There are some flavors that seem to go together so perfectly, and cherries and almond happen to fit into that category. In this sweet, cake-like bread the essence of almond permeates the bread and the bright cherries give a burst of fruitiness that accentuates it even more. It is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. The bread is moist and flavorful, with a tender crumb that pairs beautifully with a cup of coffee or tea.
How to Make Cherry Almond Bread
Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Grease a standard-size loaf pan and set it aside.
Prepare Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Gently fold in the chopped and patted dry cherries. This helps to distribute the cherries evenly and prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
Prepare Wet Ingredients:
- In another bowl, whisk together the large egg, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
Combine Mixtures:
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
- Stir gently until just moistened. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the bread dense and tough.
Bake:
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Cool and Serve:
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Cherries: Ensure cherries are well-patted dry to avoid adding excess moisture to the batter.
- Mixing: Do not overmix the batter to keep the bread light and fluffy.
- Testing for Doneness: Insert a toothpick in the center of the bread; it should come out clean when done.
Almost Cake: Cherry Almond Bread
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Makes 1 loaf
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Moist and flavorful, this quick bread is perfect for breakfast or a sweet treat. Enjoy warm with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) baking powder
- 1/3 cups (80 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cups (120 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml) almond extract
- 1 cups (150 g) cherries, coarsely chopped and patted dry
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Grease a standard-size loaf pan and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder. Gently fold in the chopped and patted dry cherries.
- In another bowl, whisk together the large egg, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir gently until just moistened.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- For a more intense almond flavor, toast the almonds lightly before adding them to the batter.
- If fresh cherries are unavailable, you can substitute 1 cup of frozen cherries (thawed and patted dry).
- Wrap cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and then foil for optimal freshness, storing at room temperature up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 50
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this a bread rather than a cake, and how does that affect the texture?
The batter uses less sugar and fat than a typical cake and relies on baking powder for lift rather than creamed butter and sugar. The result is a denser, slightly chewier crumb that still has the almond and cherry flavors you would expect in a dessert.
Can I use fresh cherries instead of dried or jarred ones?
Fresh cherries are what this bread uses — coarsely chop them and pat them dry before folding into the batter to keep out excess moisture. If fresh cherries aren’t available, frozen cherries (thawed and patted dry) work as a substitute.
Should I toast the almonds before adding them to the batter?
Toasting deepens the almond flavor noticeably. Spread them on a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant, then cool completely before mixing in.
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Awesome
I have been making this recipe for a number of years. For Christmas gifts I use half red and half green cherries, for Valentines Day I just use the red cherries.
I misplaced my recipe and was so glad to find yours.
Thank you for sharing.
Audrey DeFehr White Rock, BC Canada
[email protected]
We are really enjoying this cakey bread– so moist, delicious and pretty!!! I chose to use 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour and it was still very moist! Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. We were lucky enough to get Door County Bing cherries, which is what I used and they were scrumptious! I also love Robin’s post about making little loaves of bread and giving them for Christmas!
Thank you Michelle for a really great recipe!
Correction.Oops sorry.I added two tablespoons of buttermilk in place of the egg.thanks
I love this recipe.i have made it many times and also used blueberries.My granddaughter s allergic to eggs,o I used one tablespoon of buttermilk and it works well.It doesn’t rise as much but tastes delicious!! Thank you for this recipe.
I have made this recipe several times and have added many fruits other than cherries. Strawberries, blueberries and apples are a great combination. We also love raspberry and plum combination and just about any fruit there is. Good basic recipe to add other items to.
Great recipe. I like to make muffins because they cook quicker than bread. Made this recipe a few weeks ago with tart frozen cherries from our trees. They turned out moist and light for a bread. I am going to make them again for supper tonight because I really liked the recipe. Thanks for the recipe Michelle.
I’ve come across your recipe for cherry almond bread. I am looking for a true “cake like” consistency, not too heavy. Last night I baked a cherry bread w/sour cream in it, 1st try, and am disappointed. When I mixed in the cherry juice and maraschino cherry pieces, the batter color was pink which was what I wanted; once baked, it turned out browner which I did not want. My husband loves the cherry bread from Bob Evans Restaurant—–this it the kind of cherry bread I wish to bake…is your recipe like this? If so, I will definitely give it a try.
Thanks!!
This bread is fantastic. I have two sour cherry trees, and they were ready to be picked last week. I didn’t know what to do with all the cherries, as even my husband gets bored with cherry pie after a while, and besides, there’s only so much of it you can eat without growing immensely fat! (I made three, and gave one to a neighbor.) I found this recipe, and it is so delicious. I made 9 breads. We are eating one; I gave two away, and put six in the freezer as Christmas gifts. I would only suggest covering them the last ten minutes to preserve that beautiful golden color. I still have more cherries, even after 3 pies, but have found a couple of puddings I want to try!
Very easy recipe. I think there is a lack in flavor du to not enough almond extract in my opinion but my boyfriend loved it(and he’s very picky).
I made this recipe with frozen cherries, turned out perfectly. Great recipe I will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful – simple recipe! Thank you so much for posting it. Love that it uses on-hand ingredients. My brother’s cherry tree produced a bumper crop of fruit this year and he generously gave us buckets of cherries. This is a great basic recipe which can be modified to suit personal tastes. Again, thank you!
This is the most moist pretty looking cherry bread there is. I used the jar pitted red cherries and did these up for xmas gifts I bought the aluminum bread pans and let it cool a little bit wrapped the pans up in dollar tree christmas hand towels with a ribbon wrapped around it to close the towels. They looked festive and showed the thought put into the gift. Being on a budget this was my best bet. Thanks for the recipe that put this all together for me.
Delicate and very moist. I used fresh rainer cherries. Easy and tasty.
This recipe will go in my box. Thank you!
I had cherries that were soggy and not good for eating. Before throwing it away, I thought to check for a recipy on the net. I found this one and what a treasure! Simple ingredients and the only one I did not have was almond extract and I used almond flour instead. Well worth the try…
Anyway, 60min later out of the oven came a fabulous desert! Definately one I will use again!