Chocolate, Cherries and Chips

I love cherries and anything cherry flavored. As I was thinking up things to make for the coffee cart this week, I thought it’s been a while since I’ve done something with cherries, and it was time to bring out the cherries once again.

I made a cherry pound cake with both dried cherries and cherry flavored chips, and cherry extract to boot. This cake is most definitely a loving tribute to cherries. 🙂

The cherry flavored chips seem to only be available during the holiday season, so I stocked up on them and bought a few packages. I also just purchased some cherry extract my my favorite local spice shop Savory Spice Savory Spices of Denver, along with some other fun items, that I wanted to use as well. Both were my inspiration for this cake.

Most people think pound cakes only come in loaf form, but not true. You can make a pound cake in any kind of pan or shape you like really. As you can see, I made mine in a bundt pan. It gets its name “pound cake” from the old days when the recipe called for a pound of each of these ingredients – butter, sugar, flour and eggs. With all these pounds of ingredients, you are going to make a lot of pounds of cakes. Fortunately, we don’t bake this way any more, unless we are purposely trying to make a lot of cakes.

Cherry Chip Pound Cake

Preheat the oven to 350* F or about 190* C

Spray you pan with cooking spray, then lightly coat with flour

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup or 2 sticks of softened butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp cherry extract or vanilla

1-1 1/2 cups dried cherries, reconstituted in warm water or cherry liqueur

1-1 1/2 cups cherry flavored chips

white chocolate ganache for topping, optional

As with any cake, combine the dry ingredients together well and set aside. Then cream the butter and sugar together until soft and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add the cherry or vanilla extract, then add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, mixing in between each addition.

Once the batter is done, drain the cherries and add to the mix along with the cherry flavored chips and gently fold in until everything is well incorporated.

Bake for a bout an hour or until a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan and topping. I used my left over white chocolate ganache from when I made my truffles Making Truffles but you can also use just a simple glaze as well if you choose. Or you can serve it naked too if you like. It is your cake, make it how you like it.

I also decided to top it with some of my cherries as well. You know, you taste with your eyes long before you taste with your taste buds. Things that look pretty seem to automatically taste better too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.