Chunky Cherry Almond Bread
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Cherry bread with a nutty twist using almond extract, sour cream for moisture, and chopped maraschino cherries tossed in flour to avoid sinking. Baked in a loaf pan with a lightly sweetened glaze drizzled on top. Visual cues like golden crumb and toothpick test mark doneness. Adjustments on cherry amount and timing help avoid sogginess. Uses vegetable oil but can swap with melted butter or olive oil. Flour-dusted cherries keep fruit distributed, avoiding wet patches. Watch for dome cracking and foil tenting after 40 minutes to stop over-browning. The glaze sets matte after 30 minutes, adding sweet crunch and shine.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
55 min
Total:
Servings:
16 servings
#baking
#quick bread
#cherry
#almond
#moist bread
#glaze
#fruit bread
Cherry bread, with almond extracts whispering beneath sweetness. Moist crumb thanks to sour cream, oil keeps it tender without weighing down. Maraschino cherries chopped chunky, floured, coaxed to float mid-batter. Bakes low and slow to dodge cracked peaks and scorched crust. I learned to foil tent after 40 minutes — bread resists dryness, bakes evenly golden. Toothpick tests beat timers, visual aromas tell more. Fluffy, but structured crumb with naked cherry reds peeking through. A gentle glaze crystallizes smooth sweetness on top, perfect balance of silk and snap. Old-school loaf, but with attentive tweaks born from kitchen blunders and discoveries.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (substitute melted butter or light olive oil)
- 3/4 cup milk (any kind, room temperature)
- 1/4 cup cherry juice from maraschino jar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat for best moistness, can replace with Greek yogurt)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped into halves or quarters
- For the glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
About the ingredients
Sugar balances tart cherries; you can dial down if you prefer less sweet. Almond extract is key – don’t skip it, but use sparingly or it overwhelms. Vegetable oil is forgiving—switch to melted butter for nuttier richness or olive oil for complexity. Milk can be swapped with buttermilk or oat milk for tang or dairy-free option. Flour dusted over chopped cherries stops them from sinking — tried mixing cherries dry in after batter — disaster, cherries all ended in crust bottom. Sour cream or Greek yogurt gives moisture without sogginess, don’t sub with liquids alone. Fresh baking powder ensures rise; old powder yields flat loaf. For glaze, adjust milk amount to get drizzle texture that doesn’t run off quickly.
Method
- Preheat oven to 345°F to 350°F. I set mine closer to 345 for slower rise and less cracking on top. Grease or line 9x5 loaf pan with parchment — makes unmolding a breeze.
- In large mixing bowl, whisk sugar, almond extract, vanilla, vegetable oil, milk, cherry juice, eggs, and sour cream until combined. The batter looks loose and slightly shiny, expect some air bubbles forming — keeps crumb tender.
- In another bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking powder to evenly distribute rising agents. Fresh baking powder is a must — stale stuff won’t lift loaf enough.
- Drain cherries well, discard extra juice (save or use in cocktails). Chop cherries coarsely — don’t puree or slice too thin or they vanish in batter.
- Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of flour mix over chopped cherries and toss gently to coat each piece. This prevents cherries from sinking to bottom during baking, a common fail I’ve encountered before.
- Add remaining flour mixture to wet egg mixture. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon just until no dry pockets remain. Batter will look slightly lumpy or streaky — don’t overmix or gluten kicks in, making bread tough.
- Fold in floured cherries gently but thoroughly, ensuring even distribution without crushing fruit. Overworking leads to color streaks and dense spots you want to avoid.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Tap pan lightly on counter to release trapped air bubbles — sinewy crumb needs uniform air pockets.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes. After 40 minutes, check top. As soon as golden brown and crust tightens but surface not cracked wide, tent with foil to stop excessive browning. Oven times vary, so rely on visual and scent cues — sweet cherry aroma and nutty almond invade kitchen as clues.
- Test doneness by poking center with a toothpick or skewer. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. If sticky, bake 5 more minutes and re-test. Avoid ashy dry bread by removing when just done.
- Let bread cool in pan 10-15 minutes. You want it firm enough to unmold but still warm for cutting.
- Transfer loaf to wire rack, cool completely to avoid gummy texture in slices.
- For glaze: whisk powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract in small bowl until pourable but thick. Drizzle over bread with spoon or piping bag. Sets matte within 30 minutes adding subtle crunch and shimmer.
Cooking tips
Preheat carefully — too hot and bread domes then cracks openish, too cool and it stays dense. Mixing: combine wet first, fold dry gently for light crumb. Don’t overmix or bread toughens. Tossing cherries with flour: crucial step I learned from failed sinking fruits. Watch oven from 40 minutes on — pull when evenly golden but still pliant top, foil after to avoid burnt crust. Use toothpick test early and often in final minutes. Cooling 10+ minutes in pan firms bread for easy removal, then full cooling on rack prevents gummy bottom. Glaze right before serving or after cool to keep crisp crust beneath sweet exterior. Use spoon to drizzle, not pour, to avoid puddles.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Preheat oven carefully between 345 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temp slows rise, keeps dome gentle, less cracking. Watch bread’s surface color at 40 minutes. If top tightens gold but not cracked, foil tent loosely to avoid burnt crust. Oven temps vary so rely on sight and aroma, not just timer. Smell the almond and cherry notes intensifying as clues to timing.
- 💡 Flour fresh baking powder with flour mix to evenly distribute leavening—freshness critical. Stale baking powder means flat or dense loaf. Sift ingredients to avoid clumps, bakes more even crumb. Don’t overmix batter once dry added, lumps okay, gluten triggers toughness if stirred too long. Folding cherries last is key, gentle but thorough. Crush fruit and color bleed if overworked.
- 💡 Cherries must drain well, pat dry if extra wet. Too wet cherries sink or cause soggy pockets. Toss chopped cherries with 1.5 tablespoons flour before folding in. Dry flour coats cherries, traps loose moisture, stops sinking to pan bottom. Tried mixing dry cherries straight in batter before—ended up all in crust bottom, ruining texture. This step saves fruit distribution mid-crumb.
- 💡 Use vegetable oil for tender crumb and moistness but swap with melted butter or mild olive oil to tweak flavor. Butter richer, olive adds complexity. Milk room temp for smooth batter. Sour cream or Greek yogurt adds moisture without thinning batter—avoid liquid subs alone or bread suffers density. Cherry juice from jar adds subtle fruit acidity and color boost, helps bind.
- 💡 Glaze thick enough to drizzle but not run off. Powdered sugar, milk, almond extract combined till pourable but thick. Apply once bread cooled completely on wire rack for crisp crust below glaze. Sets matte in 30 minutes giving slight crunch and shine. Drizzle with spoon or piping bag to control coverage, puddles soften crust and lose texture contrast. Glaze flavors brighten cherries, almond notes.
Common questions
Why fold cherries with flour first?
Stops cherries sinking mid bake. Coats with flour traps moisture. Prevents wet pockets and crust bottom fruit. Tried skipping, cherries all bottom out, ruining structure.
Oven temp varied widely that cracks loaf?
Lower heat to 345 from 350 slows rise, less dome tension, cracks. If cracks too big, lower again 5-10 degrees and bake longer. Watch surface, pull when golden and tight but not split wide. Timing shifts with oven variation.
How to test doneness beyond time?
Toothpick in center clean or few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Tap top, should feel firm but springy. Aroma cues—nutty almond and cherry sweet scent fill kitchen when close. Surface gold, tight but pliant, no wide cracks. Pull bread early than too late for moist crumb.
Bread storage tips?
Wrap cooled loaf tightly, keep glazed on to retain moisture but glaze can soften after day. Store room temp. Refrigerate if hot climate but risks drying crust. Slice and rewarm in toaster or oven revives cherries and softens glaze slightly. Freeze wrapped slices if needed.
