Cherry, Vanilla and Chocolate Chunk Swirl Bundt Cake
If you read the blog with any regularity you know I love baking bundt cakes. To me they are a wonderful way to present a dessert; no fancy frosting needed, only one pan (be sure to see my post on my favorite bundt pans) and they look fancy even if they aren’t. I bought one bundt cookbook but it was a disappointment. The hubby gave me one called (affiliate link) Beautiful Bundts as a present and this book looks really good. He also gave me The Perfect Cookie so I have to believe he likes all of these things I bake. Not to mention that he might want me to keep baking. What do you think?
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Cherry, Vanilla and Chocolate Chunk Swirl Bundt Cake
1 cup frozen, pitted cherries
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup full fat sour cream
1/4 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup chopped dark or semisweet chocolate (I used a 3.5 oz bar of 90% cocoa bar. With a bar this strong it was more than enough)
Vanilla Bean Glaze
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream (more if needed)
pinch of salt
Optional:
12 cherry halves
white sanding sugar
You can either put the pitted, frozen cherries in a food processor and pulse them a few times until they are finely chopped or chop them yourself with a sharp knife. This is what I did and it worked fine.
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Add the cherries, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice to a small heavy bottomed pan and heat over medium heat until it boils. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes until it is like a thick jam. Set aside and let cool
Alternately you can use 2/3rds a cup of cherry jam. Just be sure to reduce the sugar you use in the cake by 1/4 cup
Butter and flour a 10 cup bundt pan
Preheat oven to 350°
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attached cream together the butter and the remaining 2 1/4 cups of sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla
With the mixer on low add in the flour in fourths alternating with the sour cream in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour.
Remove 1 1/2 cups of the batter to a small bowl. Gently fold in the cherry jam mixture and the almond extract.
To the remaining batter, gently fold in the chopped chocolate.
Add the two batters to the prepared bundt pan by placing two dollops of the chocolate mixed batter to one dollop of the cherry mixed batter. Keep alternating the batters until all has been added to the pan.
Use a butter knife to swirl the batters being careful to not overmix them.
Give the pan a couple of good taps to release any air bubbles and then smooth top with an offset spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 – 60 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then unmold it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling make the Vanilla Bean Glaze
Sift the confectioner’s sugar to get out any lumps.
Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add to the sugar.
Add the cream and pinch of salt and whisk until well combined.
Drizzle the glaze over the cake.
If desired roll cherry halves in sanding sugar and place them around the top of the cake.
How Was The Swirl Bundt Cake?
DE-licious. Of course chocolate and cherry is a classic flavor combination so I really couldn’t go wrong there. The base is a moist, luscious cake with a vanilla flavor that comes through despite the cherry and chocolate. This is a real winner of a recipe.
This cake will be made again. I am also sure that the one already made will not last long. The hubby really liked it too. It will join the list of our favorite bundt cakes like chocolate banana bundt cake and citrus bundt cake.
