Cherry Pound Cake with Maraschino Cherries

What’s not to love about a recipe that calls for a bunch of basic, readily available ingredients? This recipe contains nothing unusual except for the maraschino cherries. Since this cake is ALL about the cherries, we like adding them to the top of the cake before baking it. If the cherries are too big, sometimes they’ll disappear down into the cake as it bakes, but that’s okay in my mind, especially when you get that gorgeous round of cherry in a slice.

1 (14 oz) jar premium maraschino cherries, such as Luxardo, drained
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached, for dredging
1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular)
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. butter, to grease the loaf pan

Garnish:
Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered), for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease a loaf pan and line it widthwise with parchment paper.

Drain the cherries onto a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 12 whole cherries. Rough chop the remaining cherries, dredge lightly in flour and set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

Using a hand or stand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

Add a third of the dry ingredients, then half of the milk. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently fold in the chopped cherries, then spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the batter out and dot the top with the reserved whole cherries, gently pushing them down slightly into the batter.

Bake for 50 minutes or until top is a rich, golden colour and a cake tester comes away clean. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with icing sugar before slicing and serving.