Mom's Cherry Cake

Cherry Cake studded with candied cherries makes for a special treat anytime of the year. 

If I had a choice between a slice of chocolate cake and a slice of cherry cake the cherry cake would win hands down. (Not that I couldn't be forced to eat a piece of chocolate cake, mind you, if push came to shove.)   As I type the lovely aroma of that sweet treat is filling the air as the cherry cake slowly bakes and the crust turns a lovely golden brown.  I'm almost drooling. 

Mom's pot was smaller and coal black.

When I was a little girl Mom baked her cherry and fruit cakes in an old cast iron pot.  It would be considered a small  Dutch oven in size.  It was soot black from years of use and had a heavy wire handle. Mom lined it with at least three layers of greased brown paper (from supermarket bags) to keep the cakes from burning on the bottom and sides.  We didn't have an electric stove and everything was baked in our oil range which was somewhat unreliable for oven heat at the best of times.  That kitchen stove was used to keep our kitchen warm so on a cold day the oven temperature was too hot and in the summer the kitchen would be heated up to get the oven hot enough to bake.  Nevertheless, my mother was happy with that oil stove as it was certainly a step up from a coal or wood range.

Sparkling like red jewels.

The cake is fairly simple to make with ingredients most people would have in their cupboards, apart from the glacé cherries. (Although, I happened to have exactly the right amount stashed away in a high cupboard.)  Any dried or candied fruit can be used in place of the cherries... but then it wouldn't be cherry cake, would it?  And of course any flavoring can be used in place of the lemon.  I actually used a half teaspoon almond extract with the lemon and of course, vanilla can hold its place in any baked goodie.  Lemon zest would be really nice but I didn't want to strip a lemon today as I don't have any near plans for lemon juice.  My mother would have used undiluted evaporated milk, as I did today, but any milk (not sour milk) will work including skim.

Mom would have mixed this in her Mix Master and I would have tried to lick the beaters. 

Printable recipe at bottom of post.

Mom’s Cherry Cake 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• ½ pound glacé (candied) cherries, halved

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease or spray a bundt, tube or large loaf pan. If using the loaf pan line with greased parchment or waxed paper for easier release.

Floured cherries.

Remove 2 tablespoons flour and sprinkle over cherries. Lay floured cherries aside. Sift remaining flour, baking powder and salt together.  Lay aside.

Using a hand or stand mixer cream butter and sugar together until it resembles whipped cream.  Add one egg at a time.  Beat well.

Add flour and milk alternately, being and ending with flour.  Add lemon extract. Fold in floured cherries.  Place batter in prepared pan and bake in 350 degree oven for one hour. 

If your oven is on the hot side try baking at 325 degrees.  My oven is quite slow and it browned nicely and baked in about 50 minutes.  The hole in the middle of the pan reduces the baking time.  A large loaf would take longer.  Test with a toothpick to make sure cake is baked in the middle. 

When the cake is baked let rest in pan 10 or 15 minutes.  Turn out on baking rack and let cool completely.  Cake can then be placed on a pretty serving plate.  

I don't usually ice this cake but a drizzle of buttercream or cream cheese icing would be delicious!

Cake mixed and ready to be baked.

Baked to perfection.

The first bite.

The cake was delicious. I ate the first piece hot from the oven.  Oh, my, so good. 

Mom's Cherry Cake--Just right for afternoon tea.

print recipe

Mom’s Cherry Cake

by Lois Gill October-2-2014

Pound-like cake with candied cherries

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All-purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons Baking powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups White sugar
• 3 Eggs
• ⅓ cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Lemon extract
• ½ pound glacé (candied) cherries, halved

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease or spray a bundt, tube or large loaf pan. If using the loaf pan line with greased parchment or waxed paper for easier release.

Remove 2 tablespoons flour and sprinkle over cherries. Lay floured cherries aside. Sift remaining flour, baking powder and salt together. Lay aside.

Using a hand or stand mixer cream butter and sugar together until it resembles whipped cream. Add one egg at a time. Beat well.

Add flour and milk alternately, being and ending with flour. Add lemon extract. Fold in floured cherries. Place batter in prepared pan and bake in 350 degree oven for one hour.

If your oven is on the hot side try baking at 325 degrees. My oven is quite slow and it browned nicely and baked in about 50 minutes. The hole in the middle of the pan reduces the baking time. A large loaf would take longer. Test with a toothpick to make sure cake is baked in the middle.

When the cake is baked let rest in pan 10 or 15 minutes.  Turn out on baking rack and let cool completely.  Cake can then be placed on a pretty serving plate.

I don't usually ice this cake but a drizzle of buttercream or cream cheese icing would be delicious!

Details

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 12-16 slices