simply deLIZious baking is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to [Amazon.com or .ca, .co.uk, etc.]

SIMPLE CREAM CHEESE CHERRY POUND CAKE WITH JUST THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF ALMOND FLAVOR

This is such a tasty and easy homemade pound cake y’all. It’s a simple cream cheese pound cake, loaded with 20 ounces of maraschino cherries.

Baked in a tube pan, bundt pan or 2 loaf pans, it requires no decorating or icing (though it is delish with a cream cheese glaze also). Yes, you can eat it straight out to the oven.

With bright red cherries disbursed though out the cake, it is an amazing Christmas cake. You’d be the star of Christmas Day (next to Jesus) when you serve this cake for Christmas dinner.

It would also be an excellent Valentine’s Day cake recipe (Ladies, if he’s a keeper, make this cake for him).

SCRUMPTIOUS CREAM CHEESE ALMOND POUND CAKE WITH CHERRIES

Seriously, this is my luscious, super easy cream cheese Melt In Your Mouth Pound Cake recipe with 20 ounces of maraschino cherries added.

This vintage pound cake recipe is incredible with cherries. They match so well with the almond flavoring and tangy taste of the cream cheese pound cake.

This cake is a beautiful cake when baked in a bundt pan. It would look even more elegant presented on a lovely cake stand like these. I know this is how I like to show off and present cakes I bake in my bundt pans.

[amazon box=”B01MSQKAHW,B011M6S3N6,B08HMM9H7Z” grid=”3″]

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Loaded With Cherries

INGREDIENTS IN CHERRY ALMOND CAKE RECIPE

To make this traditional pound cake recipe from scratch you will need the following ingredients:

20 oz. maraschino cherries (I used two 10oz jars) drained, cut in halves and dusted with flour.
8 oz Cream cheese Room Temperature
1½ cups Butter Room Temperature
3 cups Sugar
6 Eggs Room Temperature
3 cups All purpose flour Sifted
¼ tsp Salt
1½ tsp Almond Extract

TOOLS USED IN MAKING CHERRY CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Cake Cooling Rack – Perfect for cooling your pound or bundt cakes or any round cake.
Solid Sturdy Spatula – For stirring and scrapping thick pound cake batter.
Bundt Pan Cleaning Tool – A must have for someone who uses bundts. Gets into those pesky, hard to clean crevices.

HOW TO MAKE THIS CHERRY ALMOND CAKE

DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN
Cream cream cheese and butter and add sugar.
Add eggs alternately with sifted flour and salt.
Add almond extract and cherries.
Insert cake in cold oven. Set temperature to 325.
Bake for 1 and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 hours.

RECOMMENDED PANS FOR CHERRY ALMOND POUND CAKE

Traditional Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Cherries

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU BEAT A POUND CAKE?

It’s important not to over mix a pound cake. Overmixing can cause a pound cake to be tough and rubbery.

Cream the sugar, cream cheese, butter mixture until light and fluffy. There should be no grittiness. With the mixer on medium high to high speed, this should take anywhere between 3 to 7 minutes.
With the mixer on low to medium speed, add flour or liquids. Stop mixing the flour as soon as it is incorporated throughout the batter.
Add the eggs one at a time and mix each egg just long enough for the yellow to disappear.

WHY DOES FRUIT SINK TO BOTTOM OF CAKE?

There’s nothing worse than cutting into a cake made with fruit and finding all the fruit at the bottom. Cherries and some other fruits contain a good bit of moisture and syrup. Because of this, whole cherries and other large pieces of fruit can be too heavy for the cake batter, causing them to sink.

HOW TO STOP CHERRIES SINKING IN A CAKE

Cut the cherries into smaller pieces. I cut my cherries into halves and thirds.
Dry the cherries with a paper towel or towel.
Dust the cherries with flour. It sounds crazy, but it works. This coating of flour absorbs some of the fruit’s liquid it releases as it bakes and helps keep the fruit in place, instead of sinking.

HOW TO STORE POUND CAKE

Store the pound cake at room temperature wrapped securely in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or an airtight container up to three days.
Store in the refrigerator. Wrapped well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, place the cake in an air tight container and then the refrigerator. If you don’t have an air tight container large enough, simply place the cake wrapped well in plastic wrap an aluminum foil in the refrigerator. This will keep the cake fresh for up to a week.

HOW TO FREEZE POUND CAKE

It tastes just as delicious, if not more so, after serving time in the freezer.

TO FREEZE THE WHOLE CAKE OR A PORTION OF THE CAKE:

Fully cool the cake.
Wrap the cake in plastic wrap 2 or 3 times and then cover with aluminum foil.
Place in large freezer storage bag or container. If you don’t have a freezer bag or container that is large enough, freeze it wrapped well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

TO FREEZE A CAKE IN SLICES:

Individually wrap your slices in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place them in a freezer storage bag or container.
Slice the cake and insert pieces of parchment paper between the slices. In plastic wrap or aluminum foil wrap the sliced cake just like wrapping the whole cake or portion of the cake above.

HOW LONG CAN YOU FREEZE POUND CAKE?

Pound cake frozen correctly can taste really good for 4 to 6 months. After six months it will remain safe, but might not have the same delicious flavor.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS SIMPLE CHERRY CAKE

You can’t go wrong with this cake. Whether you make this cherry cake with cream cheese for Christmas or Valentines, it’s really a cake that’s lovely and delicious all year. I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I did.

MORE SIMPLE HOLIDAY CAKES