Cherry Almond Bundt Cake

• servings: 12 servings
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups (570g) granulated sugar

5 Large eggs, at room temperature

3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups (296ml) milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons (10ml) almond extract

1 can (20oz/567g) cherry pie filling

4 ounces (113g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups (260g) powdered sugar

5-6 teaspoons (25-30ml) heavy whipping cream or milk

1 large orange, zested

¼ teaspoon almond extract

pinch of salt

Sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

Directions

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously greased and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. Allow the butter, eggs and milk to come to room temperature.

Cream together the butter and sugar for several minutes until light and fluffy.

Slowly add eggs 1 at a time and make sure each one is well mixed before adding the next. Mix in the extract with the last egg.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour first and then measure out 3 cups, then add the baking powder and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients and then half of the milk and mix just until combined, then add the remaining ingredients. Continue beating until all ingredients are well combined.

Strain the cherry pie filling through a fine sieve to extract the cherries from the juice/filling.

Pour about 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1/3 of the cherries into the batter, spreading evenly. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of the cherry juice and swirl it into the batter. Repeat these steps 2 more times so that the cherries and the cherry juice are layered throughout. You will have leftover cherry juice which can be discarded.

Bake at 325° for 65-70 minutes. Cover the bundt pan with aluminum foil for the last 20 minutes of baking to prevent the bottom from over-browning. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a knife into the middle. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.

After 10 minutes of cooling, gently run a knife around the edges of your bundt to help release it from the edge before flipping. Invert the cake onto a plate and allow it cool for 2-3 hours.

For the Glaze:

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and continue to stir until combined. Add the orange zest, almond extract and a pinch of salt. Then add the heavy cream, one teaspoon at a time until the glaze reaches the desired thickness. It should drip of the spoon, but not run off the spoon.

Once the glaze is nice and smooth, drizzle it over the cake. If desired, you can use a Ziploc bag to pipe the glaze. Top with sliced almonds.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 793
• Total Fat: 34.1g
• Saturated Fat: 18.3g
• Cholesterol: 148.8mg
• Sodium: 294.3mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 116g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.3g
• Total Sugars: 78.5g
• Protein: 8.5g