1. Wash the cherries, drain, and pit them. Set aside.

2. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Add the water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and stir until there are no more lumps visible. Bring the mixture to a boil and let cook for a moment, then add the pitted cherries and mix in. Let the cherries simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure nothing burns. The cherries should become softer but not mushy – the liquid in the saucepan should have thickened nicely. Remove from the heat and let cool down completely. I always prepare the cherry filling a day in advance and store it in the fridge until needed.

3. Mix the flour and sugar for the streusels in a large bowl. Add the soft butter, vanilla extract, and egg. Work with your hands or a hand mixer with dough hooks and mix/knead until you get different-sized streusels.

4. Line a 9.5-inch (24cm) springform tin* with baking parchment and grease lightly. Transfer about 2/3 of the streusels to the springform tin and press them to the bottom and sides – the dough crust should be about halfway up the sides of the springform tin. Place the baking tin and the streusels in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Pour the cherry filling into the prepared springform tin and sprinkle the remaining streusels evenly on top. Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes. The streusels should have been colored nicely. Remove the cherry cake from the oven and let cool down completely inside the baking tin. The cake tastes great with a little whipped cream or vanilla sauce.