Cherry and almond cake with amaretto glaze

Soft, moist, a little crunchy from the ground almonds and a little sticky where the cherry purée has caramelized at the sides of the cake

Published originally on my blog on 13 July 2017

I’m not done with cherries just yet, no. I am obsessed with them and I’m dragging you down this road with me; this time with a cherry bundt cake.

It was only recently that I talked to you about bundt cakes with this almond and chocolate marble cake, but one can never have too many bundt cake recipes, right?

The protagonists in this bundt cake are two; cherries and almonds. The cherries are present in two forms, fresh, sweet dark cherries and glacé cherries, those bright, crunchy, red ones that give another flavor dimension to the cake. The almonds are present in four forms, ground almonds and almond extract in the cake batter, almond liqueur in the glaze and flaked almonds scattered over the top.

The fresh and glacé cherries are blended to make a purée which is then swirled into the fluffy cake batter and even though the cherry flavor is not intense, it is undoubtedly present. The cake is dense and smooth but not heavy at all. It’s soft, moist, a little crunchy from the ground almonds and a little sticky where the cherry purée has caramelized at the sides of the cake.

It’s ultra buttery and the cherry flavor marries beautifully with the almond. The glaze on top is sweet, with the amaretto enhancing the nut flavor even more, and it is great served with a few fresh cherries on the side to accentuate the cherry purée in the cake.

It’s a cake that keeps very well due to the addition of ground almonds that keep it moist and tender for longer, and it is even tastier the next day and the day after that.

Cherry and almond cake with amaretto glaze

I’d say that the glaze is optional. The cake is adequately sweet without it but it does add a certain je ne sais quoi in flavor and appearance.