Cherry Bread / Cake

Found this recipe on Pinterest which sent me to the recipe online:

http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/02/sweet-soft-cherry-bread-with-cherry-almond-glaze.html

I had a jar of morello cherries to use up as they started to ferment, and I do not like wasting things if I don't have too. It is a cake that has the outer texture of bread which is different but very nice. Cherry and Almond is a classic flavor combination that I love.


This recipe made 1 loaf and 6 cupcakes and used all my cherries up which was brilliant. Unfortunately my cherries were fermenting so they didn't hold their shape and there wasn't any cherry pieces throughout the loaf or cupcakes. As well as that they tasted a little alcoholic which I didn't mind but I wouldn't give any of this cake to children (I'm sure if you use non fermented cherries it would be better).

Recipe Below  

The cupcakes didn't take as long as the loaf, only 15 minutes! And the glaze was very nice as hint of cherries and almonds.

The loaf the took just under an hour to bake and is moist in the middle with a hard crust round the outside. 

My adapted recipe!

Ingredients 
one 680g jar of morello cherries, divided
2 tablespoons plain flour
400g plain flour
225g caster sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt, optional and to taste
2 large eggs
100ml vegetable oil
3/4 of the cherry juice out of the jar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cherry/Almond Glaze:
1/4 cherry juice from jar (remaining) 
1 teaspoon almond extract
about 300-350g icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a loaf tin and flour the tin. I also used 6 muffin cases for excesse batter. 
2. Remove cherries from jar and place on a cutting board. Roughly chop them.
3. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour (prevents them from sinking during baking) and toss to coat evenly.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, optional salt, and whisk to combine. 
5. In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, oil, all the cherry juice from the jar except 1/4 reserved for the glaze, almond extract, vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.
6. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir to combine.
7. Lightly fold in the chopped cherries.
8. Turn batter out into the prepared tins, smoothing the tops lightly.
9. Bake the cupcakes for 15 minutes and the loaf for about 40-65 minutes, or until domed, set, springy to the touch, and comes out clean when a skewer is inserted. Allow to cool in tin on top of a wire rack for about 15 minutes before turning out and allowing to finish cooling completely on rack.
10. Cherry-Almond Glaze - In a medium bowl, combine the reserved cherry juice, almond extract. Add icing sugar and whisk to combine until smooth and satiny. Add more sugar until desired consistency is reached. Glaze prior to serving. 

Keep Loving Food

Karen