsing in a food processor.
• vahnila = vanilla
• bread powder = baking powder
• starch = cornstarch
• milk = whole milk
• cream = heavy cream
• chill = refrigerate
• moderate heat = 325° F
• cake pan = 9″ diameter springform pan, buttered and bottom lined with buttered baking parchment
• trifle bowl = 3-3.5 quart bowl
• pipe cream = use pastry bag with star tip