Cherry Pound Cake

Cherry pound cake takes the gold standard of Southern baking and threads it with bright pops of cherries and a hit of cherry extract. The combination of butter and shortening is intentional: butter for flavor, shortening for that fine, even crumb that makes pound cake the dense, sliceable thing it’s supposed to be.

Five eggs do the structural work, added one at a time so each gets fully incorporated before the next. The flour goes in alternating with milk, which keeps the gluten from overdeveloping and the batter from breaking. Chopped cherries fold in last so they stay distributed instead of sinking.

The two-temperature bake (an hour at 325°F (160°C), then thirty minutes at 350°F (175°C)) gives the interior time to set before the top browns, then finishes with a darker crust. Slice it thick.

Pro Tips

• Bring butter, eggs, and milk fully to room temperature before starting. Cold ingredients break the batter and give you a streaky cake.
• Drain the cherries well or the extra juice will sink the fruit and stain the crumb pink in patches.
• Toss the chopped cherries in a tablespoon of the flour before folding in. The flour coating helps suspend them through the batter.
• Don’t open the oven before the first hour. Pound cakes deflate hard if hit with cold air during early baking.

Variations

• Use brandied or maraschino cherries for a boozier, sweeter version.
• Swap cherry extract for almond extract; cherries and almonds are a classic pairing.
• Drizzle the cooled cake with a powdered sugar glaze made with reserved cherry juice for a pink-tinted finish.