Moist Cherry loaf cake recipe is an easy, simple tea time cake. This loaf cake is based on a classic pound cake. Cherry Pound Cake is best served at tea time with tea or best to be enjoyed with coffee and conversations
What are loaf cakes ?
Put simply, loaf cakes are, nothing but cakes baked in loaf pans.
Generally loaf cakes work best with a pound cake batter. As a result, giving a tighter crumb, good structure and will not sink or droop.
This Cherry loaf cake is a moist pound cake batter, also called as cherry pound cake.
So basically irrespective of the kind of the batter used; a loaf cake is, but a cake baked in a loaf pan and that which can be sliced. Thats it. nothing more. So it a
However, Loaf cake batters can be anything from oil or butter based batters or just sponge type batters.
Learn More about Baking with Loaf Pans in this post --- All about Baking with loaf pans
the Best Cherry Loaf Cake ? why
- an easy old school type of cake, which is pound cake.
- It is Moist, with a tight crumb. and a golden crust.
- It is the most simplest recipe, with a very few ingredients.
- Perfect and suitable for Tea Parties, Coffee, after school snack, or even a simple dessert.
- You can make a number of desserts with this cherry loaf cake
SO,
How to bake Cherry loaf cake from Scratch
Let see what ingredients we need. About 5 very basic ingredients, that easily at the reach.
Butter - unsalted room temperature butter.
Sugar - Plain granulated sugar or castor sugar. Nothing else.
Eggs - again room temperature large eggs, for flavour, and structure and texture.
Flour - Just plain all purpose flour, measured and sifted.
Milk - a little milk to moisten the cake batter, results in beautiful moist crumb.
Cherries - glazed cherries - candied cherries.
CHERRIES - WHAT TYPE OF CHERRIES TO USE TO GET THE BEST CHERRY LOAF CAKE
- Glazed cherries - These cherries are usually called candied cherries. Glaced cherries are bright red in colour, sweet in taste. These kind of cherries retain their colour and shape even after baking. So, it makes an ideal type of cherries for pound cake. Because you can mix them in the batter.
- Canned/tinned Cherries - these kind cherries are also sweet, but very soft. While you can use these cherries in a pound cake. It will bleed colour and leave streaks of read on your pound cake. So, to use, pit the cherries cut them into quarters or halves. Fold in the batter very lightly.
- Fresh Cherries - I do not recommend using these at all. But what you can do is, make a compote, and swirl into the batter to make a Cherry Swirl loaf Cake. Pour half the batter in the loaf pan - Just spoon in the compote on to the batter and swirl using a table knife.
My choice for a loaf cake will be glazed cherries.
substitution and swaps for all your diet needs
for a cherry pound cake without eggs - Swap eggs for same quantity of yoghurt. 1 large egg = 60ml yoghurt
Here's How to Make a Cherry Compote >> Homemade Cherry Compote
Flavour options for cherry loaf cake
lemon zest - optional and for flavour. Completely optional, you can even add Amaretto or Kirsch
Mixing the batter
Mixing the batter for this Super moist cherry loaf cake is simple easy
We start with creaming the butter and sugar until fluffy and the sugar is dissolved.
Then goes in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each egg addition. Then add in your flavours at this stage.
The flour mix then goes in. Milk is added in the last then cherries folded in.
Baking Cherry loaf Cake
To bake - Grease and Line a loaf pan with parchment paper
Fill the pan with the cake batter, up to ¾th of the pan.
Bake in the center rack for about 45 mins in a preheated oven.
After baking let the loaf sit in the pan for about 10 mins, before
Which size of pan is right ?
This batter is perfect for an 8x4 inch loaf pan. For a 9x5 i suggest scaling up the recipe by another ½. So this recipe + half.
To bake in a 9 or 10 inch bundt pan - just double the recipe.
TIPS FOR THE BEST MOIST CHERRY LOAF CAKE ALWAYS
To make the best cherry pound loaf cake
- ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS -I can't stress enough on this one, but always start with room temperature ingredients. This will not make your cake dense or chewy.
- PREPARE YOUR PANS - always grease and line your loaf pan. No matter which one your using aluminium or the non stick variety. Lining and greasing is important
- BAKING TIME : Bake for a good 45 to 50 mins. All ovens are different, so watch up from 40 mins. If your cake top is browning too much. Take it out, cover with foil and let it bake.
- BAKING TEMPERATURE : Loaf cakes take long time to bake, because it is a deep and narrow pan. So, I suggest bake at low temperature for a longer time. This helps is even baking.
- CHECKING FOR DONENESS by inserting toothpick in the center, that should come out clean.
- COOLING - let the loaf cake cool completely before removing from the pan. Take the cake out of the pan and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
- SLICING -use a sharp knife
desserts you can make with cherry loaf cake
- Cherry Trifle - cut the cake into cubes, layer them in a large pudding bowl, top it off with some whipped cream and jelly repeat the layers until you fill the bowl.
- Cherry Cake Sundae a pound cake slice, a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with cherry sauce
- Chocolate Cherry Cake Shake
other loaf pan recipes you might like
📖 Recipe
Moist Cherry Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 125 grams butter
- 125 gram granulated sugar
- 150 grams all purpose flour (plain flour )
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 100 grams candied cherries (glaced cherries )
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or kirsch liqueur or amaretto )
- 3 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
- Always room temperature ingredients, so butter and eggs out of the refrigerator atleast 1 to 2 hours before baking
- Measure ingredients. Grease and line a loaf pan 8x4 inch. Preheat oven at 170°c/340°f
- In a small bowl, add all purpose flour baking powder and salt, whisk and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, using an electric beater. Beat for atleast 3 mins until fluffy and sugar is dissolved
- then add egg, beating well after adding each egg. Add in your flavouring, vanilla extract or kirsch or amaretto Beat well for atleast 1 min, until well mixed
- add in the flour, beat again for a minute. Add the milk or kirsch Then fold in the cherries well with a spatula.
- Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 45 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Cooling - Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 mins and then remove from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing.
Sonya says
Well I have no ide where the milk comes in since it’s not in the recipe (but it is in the ingredients)
Shrilatha says
Sorry about the error in typo. You can add the milk or any flavouring like kirsch. just before folding in the cherries. I have updated it now in the recipe card
Gail says
How would I prepare dried cherries for this recipe
Shrilatha says
For dried cherries,
In a bowl of boiling water and a tbsp of sugar, soak these cherries for about 10 mins. Strain the fruit, discard the water and used the cherries. The Cherries will be moist and plump. You can then use them in the recipe.
Hope this helps
Happy Baking
Rach says
I’ve baked this and it takes lovely but all my cherries sunk to the bottom. Any advice? Thanks
Shrilatha says
Thank you, they turned lovely.
Next time I suggest, slightly dusting it with some flour.
On another note, since this is a thick batter you shouldn't be facing this problem.
Also use candied/glazed cherries.
Hope this helps 🙂
Happy baking
Khadijah says
The recipient is lovely and it tastes great. However I followed the recipe exactly but my cherries also all sank to the bottom.
Valerie Moore says
what is grams to cups for this recipe
Micheline G. Menard says
Delicious and moist. Did not have an 8x4 inch pan. Is that a common size?
Will substitute almond extract instead of vanilla next time.
Micheline says
Delicious and moist. Did not have an 8x4 inch pan. Is that a common size?
Will substitute almond extract for vanilla next time.
Shrilatha says
Lovely it turned out moist and delicious.
vanilla is a good alternative too.
yes yes, 8x4 is a common size. For more on loaf pans. you can check this https://bakewithsweetspot.com/all-about-baking-with-loaf-pans/
Thank you, Happy baking