Description
This Cherry Bread recipe features a moist and flavorful sweet bread studded with chopped maraschino cherries and infused with vanilla and almond extracts. Finished with a glossy cherry glaze, it’s a delightful treat perfect for breakfast, snack time, or dessert. The bread is baked to a golden perfection with a soft crumb and topped with a sweet, fruity drizzle.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
- ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ Cups powdered sugar (sifted)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 Stick unsalted butter (½ Cup, softened)
- 2 eggs (large, at room temperature)
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Teaspoon almond extract
- ½ Cup whole milk (at room temperature)
- 3 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice (plus additional 2 Tablespoons reserved for glaze)
- 1 Cup maraschino cherries (chopped, drained, and stems removed)
- ¼ Cup heavy cream
Others
- Nonstick cooking spray (as needed)
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F to prepare for baking the bread.
- Grease: Lightly coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper leaving ends overhanging for easy bread removal and cleanup.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, cream softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs: Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Mix Extracts: Stir in vanilla and almond extracts until the batter is smooth and fragrant.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour in whole milk and 3 tablespoons of maraschino cherry juice, mixing until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until smooth without overmixing.
- Fold in Cherries: Gently fold chopped maraschino cherries into the batter using a rubber spatula, distributing them evenly while keeping the batter thick to help the bread rise and form a dome-shaped top.
- Fill Pan: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to release large air pockets.
- Bake Bread: Place the pan on the center oven rack and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Bread: Remove the loaf pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment paper and transfer it directly to the wire rack. Allow it to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of reserved cherry juice, and almond extract until smooth, glossy, and pourable. Adjust consistency by adding more cherry juice to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Glaze Bread: Pour or drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled bread, letting it drip down the sides naturally.
- Set Glaze: Allow the glaze to set for 15 minutes before slicing and serving the cherry bread.
Notes
- Ensure all wet ingredients like eggs and milk are at room temperature to achieve a smooth, evenly textured batter.
- Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense texture.
- Chopping the maraschino cherries smaller helps distribute them evenly without weighing down the batter.
- Use parchment paper with overhanging edges in the loaf pan for easy removal and clean-up.
- Test doneness by inserting a toothpick; a few moist crumbs are fine, but no wet batter should remain.
- Adjust glaze consistency based on preference—thicker glaze for more coverage, thinner glaze for a lighter drizzle.
