Description
This Homemade Cherry Pound Cake is a rich and irresistibly delicious treat featuring layers of buttery cake studded with fresh cherries, complemented by a luscious cherry compote and a delicate cherry-infused icing. Perfect for dessert or a special occasion, this loaf cake is moist, flavorful, and beautifully decorated with fresh cherries.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved, tossed with 2 tablespoons flour
- Extra fresh cherries, for decorating
For the Cherry Sauce
- 1 ½ cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water (slurry)
For the Cherry Icing
- 3 tablespoons cherry syrup (reserved from cherry sauce)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Prepare Pan and Oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter or spray it with cake release then set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated white sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Add 4 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon almond extract. The batter may look curdled but will come together later.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gently fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture by hand without overmixing to preserve the cake’s tender crumb.
- Layer Batter and Cherries: Add one-third of the batter to the prepared pan and smooth it evenly. Sprinkle with one-third of the floured cherries on top. Repeat layering until all batter and cherries are used.
- Bake the Cake: Place the pan in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until the cake turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan.
- Make Cherry Compote: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups halved cherries, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and ¼ teaspoon almond extract. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cherries soften and release juices.
- Thicken Sauce: Stir in cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water) and cook for another minute until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool. Reserve 3 tablespoons syrup for icing.
- Prepare Cherry Icing: In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons reserved cherry syrup with 1 cup powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon almond extract. Beat until smooth, adding a drop of milk if the icing is too thick.
- Decorate and Serve: Drizzle the cooled cake with cherry icing and top with extra fresh cherries. Slice and serve the cake with a dollop of cherry sauce.
Notes
- The traditional pound cake recipe uses equal weights of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs; this version uses about half a pound each to fit the loaf pan perfectly.
- Use fresh cherries instead of frozen to avoid excess moisture that could affect cake texture.
- Tossing cherries with flour before layering prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- The cake is delightful on its own with just a dusting of powdered sugar if you prefer to skip the cherry sauce.
- Reserving cherry syrup for the icing adds beautiful color and flavor; if you want the pink cherry icing, making the sauce is recommended.
- If the cherry icing is too thick, add a splash of milk gradually to reach a drizzling consistency.
- Consider doubling the cherry sauce recipe for extra to serve with other dishes like yogurt, pancakes, or ice cream.
- You can substitute cherry syrup in icing with store-bought cherry juice or make a simple powdered sugar-milk icing and add pink food coloring for color.
