Cherry Almond Poundcake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes: 1 loaf Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 50 to 55 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, ( I use Nielsen Massey’s organic almond extract)
1 teaspoon best quality vanilla extract, ( I use Nielsen Massey)
2 eggs
1/3 cup cherry preserves
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Glaze
4 ounces softened cream cheese
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons half and half
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
pinch salt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9″x5″ inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add in the baking powder and salt. Slowly add in the flour and mix only until the flour is incorporated. Remove 1 cup of the batter and combine it with the 1/3 cup of cherry preserves.
Spread half of the batter in the bottom of your prepared loaf pan. Spread the cherry jam mixture over that layer. Add the last layer of batter over the top of the cherry jam. Swirl the top through the middle layer with a toothpick.
Place the pan on top of a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes. Be careful not to over bake the loaf. The cake may sink a bit, but I promise it doesn’t affect the taste at all 🙂
Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. I put the loaf in the fridge for about 10 minutes at this point to make sure it is cool enough to glaze.
To make the glaze:
In your stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the cream cheese and almond extract. Slowly add in the confectioners sugar and pinch of salt. Add in the half and half. Whisk until the glaze is smooth and creamy. Pour over your cooled cake and let it run down the sides. Let the glaze harden before wrapping it up. This cake should stay in the fridge for up to a few days. Freezes nicely if wrapped in wax paper and foil.