-
1
Preheat the oven to 350F.
-
2
Butter an 8-by-3-inch round cake pan, and line bottom with parchment paper.
-
3
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
-
4
Spread evenly over bottom of prepared pan.
-
5
Arrange apricot halves, cut sides down, in pan.
-
6
Fit cherries into any gaps between apricots.
-
7
Pack down the fruit slightly with your hands; set aside.
-
8
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
-
9
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter until smooth, about 1 minute.
-
10
Add almond paste and 3/4 cup sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
-
11
Add the egg yolks, and beat until well combined.
-
12
Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.
-
13
Add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined, and set aside.
-
14
In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
-
15
Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until soft peaks form.
-
16
Fold a third of egg-white mixture into the batter with a spatula.
-
17
Gently fold in remaining egg whites.
-
18
Spread batter over fruit, smoothing with an offset spatula.
-
19
Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
-
20
Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
-
21
Run a knife or small offset spatula around the edges to loosen, and invert cake onto a serving plate to cool completely.
-
22
Cake can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with foil, for up to 3 days.
-
23
An offset spatula is used to evenly spread the creamed butter and sugar over the bottom of the pan.
-
24
Apricot halves are arranged, cut sides down, atop the butter mixture, then halved cherries are tucked into the gaps.
