Between packing boxes for the upcoming big event of us moving house and trying to save the planet by communicating about energy saving projects, I also managed to bake a cake. Well actually it’s muffins disguised as cake, because I already packed all my backing trays and tins in a box not easily to retrieve because other boxes got on top of it. I imagined I wouldn’t do much baking anyway, due to lack of time, and instead would try bakery stuff for inspiration to be let out of the box after having moved and ‘installed in brand new kitchen with big fridge’.

But I saved this one backing pan for emergency purposes and glad I was for it because this brilliant idea of bananas and amarene cherries (wild Italian cherries in heavy syrup with distinctive bitter almond taste, hate it or love it) just had to be tested. And it had to be in the oven before the opening tune of Saturday Kitchen, which started in just 15 minutes. The goals I set…silly really, but I pulled it of anyway.

So now I can tell you with assurance that you can bake muffins as one big cake, no problem. So when faced with a moving situation like mine , do not hold back, make muffins anyway!

This is how you make the muffin cake
Preheat the oven at 180 C (hot air oven). Mix the wet ingredients to form a batter. Mix the dry ingredients. Bring wet and dry together without mixing and scoop the heavy batter in the tin lined with baking paper. It can be a good idea to coat the cherries in flour before you mix them in with the batter, that way there’s less chance (less I say, not guaranty) that they will all sink to the bottom.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown on top and a knife or needle or stick comes out clean. Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes then cool further on a rack.