Cherry-Almond Spoon Cake
This cake is super low maintenance and that’s why our Test Kitchen chefs love it—they’re sure you will, too. An egg-free batter flavored with almond and vanilla extracts is paired with ripe cherries to create a light, fuss-free dessert that’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. No electric mixer is needed; simply whisk the ingredients together and bake. It’s called a spoon cake for its scoopability, so no proper cutting is required. Just spoon out a warm generous portion into a bowl, top with vanilla ice cream and savor springtime.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. (500 g) pitted cherries, left whole, plus a mix of pitted whole and halved cherries for decorating
- 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) plus 2/3 cup (5 oz./155 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (7 3/4 oz./240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) (8 oz./250 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) milk
- 2 tsp. almond extract
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbs. slivered almonds
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 4-quart (4-l) open casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, toss together the 1 lb. (500 g) cherries and 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) of the granulated sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, the remaining 2/3 cup (5 oz./155 g) granulated sugar, the milk and vanilla and almond extracts and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until no streaks of flour remain.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Top with the cherries and any accumulated juices from the bowl, spreading the cherries out evenly.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Top the cake decoratively with the almonds and whole and halved cherries. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Scoop into bowls and serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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