Since the only bundt pan I have is a heart-shaped one, that's what I used. My sister received the Heritage Bundt Cake Pan from Williams-Sonoma for her wedding and made hers in this. It makes such appetizing looking cakes.
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| Photo from Williams-Sonoma |
I bought a bag of dried tart montmorency cherries from Costco and used a large chef's knife to chop them into smaller pieces. My sister used a food processor when she made her cake and said that worked well too. She gave me a few other tips - to check the cake earlier than the time in the recipe (I took mine out after 45 minutes and it could have been cooked a few minutes less) and to only make half of the glaze recipe (I only made half and still had a bit left over). I also mixed all of the cherries into the batter instead of doing what the recipe said. My sister had made this cake mixing the cherries both ways and thought that just mixing them all in distributed them more evenly throughout.
My cake came out pretty good, but next time I will check on it a little sooner. It may have overcooked a little. My cake was a little crumbly and I remember the one my sister made was more moist. I also would chop the cherries a bit smaller. When I was cutting the cake if the knife hit a cherry it pulled the cake apart a little and the cherry stuck to the knife. Other than that, this cake is delicious and I highly recommend it!
The original recipe can be found here.
Cherry-Almond Bundt Cake
Recipe
courtesy Williams-Sonoma
Use a pastry brush to grease the Bundt pan
thoroughly with solid shortening. Sprinkle some flour in the pan, hold it over
a sink, and turn and tilt the pan to distribute the flour evenly. Then invert
the pan and tap out the excess flour to prevent a buildup of grease and flour
on the finished cake. When greasing and flouring, be sure to coat all the
crevices in the pan so the cake will release easily and the design will be
sharply defined.
CAKE:
2½ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups chopped dried cherries
¾ cup milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
GLAZE:
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
1 Tablespoon amaretto
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan; tap out excess flour.
To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Transfer 1½ tablespoons of the flour mixture to a small bowl, add the cherries and toss to coat; set aside.
In another small bowl, combine the milk and the almond and vanilla extracts; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold two-thirds of the cherries into the batter.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cherries over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center.
Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the granulated sugar and water and cook until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the amaretto and let cool for 1 minute.
Tap the bundt pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake. Set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan; tap out excess flour.
To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Transfer 1½ tablespoons of the flour mixture to a small bowl, add the cherries and toss to coat; set aside.
In another small bowl, combine the milk and the almond and vanilla extracts; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold two-thirds of the cherries into the batter.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cherries over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center.
Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the granulated sugar and water and cook until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the amaretto and let cool for 1 minute.
Tap the bundt pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake. Set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Serves 16.
NOTES: You can
mix all of the cherries into the batter at once. Check the cake around 40
minutes. Half of the glaze recipe is more than enough.
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| Chopped dried tart montmorency cherries |
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| Cherries tossed in flour mixture |
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| Cake batter |
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| Batter with cherries, ready to go in the oven! |
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| Right out of the oven |
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| Add a little confectioners' sugar |
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| Photos by JoJo |
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