Cooking in the Moment, the debut cookbook from Andrea Reusing, chef/owner of Asian-inspired farm-to-table restaurant Lantern in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is a slice of the author’s home life. This sour cherry cake will be a slice of yours in no time.

Sour Cherry Cake
Makes one ten-inch cake

Ingredients
½ c. butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. all-purpose flour, plus 1 tbsp.
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
4 c. sour cherries, pitted*
¼ c. turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a medium bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, thoroughly incorporating each.

3. In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 c. flour with baking powder and salt. Add to the egg-butter mixture and stir until well combined.

4. Sprinkle the cherries with half of the turbinado sugar, the remaining flour, and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine.

5. Spread the batter in a buttered 10-inch cake pan or cast-iron skillet. Spoon cherries and any juices on top. Sprinkle with remaining turbinado sugar.

6. Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

*To pit sour cherries, make a small incision across the tops with a sharp knife and gently squeeze to remove the seeds. Do this over a bowl to catch juice.

Cooking in the Moment is available online at amazon.com, $20. For more information, go to andreareusing.com.

Photo: John Kerncik / Courtesy of Random House

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