cherry and marzipan pound cake

by Eva on August 8, 2012

Growing up I got the notion that cinnamon, gingerbread and marzipan belongs to Christmas season and only Christmas season. Also Christmas cookies which might be eaten in January, in case there are any leftovers, just didn’t taste right even if they taste the same like a few days earlier. As though they would have gone bad. One reason and I am quite certain about that, I overate on all that and just couldn’t see or even smell them any more.

Luckily that all has changed and I appreciate a sticky cinnamon roll, of cause occasionally, but all year long. Between you and me: it is kind of dump, limiting deliciousness to one month of the year.

It’s weird thinking about Christmas in the heat of the summer but that’s what I did when I looked at my juicy cherries and I can tell you why: once at a Christmas party I enjoyed marzipan ice cream topped with hot cherry sauce and these combination had been established in my brain since then. It is like this memory stepped out of the left dark corner of the long time memory department in my brain and raised his hand. I accomplished both in a pound cake, my favorite cake right now.

cherry and marzipan pound cake

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Add more sugar if you like your cake on the sweeter side. This recipes makes a rich and flavorful cake with hints of marzipan and tastes even better the next day. Store airtight at room temperature for several days.

ingredients:

350 g / 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

220 g / 2 sticks unsalted butter, soft

120 g / 2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

200 g / 7 oz. marzipan, coarsely grated

1/4 tsp almond extract

100 ml / 7 Tbsp milk

300 g / 10 1/2 oz. cherries, halved and pitted

200 g / 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar

3 1/2 Tbsp milk

instructions:

Preheat your oven to 160 C / 320 F and grease a loaf pan 23 cm / 9 x 5 inch.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy and light yellow. Add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy and the color turns more white.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Add grated marzipan and almond extract and beat shortly.
Add flour mix alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in cherries.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the icing: In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar and milk and stir until no lumps remain. Cover cake with icing and let sit at room temperature until dry.

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prune cake with marzipan streusel

by Eva on August 24, 2010

Blue prunes (Italian plum, damson, any right?) in Germany called Zwetschgen or Pflaumen, are not easy to get in the midwest. So I was quite happy as I found some at our nearby grocery store. I haven’t eaten a prune cake since two years and it is one of my favorites. Can you imagine how excited I was?

When I was a kid I spend many summers sitting on a prune tree and eating prunes until my stomach hurt. You can say I grew up on a prune tree. Wipe away any thoughts about apes… The rest of the time I spend on roller skates and I am still good in skating. After school and homework had been done, I took my bike and drove the street up and down and knocked on every friends doors or we met at the playground. This was the best place ever, two huge prune trees, a place to play table tennis, a great playground and lot of lawn to play soccer.
A few weeks ago as I visited my family in my old hometown, I drove by to look at my old playground and was happy to see everything was in good condition and the trees were bigger as expected. But than I wondered where are all the children? Times had changed. Today kids make play dates, join sport teams, learn an instrument or just sit in front of the TV or PC or both. Maybe you can say more civilized if I remember how many times my friend next door had to take his cloths off in front of the door otherwise his mum won’t had let him in.

But back to the great cake. If you don’t have prunes on hand try it with apples. And don’t miss this great streusel, you can make them on muffins or any other cake. Marzipan is available in many grocery stores but can also be homemade. Start with the streusel, they may need some time for cooling and getting firm.

prune cake with marzipan streusel

baking sheet approx. 15 x 10 inch

1,5 kg / 3 1/3 lb. prunes (also called damson)

you need for the streusel

200 g / 7.1 oz. marzipan (Rohmasse)
3 tablespoon all purpose flour
a pinch of cinnamon

For softening put the marzipan into a midsize bowl and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds. Add the flour and cinnamon and knead with your hands until mixed well. Let cool in the fridge OR just set aside and form the streusel with your hands later. If your dough is easy to crumble you should go for the second method.

you need for the yeast dough

200 ml / 3/4 cup + 2 teaspoon milk
75 g / 1/3 cup or 5 tablespoon butter
370 g / 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg at room temperature
70 g / 1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon Amaretto

Heat the milk and let the butter melt in the microwave and let cool until lukewarm.
Put everything in a large mixing bowl and knead with your hands or use a dough hook and a hand mixer. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile wash the prunes, slice in half and remove the stone. Grease the backing sheet and preheat the oven to 190 C / 375 F.
Roll out the dough on a clean and dry surface. You may need some flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Place the dough on the baking sheet and cover with the prunes the cut side facing up.

Cover with streusel. If you kept them in the fridge, grate them with a box grater.
Let rise for 10 minutes and bake for 25 to 30 minutes

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cherry and marzipan pound cake