Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl, toss the cherries with the sugar, cornstarch & water mixture and the almond extract. Allow it to stand for about a half hour or more. When ready, pour the fruit into a 9×13 baking dish.

In another large bowl, or using your stand mixer – cream together the butter and sugar until it’s very light and fluffy. This took me about 3 minutes. Add the 3 eggs but add them one at a time mixing in between each egg. Add the almond extract and mix again.

In another bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture a little at a time mixing in between each addition – alternate adding the buttermilk at the same time, again, mixing in between each addition. It should go a little bit of dry ingredients, mix, a little bit of buttermilk, mix, more dry ingredients, mix, more buttermilk, mix… and so on until it has all been incorporated.

Make the crumble. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mash everything together. You want the butter to be mashed up with everything else and little “crumbs” to form.

Take your cake batter and spoon it over the fruit layer in the baking dish. Smooth the batter all over and make sure it falls down between the fruit and is fairly even.

Sprinkle the top with your crumble topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Start checking at 40 and keep watching until finished. You’re looking for bubbling fruit, a golden crumble on top and a clean cake. Insert a toothpick and see if it comes out clean.

Move it to a rack to cool. This is amazing served warm, but tasted just as delicious at room temp.