Chocolate Cherry Loaf

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A seriously rich loaf. The combination of unsweetened cocoa, bittersweet chocolate chips and super sweet, ripe juicy cherries, makes this Chocolate Cherry Loaf the perfect tasty treat. The moist buttermilk chocolate cake gets its richness from the nutty brown butter and the deep dark chocolate chips and those juicy cherries add a natural sweetness that makes every bite a flavorful one.

I love chocolate cake and I love cherries so combining them together to create this Chocolate Cherry Loaf seamed like a no brainer. Its the perfect balance of natural sweetness from the cherries and rich deep chocolate flavor combined together to form this moist tender cake that has complex flavors but comes together with simple ingredients.

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe

  • Cherries: The star of the show. I used fresh but feel free to use frozen if fresh is not available. If using fresh, prepare by removing the stems and the pits then cut the cherries into quarters.
  • Flour: All purpose is best for this recipe.
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I swear by King Arthur’s Double Dark Cocoa. It’s a blend of regular Dutch Cocoa and Black Cocoa Powder creating an intense chocolate flavor.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These two ingredients will give your loaf rise and also make for a tender cake.
  • Espresso Powder: I always add a little espresso powder to my chocolate desserts. It helps enhance that chocolate flavor. If you don’t have espresso powder you can also use instant coffee granules, but it will not be as strong so you may need a bit more.
  • Salt: Salt will help enhance the flavors in your sweet recipes. A small amount is all you need.
  • Butter: I always opt for unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in my recipes. For this recipe I browned the butter first, why? Well, why not! Brown butter will add a rich nuttiness to the recipe. If you have never browned butter before, don’t worry, it’s pretty easy. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until butter starts to foam. Once butter starts to foam , continue cooking, stirring often, until liquid has become golden and brown bits start to form at the bottom of the pan. Allow to cool slightly before using. When ready to use pour the entire contents of the saucepan into your ingredients, brown bits and all. The brown bits will add a ton of flavor.
  • Granulated sugar: This of course is the added sweetener, but did you also know that granulated sugar can add moisture and allow for a more tender cake?
  • Eggs: These are your binders. It will give your cake structure and allow for a more fluffy cake. It is best to bring your eggs to room temperature before using, this will allow them to incorporate easily into your other ingredients.
  • Vanilla Extract: I always opt for Pure Vanilla Extract rather than Imatation Vanilla Extract. I find that the flavor is more intense and less artificial tasting.
  • Buttermilk: This will give your cake a light moist texture. When combined with the baking soda and baking powder, bubbles are created which will add air to your recipe, which in turn will make a lighter less dense cake.
  • Cherries: I always like to use fresh but if they are not available, frozen will do. If using fresh, remove the stems and the pits and cut into quarters.
  • Bittersweet Chocolate Chips: I chose to use bittersweet chocolate chips because I love that deep intense chocolate flavor, but a semi sweet chocolate chip will work just as well.

Other Cherry Recipes:

* Cherry Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies

* Cherry Almond Loaf Cake

Tips For Making This Loaf:

* Brown Butter: Now you can use just plain melted butter, but brown butter will add a rich nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with chocolate desserts.

* Room Temperature Ingredients: When your ingredients are room temperature, they will easily combine with all your other ingredients making a smooth batter without any lumps.

* Espresso Powder: Whenever I make something chocolate, I always like to add a bit of espresso powder to the mix. It will enhance the chocolate flavor, making it more rich and intense. If you don’t have espresso powder, instant coffee granules will work as well.

* Cocoa Powder: It is very important to use a good quality cocoa powder. I always opt for King Arthur’s Double Dark Cocoa Powder. It is a combination of Dutch processed cocoa powder and black cocoa powder, which gives it an intensely rich chocolate flavor.

*Mixing: It is important not to over mix your batter. If you over mix your batter you will have a very dense, less moist cake, and no one likes that.

Chocolate Cherry Loaf
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Chocolate Cherry Loaf

Recipe by BrendaCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

A seriously rich loaf. The combination of deep dark cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate chips and sweet juicy cherries, makes this Chocolate Cherry Loaf the perfect treat. The Chocolate cake is moist and tender and the addition of the cherries adds a natural sweetness that makes every bite delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

  • 1/2 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/4 Teaspoon baking powder

  • 3/4 Teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 Teaspoon espresso powder

  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 Cup ( 1 stick ) unsalted butter, browned

  • 3/4 Cup granulated sugar

  • 2 Eggs, room temperature

  • 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 Cup buttermilk

  • 1 Cup fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and quartered

  • 1 Cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions

  • Start by placing the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally until liquid turns golden and brown bits start to form at the bottom of the pan. Pour the entire contents, brown bits and all, into a glass bowl and allow to cool.
  • Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9” x 5” loaf pan with baking spray and set to the side.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt until combined.
  • In a separate mixing bowl beat the cooled brown butter and granulated sugar until combined. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Pour in the vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating between both, starting and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined. Fold in the cherries and chocolate chips until incorporated.
  • Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pan. Once cooled remove from pan, slice and serve.
  • Enjoy.