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Sweet Soft Cherry Bread with Cherry-Almond Glaze
4.5 from 279 votes

Sweet Soft Cherry Bread with Cherry-Almond Glaze

Sweet Soft Cherry Bread with Cherry-Almond Glaze is a tender loaf featuring chunks of maraschino cherries folded into a thick batter flavored with almond and vanilla extracts. The combination of cherries and almond extract gives the bread a distinct fruity and nutty profile. Topped with a smooth cherry-almond glaze, the bread has a moist interior and a sweet finish, suitable for breakfast or as a snack.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Cooling Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 20
Calories: 200 kcal
Course: Breakfast, Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cherry Bread
  • maraschino cherries divided, one 10-ounce jar
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour divided, 2 tablespoons
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch salt optional and to taste
  • 2 egg large
  • ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • cherry juice reserve 1/4 cup
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cherry-Almond Glaze
  • ¼ cup cherry juice reserved
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • confectioners’ sugar about 1 1/2 cups+

Instructions

Make the cherry bread:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two 8×4-inch loaf pans with floured cooking spray or lightly grease and flour the pans; set aside. (Recipe may be baked in one 9×5 pan, as 4 mini loaves, or as muffins, although I have not tested it that way. Adjust baking time accordingly.)
  2. Remove cherries from jar and place on a cutting board. Roughly chop them.
  3. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour (prevents them from sinking during baking) and toss to coat evenly; set cutting board aside. Set jar with the cherry juice aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, add 1 3/4 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, optional salt, and whisk to combine; set aside.
  5. In a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, combine eggs, oil, all the cherry juice from the jar except 1/4 cup to be reserved for the glaze, almond extract, vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.
  6. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir to combine; don’t overmix. Batter will be very thick.
  7. Gently fold in the chopped cherries.
  8. Turn batter out into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops lightly with a spatula. Strategically place a few cherries on top for visual appeal.
  9. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until bread is domed, set, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
  10. Allow bread to cool in pans on top of a wire rack for about 15 minutes before removing and allowing to finish cooling completely on rack. While bread cools, make the glaze.
Make the Cherry-Almond Glaze:
  1. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup reserved cherry juice, almond extract, about 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, and whisk to combine until smooth and satiny. Add sugar until desired consistency is reached.
  2. Glaze the bread prior to serving. After the photos were done, I glazed much more liberally, spreading the glaze like butter on the interior of the slices.

Notes

  • Coating the cherries with flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
  • Apply the cherry-almond glaze only before serving to maintain bread texture if storing long-term.
  • Store the bread airtight at room temperature for up to five days or freeze for up to six months.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 200kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 35g (12%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Cholesterol 19mg (6%) Sodium 67mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 25g (50%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 200

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 200kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 35g 12%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 67mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 25g 50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.