Frozen Cherry Cocoa Pound Cake
Revitalize Your Freezer! Moist and Rich Frozen Cherry Cocoa Pound Cake Recipe
Transform your frozen cherries into a delightful pound cake! This recipe uses frozen cherries and rich cocoa powder for a flavor combination that’s surprisingly good and perfect for clearing out your freezer. It’s an easy and rewarding bake for all skill levels.
Ingredients- 80g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 50g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 20g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 100g cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3-4 drops coffee extract (optional)
- Approx. 100-150g frozen cherries, pitted and drained
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
About an hour before you plan to start baking, take the butter and eggs out of the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature. This helps prevent the batter from separating and ensures a smoother texture. For the frozen cherries, thaw them completely beforehand and then pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. Excess moisture from the cherries can affect the cake’s batter consistency.
Step 2
Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar in 2-3 additions, mixing well with a whisk or electric mixer after each addition. Continue to beat until the sugar is fully dissolved, the butter becomes pale and fluffy, resembling a creamed mixture. This step is crucial for the cake’s final texture.
Step 3
Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a separate bowl. Sift them at least 2-3 times to ensure a fine, lump-free mixture and to incorporate air, which will make the cake lighter and fluffier. Sifting an extra time will yield an even finer powder.
Step 4
Gradually add the room-temperature eggs to the butter-sugar mixture, about one-third at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition. Adding the eggs all at once can cause the batter to curdle. For a subtle aroma and to mask any eggy smell, add 3-4 drops of coffee extract. You can substitute this with a little vanilla extract or rum, or omit it entirely if you prefer.
Step 5
Add all of the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold them together until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour and result in a tough cake. The key is to mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Step 6
Pour the batter into your prepared pound cake pan. Tap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles trapped in the batter. To encourage a nice crack down the center as it bakes, run the back of your spatula down the middle of the batter in a straight line.
Step 7
Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for approximately 30-40 minutes. About halfway through baking (around 15-20 minutes), you can carefully remove the cake from the oven and re-score the center line with your spatula. This helps ensure a beautiful, even split as it finishes baking. (Skipping this step, as I did here, can lead to a less uniform appearance, as seen in the photo!) To check for doneness, insert a skewer into the center; it should come out clean with no wet batter attached.
Step 8
Once baked, carefully remove the pound cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Attempting to slice the cake while it’s still warm can cause it to crumble, so ensure it’s fully cooled for clean, beautiful slices.
