Pound Cake with Cherries (Bajan Pudding)

Bajan Pudding is a simple pound-like cake with the added sweetness of dried cherries, if made without the cherries it is simply called plain cake, with the cherries and raisins if added it is called Pudding in Barbados. This recipe is said to be handed down from a grandmother in the early 1900’s.

1½ cups sugar
2 cups butter
4½ tsp. baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. pure almond extract
2 cups milk
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). Lightly grease a 9" bundt pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs all at once and beat well.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add it to the butter mixture along with 1 cup of the milk. Continue to beat until you get a doughy consistency.

Add the remaining 1 cup of milk along with the extracts. Fold in the dried cherries.

Bake for 1 hour then reduce heat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) for another 15 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.