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Cherry Garcia Loaf Cake

A maraschino cherry-forward quick cake with a glossy cherry glaze, made with simple pantry ingredients for a nostalgic flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main ingredients
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole milk Substitute: 2% is fine; for dairy-free, use unsweetened almond milk.
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil Canola, vegetable, or light olive oil.
  • 1 large egg Use room temperature for best results.
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract If not available, increase vanilla to 2 tsp.
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour Plus a little extra to toss cherries.
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 cups maraschino cherries Drained, patted dry and halved; reserve 1/3 cup cherry juice for the glaze.
For the glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar Confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp melted unsalted sweet cream butter
  • 1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice From the jar

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment if desired.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, milk, oil, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Toss halved maraschino cherries in a tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter.
  6. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Baking
  1. Bake at 350°F for about 60–70 minutes. Check doneness at 55 minutes with a toothpick.
  2. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 15-20 minutes.
  3. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool before glazing.
Glazing
  1. In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract, melted butter and maraschino cherry juice until smooth.
  2. Drizzle glaze over the warm loaf and let it set.

Notes

Serve slightly warm with ice cream or fresh berries. Can be stored at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.