Basque pie with cherry filling

Ingredients:

• 220 g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 and 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 1/3 cup cherry preserves
• 1/4 cup sliced ​​almonds (optional)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preparation:

1. Position a rack on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and grease a 25cm (9in) springform pan or tart tin with butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually whisk in the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
2. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder and fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture with a silicone spatula. Knead into a soft dough with no visible white streaks of flour. Pour half of the dough into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Stir the almond extract into the cherry jam. Spoon the jam over the dough and spread it out, leaving a 5 cm (2 in) gap from the sides of the pan.
3. Spoon or pipe the remaining batter on top. Carefully spread the batter over the jam, reaching the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with sliced ​​almonds, if using.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool on a wire rack in the pan. Then, turn the cake out and sprinkle with powdered sugar.