Cherry Almond Pound Cake

on Mar 17, 2022, Updated Jul 17, 2022

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This Cherry Almond Pound Cake is an almond pound cake, swirled with cherry jam and topped with a cherry brandy glaze. It is soft, moist and tender with the perfect crumb!

The perfect almond flavor for this cherry almond pound cake comes from a combination of almond flour and almond extract. Believe it or not there is no food dye in that glaze. Behold the wonder of nature! You will want to strain the cherry jam {my cherry preserves would be amazing if you are up for it!} or your glaze will be chunky. You could also use tart cherry juice in place of the brandy and jam but the flavor will be less intense.

This almond pound cake is flavored with almond flour and almond extract. The flavor is subtly floral and the texture is dense and moist like this Mardi Gras King Pound Cake or The Best Chocolate Pound Cake.

What makes this the Perfect Cherry Almond Pound Cake?:

Sour Cream: The extra fat and the low liquid content help add flavor, lock in moisture, lower gluten and add to that dense, moist texture. It hydrates the flour but the fat shortens the gluten strands. This keeps it moist and tender. It adds to the tight crumb structure.
Hello Butter : The butter to sugar ratio is key here. I have found that a 1:1 ratio actually produces a lighter cake than more sugar to butter. There is a serious amount of sugar in this recipe. That is intentional. It adds to the flavor but also helps keep a tight crumb that still melts in your mouth. The sugar also highlights the cocoa flavor and balances it. No one came for a bitter cake.
Creamed Just Right: Technically this Cherry Almond Pound cake uses the creaming method; however, you want to beat the butter and sugar just until the point when they form a paste. If you keep beating, then you will begin to trap air between the sugar and fat molecules. This is how cakes and other baked goods get that light, airy texture without a ton of leavening. That’s not our goal. Turn off that mixer. Don’t be over-zealous; you’re good.

What Leavening?: ¼ teaspoon of baking soda? Is that a joke? Nope. I never joke about pastries. I know it might seem odd but just a tiny bit of baking soda will immediately react with the acid in the sour cream and will add just enough leavening to your pound cake. You guessed it! That adds to the tight crumb and dense texture that still melts in your mouth. Nothing by accident, my friends.
Liquids: As in, just enough but not too much. This is a silky, thick batter. You will gaze at it in wonder—so luscious, so smooth. Don’t omit the brandy and almond extract. They are the only liquids in this cake. You could replace the brandy with water if you’d like.
Flour that Pan, Peeps: Do not underestimate the power of a well-greased and floured pan. It is especially key with a detailed bundt pan like the one I used. No cake left behind! I actually added my flour back to the pan and then tapped it around a second time to get every millimeter of the surface. Then tap that out. No weird patches of flour on the outside of your cake. For shame. Plus, it is soooo satisfying.

Let your Cherry Almond Pound Cake cool: It’s the hardest part of the whole process, but it’s so important. I am the queen of impatience but I also know that a bundt cake turned out too soon will end in disaster. I tried something new here and turned it out after 20 minutes because I read that butter and floured pans should be cooled completely, but nonstick spray and floured pans should be still warm. The internet did not disappoint here! This is my new move. You still have to let it cool completely on a baking rack. Sorry. Cake that is cut when it is still too warm will turn into a gloppy, dense cake situation. Trust me here. The crumb hasn’t set and it will be compressed by the cutting process. This is the bad kind of dense.

Can I just say that, while pound cake (yes, even this Cherry Almond Pound Cake) is simple at a glance, it is a delicate balance of ingredients? I highly suggest weighing your ingredients. Eggs vary in sizes and a cup of flour can vary by 50 grams. If you do measure by volume, fluff your flour in the bag then spoon it into the cup, mounding it on the top. Use a knife to slice off the excess but don’t tap or compress it. Ok? Just remember too much flour = dry, flavorless cake. That’s it for today’s soapbox.