German sour cherry cake

Who hasnt made a stoopid mistake now and then?  Well I have to confess I had a bit of a slip-up with this cake the other day.  I have had this recipe for ages (from Vogue magazine probably about a dozen years ago) and have made it a number of times but I always seem to have a bit of trouble getting it just right.  I think it is due to the tiny amount of flour, the very juicy cherries and the number of eggs which makes it a very soft batter, which I never get quite right in the oven.   (I have a very temperamental gas oven with a door that doesn't quite close so any recipe has to be adjusted by about 25-30C higher and a bit of a guess at timing.)  It is always an adventure with baking in my kitchen!  Like going on the high seas.  You never know quite where you will end up so to speak.   Anyway I gave it another try this week, only to have somewhat of a disaster.  But I am sure that anyone with an oven door that actually closes, and a good thermostat can get this to come out beautifully!
My cake almost ended up on the kitchen floor but I managed to save it so that Mr Pickings could enjoy it in a bowl with lots of vanilla icecream and a big spoon.

Ingredients:
200g butter
200g sugar
4 eggs
200g ground almonds (tho I use a mixture of almond and hazelnut meal-try 100g of each)
100g of chocolate bits- I like to use the big ones that look like buttons rather than tiny choc chips
3 tbs of rum
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
75g wholemeal plain flour
1 jar of morello or other sour cherries, well drained

Method:
Beat the butter and sugar together till nicely creamed and smooth.  Beat in the eggs one by one till well-incorporated. At this point my batter looked curdled but never fear, it all comes together at the end.
Add the almond and/or hazelnut meal, chocolate, rum and cinnamon and beat it all into the batter till well combined.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, and stir in, then plop in the cherries and fold them beautifully into the soft and luscious batter.
Spoon it into a springform tin that has been lightly greased on the bottom and lined with baking paper, then bake at 175C for about 45 minutes or till your skewer comes out clean.
I think it best to let it sit in the tin for 5 minutes then whack it on a cake rack to cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar and devour.

don't those eggs look gorgeous-just so round and orange-(try to use free range)

adding almond and hazelnut meal

all ready to be folded in

such beautiful little orbs

just out of the oven-before the big disaster!

batter about to go in the oven

here is where it all went to hell in a handbasket!

this is what it SHOULD look like!