Cherry Cake Recipe
There is something very satisfying about a loaf cake. Wonderful uniform slices of sponge, fat or thin, soft and delicious. Loaf cakes are some of my favourites – lemon drizzle, marble cake, banana loaf to name but a few. And now this Cherry Cake. It has a hint of almond flavour and sweet, shiny cherries in every slice. It’s so old fashioned and comforting and has more than a hint of shabby chic to it.
This a great cake to have in your tin, ready to greet the children when they get in from school, or to herald your return from work or a dog walk. The recipe is based on Nigella Lawson’s Lemon Drizzle cake, from her How to be a Domestic Goddess book, which is a brilliant template for a loaf cake. I do use this for quite a few cakes, you can add all sorts of things to the mixture, no need to stop at cherries.
What could be more welcoming than a slab of yellow sponge studded with the glassy red cherries. What a treat and I do think that a slice of cake is a great excuse to sit down for a hugely deserved five minutes.
Simple cake making fodder in the line up. As usual I have forgotten something – the four tablespoons of milk are missing in action, I am afraid. You can buy the undyed cherries but these bright red ones look much more fun. And here’s the Stork again – I still love it even though Unilever have yet to ring me regarding a brand partnership – their bloody loss I say.
Take your loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper or a loaf tin liner and set the oven to pre heat at around 160 degrees.
Take a large bowl, add to it my beloved Stork or soft butter if you must, and the caster sugar. Whisk with your hand mixer until lighter in colour and texture.
Add the two eggs, whisk, then pour in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Weigh out the flour, then add it to the pale yellow batter with a pinch of salt.
Good Lord – huge hand shot – sorry for the lack of warning.
Take the glace cherries and pop them into a colander. Rinse them with cold water, pat dry with kitchen paper then coat lightly with a tablespoon of flour. This should, fingers crossed, stop them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. *spoiler alert – mine sunk slightly, but not completely*.
Fold four tablespoons of milk into the batter, mix well, then follow in with these lovely sweet cherry gems and spoon into the loaf tin, smoothing the top as you go. Put the cake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
This wonderful cherry studded loaf is cooked when the top is golden brown and when a skewer is put in the middle of the cake, it comes out clean. Leave it to cool slightly before cutting into beautiful slices.
Soft and fragrant, sweet and comforting. The pat on the back of the cake world.
I do think this charming, vintage Cherry Cake wouldn’t fail to put a smile on anyone’s face. I quality controlled at least three slices during recipe testing and I can guarantee I was definitely smiling whilst devouring it. Happy cake eating to you all.
Lucy x
Cherry Cake Recipe
You will need a 2lb loaf tin, lined
125g Stork or soft butter
175g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
175g self raising flour
a pinch of salt
4 tablespoons milk
200g glace cherries, rinsed, dried then tossed in a tablespoon of flour
Pre heat the oven to 150 to 160 degrees, fan assisted and line your loaf tin with grease proof paper or a loaf tin liner.
In the food processor or by hand beat the Stork or soft butter with the sugar until lighter in colour and texture. Beat in the eggs one by one until well mixed. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Weigh out the flour then fold this into the butter, sugar and egg mix, gently, with a pinch of salt. Put the glace cherries in a colander and rinse well with water. Pat dry then dust with a tablespoon of flour. This will *hopefully* stop the cherries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Fold four tablespoons of milk into the cake batter, mix well, then follow in with the cherries. Spoon it into the lined loaf tin and put in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer pushed in the middle comes out clean and the top is golden and firm. Leave to cool slightly before cutting into elegant slivers or fat slices.
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