Cherry-Almond Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

• 0.8 cup blanched almonds and whole toasted
• 0.3 cup cooking wine dry red
• 2 large egg whites 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 cup flour all-purpose
• 1 teaspoon juice of lemon fresh
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 1.3 cups sugar divided
• 2 pounds cherries dark sweet pitted

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• wire rack
• blender
• baking pan
• measuring cup
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 37
2. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and wine in a large saucepan over low heat; stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Stir in cherries. Reduce heat to low, and cook 5 minutes or until cherries just begin to soften, stirring frequently.
3. Remove cherries from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid in pan.
4. Place cherries in a bowl; stir in lemon juice. Arrange cherries in an even layer in bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Cook wine mixture over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup.
6. Remove from heat; drizzle over cherries in prepared pan.
7. Place almonds and 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor; process until finely ground (do not process to a paste).
8. Place eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy; slowly add remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Beat until thick and lemon-colored (about 2 minutes).
9. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
10. Combine flour and salt. Gradually sift flour mixture over egg mixture; fold in. Fold in ground almond mixture. Carefully spoon batter over cherries in prepared pan.
11. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes.
12. Place a plate upside down on top of cake; invert onto plate.