Bursting with the goodness of fresh tart cherries, this moist and flavorful cake is a delightful treat that perfectly captures the essence of summer. So, let’s dive into this easy-to-make recipe and savor the taste of the season.
The Magic of Fresh Tart Cherries:
Known for their bright red color and distinctive sweet-sour flavor, these cherries lend a captivating taste to any dish. The natural tartness of fresh cherries complements the sweetness of the cake, creating a harmonious balance that will leave your taste buds dancing with joy.
Can I use sweet cherries instead of tart cherries?
Absolutely! While the recipe was designed with fresh tart cherries to provide that unique sweet-sour flavor balance, you can definitely use sweet cherries as a substitute. Sweet cherries have a milder sweetness compared to tart cherries, but they will still add a delightful burst of fruity flavor to the loaf cake. Since sweet cherries are less tart than their counterparts, you may want to reduce the amount of granulated sugar used in the recipe slightly. I also have a Cherry Coffee Cake recipe here.
Tart Cherry Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Cherry Cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour - 240 grams
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature - 113 grams
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, you can add 1 cup if you like the cake sweet rather than sweet and tangy - 150 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs - at room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk - at room temperature
- 10 oz. fresh tart cherries cherries - pitted
- confectioner's sugar for dusting
Instructions
Tart Cherry Cake:
- Pit the cherries, pat them dry with a paper towel and place them in a bowl. Add one teaspoon of the flour to the cherries and mix until they're coated.
- Whisk the rest of the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in butter and sugar. With the paddle attachment, start beating on medium high for about 4-5 minutes (scrape the bowl with a spatula half way through) until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition (about 30 seconds). Scrape the sides of bowl to make sure everything is combined. Add vanilla extract and mix.
- Mix in the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with milk. This means, adding one third of the dry ingredients, mixing a little bit until incorporated, then adding half of the milk and mixing until combined. Then, add another one third of the dry ingredients, mix, add the rest of the milk, mix, and finally add the last part of the dry ingredients. So, we start and finish with the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix.
- Fold in the tart cherries. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool down in the pan for 20 minutes. Then carefully release the cake from the pan and transfer to a platter. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and enjoy.
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