Classics never go out of style. Pound cake is perhaps my favorite cake to eat with tea. For this variation, I added seasonal fresh cherries and swapped out some of the all-purpose flour with almond flour. The cake has a moist and tender crumb dotted with juicy, yielding cherries and soft chunks of dark chocolate (they are optional). I also topped the cake with sliced almonds for some crunch. Serve this cake plain with a dusting of powdered sugar or with a dollop of whipped cream. Either way, it is simply delicious.

If you are looking for a gluten-free pound cake recipe, you might want to try my Almond Pound Cake.

Recipe

Cherry Almond Pound Cake

(Makes one "8” round cake)

Ingredients

24 small or 12 large cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 cup (113 gms) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/4 cups caster sugar (I reduced the amount to 1 cup)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 cup single cream
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips (optional)
2 tbsp sliced almonds, for topping

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease and flour an 8” round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Place the cherries cut side down on a paper towel to absorb any extra juice.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the the butter and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to cream them until pale. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and almond flours along with the cornstarch, baking powder and nutmeg.

In a third bowl, whisk together the single cream and softened cream cheese.

Fold the flour and cream cheese mixture into the butter-sugar-egg mixture alternately. Once all the flour and cream cheese have been folded in, whisk the batter for 30 seconds. If you are adding chocolate chunks/chips, fold them into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the halved cherries and sliced almonds. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much on top whilst baking, cover it with a piece of kitchen foil.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then invert it on to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Store any remaining cake in an airtight container for 2-3 days (it will last longer in a refrigerator).