Cherry Pound Cake with Glacé Cherries (Newfoundland)

A moist, dense pound cake with glacé cherries and flavoured with almond extract, this treat is a universal Christmas favourite in almost every Newfoundland household. The secret in this recipe is undiluted evaporated milk for added richness.

1½ cups butter
2 cups Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular)
3 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 cup evaporated milk, lukewarm, undiluted
1 lb glacé cherries, halved
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Grease and flour a springform pan, tube pan or two loaf pans lined with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy.

Sift together the flour and baking powder.

Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the lukewarm milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. As a general rule, I add the dry ingredients in equal portions and the milk in 2 portions.

Fold in the halved glace cherries that have been tossed at the last minute in the ¼ cup flour.

Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour depending upon the size of your pan.

Baking times vary greatly on this recipe so rely on the toothpick test to ensure that it is properly baked. When a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it’s done. Be careful not to go past this stage or the cake will be dry.

Let the cake cool in the pan/s for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 1 large cake or 2 smaller loaves.