Gluten-Free Cherry Torte for Summer Dining

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If you take a quick look around your local grocery store or farm market right now, you’re bound to see piles of bright, red, summer cherries just waiting to be brought home. You can wash ‘em up and make a pie, or put them in a decorative bowl on your counter to be munched on throughout the day.

But I’d like to suggest something a little bit more interesting. A fresh cherry torte. This delicious indulgence is a loving tweak of the New York Times Plum Torte recipe that I converted to gluten-free several years ago (see recipe here on this blog or in Gluten-Free Baking Classics –The Heirloom Collection). I took out the plums and added in fresh, pitted cherries and a bit of almond extract. And just like the original, it’s fast and very simple to make – as long as you’ve got a cherry pitter.

Serve this moist, tender cherry torte warm or at room temperature, without or without a scoop of cherry vanilla ice cream on the side (nothing like a little over-kill). It’s perfect for a summer brunch, a picnic at the beach, or for dessert after a barbecue on the patio. My my my! Go buy yourself some cherries and make it this weekend!

 

Gluten-Free Cherry Torte

8 servings

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (or Earth Balance for dairy-free option)
1 cup Brown Rice Flour mix*
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound fresh cherries, pitted
Granulated sugar for topping (see cooks note below)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Position rack in lower third of oven. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in large bowl of electric mixer. Add the Brown Rice Flour mix, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, eggs, almond and vanilla extracts, and beat well, about 2 minutes at medium speed.
3. Spoon the batter into prepared springform pan. Place the cherries smooth side up on top of the batter (so the holes don’t show). Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
4. Bake about 55 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean from the center. Remove and cool on rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store torte covered tightly with plastic wrap in refrigerator.

*Find my Brown Rice Flour Mix in the Guide to Flour Mix section of this blog.

Cooks note: Use plain granulated sugar or granulated sugar with a very slight touch of ground cinnamon.

©2016 by Annalise Roberts

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