Preheat oven to 180 ˚C.

Grease and flour a large bundt pan or use 6-8 small pans like we did.

Arrange half of the cherries on the bottom of your pan/s.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high until thick and pale in colour. Beat in the sugar, about a quarter at a time, then add the vanilla essence and mix through.

Use a spatula to fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.

Gently heat the beer until it starts to bubble along the sides of the pan, add the butter  and then add the beer mixture to the batter, stirring to combine.

Pour and divide the batter between the pans. Add the remaining cherries – they will sink into the batter.

Bake for 30 minutes for a large cake, 15-20 for smaller cakes or until the centre of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes before turning out.

Drizzle with cherry syrup and dust with icing sugar.

cherry syrup

Combine all the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan set over moderate heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Simmer until thick and syrupy.