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Home » Recipes » All Recipes

Cherry Pecan Loaf Cake

Published: Feb 1, 2023 by Jan Nunes

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A sliced loaf cake frosted with pink frosting and decorated with chopped pecans and cherries on a white plate with text overlay.
A loaf cake frosted with pink frosting and decorated with chopped pecans and cherries on a white plate with text overlay.

This easy Cherry Pecan Loaf Cake is packed with sweet maraschino cherries and crunchy pecans. A sweet pink cherry frosting makes this cake a cherry lovers dream.

A loaf cake frosted with pink frosting and decorated with chopped pecans and cherries on a white plate.

Do you love the cherries that top an ice cream sundae? I know I do! So, here is a simple-to-make loaf cake that is loaded with those sundae cherries plus lots of chopped pecans.

Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Instructions to Make a Cherry Pecan Loaf Cake
  • My Top Tips
  • Equipment
  • Make-Ahead & Storage
  • More Delicious Cake Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

Maybe it's because of my school days, but I always think of cherry cake in February. Most likely because of all those school stories of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. But there is another good reason to make this cake in February, it has an adorable pink cherry frosting that makes it a perfect Valentine's Day dessert for the whole family.

Why This Recipe Works

This loaf cake follows the leavening rule of adding 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour and then an additional teaspoon is added to compensate for the addition of nuts and cherries. The result is a cake that has a moist and well-risen crumb and is also rich in fruit and nuts.

You can serve this cake plain, or with a dusting of powdered sugar. But I wouldn't miss the pink cherry frosting that echos the maraschino flavor of the cherries in the cake. It definitely adds extra yum to an already delicious cake. Does this sound irresistible? Great! So, let's cook!

Ingredients

The ingredients, clockwise from top left: eggs, cooking oil, whole milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, baking powder, chopped pecans, chopped maraschino cherries, all purpose flour, and sugar.

Here's what you need to make this Cherry Pecan Loaf Cake:

For the Cake:

  • Eggs - Choose eggs that have a soft delicious flavor. Vegetarian-fed hens lay the best-tasting eggs in my opinion.
  • Cooking Oil - Use any neutral-flavored cooking oil. I prefer safflower oil but you can use your favorite.
  • Sugar - White granulated sugar is the best sugar to use for this cake.
  • Whole Milk - Whole milk gives richness to the cake.
  • Vanilla Extract - Use any vanilla extract that has a good flavor.
  • Almond Extract - Use any almond extract that has a good flavor.
  • All-Purpose Flour - All-purpose flour from your pantry staples is fine for this cake.
  • Baking Powder - Always use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid an unpleasant aftertaste.
  • Salt - A small amount of salt always makes sweets taste just a little bit better.
  • Maraschino Cherries - These are the cherries used to top an ice cream sundae. They are sweet and loaded with cherry flavor.
  • Chopped Nuts - Finely chop the pecans. Then measure.

For the Frosting:

  • Butter - This frosting tastes best when made with salted butter.
  • Maraschino Cherry Juice - Just use the liquid that maraschino cherries are packed in. No need to buy an additional ingredient.
  • Almond Extract - Use any almond extract that has a good flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract - Use any vanilla extract that has a good flavor.
  • Powdered Sugar - Also called "confectioner's sugar", powdered sugar is super sweet and makes a smooth frosting.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make a Cherry Pecan Loaf Cake

Process Photo 1 - A loaf pan is prepared having been greased and floured.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and grease and flour the bottom and sides of an 8x4x2½-inch loaf pan. Set the pan aside for later.

Process Photo 2 - Beating the eggs, oil, sugar and flavorings until well mixed and frothy.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, oil, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined and frothy.

Process Photo 3 - Adding the dry ingredients to the beaten egg mixture.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Process Photo 4a - Adding the chopped cherries and pecans to the batter.
Process Photo 4b - The batter in the prepared loaf pan ready to bake.

Fold in the cherries and nuts and spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Process Photo 5 - The cake fully baked in the pan cooling on a wire rack.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan and if desired, frost it.

A loaf cake frosted with pink frosting and decorated with chopped pecans and cherries on a white plate.

I think this cake looks really pretty with a few chopped pecans and cherries on top of the frosting. To get this look I mixed chopped pecans and chopped cherries and scattered them on top of the cake. I used four cherries and eight pecans.

My Top Tips

♡ Blot the Cherries - Maraschino cherries are very wet and juicy. I use paper towels to blot the excess liquid from them before they are chopped.

♡ Frost in Stages - I like to frost this cake in two stages. First I apply a thin layer of frosting to the top of the cake and refrigerate it for ½ hour. Then I add the rest of the frosting.

Equipment

A hand or stand mixer is very handy to mix the cake and the frosting. But if you do not have a mixer you can easily use a wire whisk.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Store any leftover cake in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 5 days

A sliced loaf cake frosted with pink frosting and decorated with chopped pecans and cherries on a white plate.

More Delicious Cake Recipes

  • Butter Pecan Rum Cake
  • Lazy Daisy Cake
  • Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Cake

♡ Did you try out this recipe? Please give it a Star Rating below and tag @enchartedcook on Instagram and hashtag it #enchartedcook.

📖 Recipe

A sliced cherry pecan loaf cake frosted with pink frosting and decorated with chopped pecans and cherries on a white plate.

Cherry Pecan Loaf Cake

5 from 1 vote
Encharted Cook | Jan Nunes
This easy Cherry Pecan Loaf Cake is packed with sweet maraschino cherries and crunchy pecans. Add a sweet pink cherry frosting for extra yum!
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Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 mins
Baking Time 55 mins
Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 Slices
Calories 424 kcal

Ingredients
 

Cake:

  • 2 Eggs
  • ⅓ Cup Safflower Oil
  • 1 Cup White Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • ½ Cup Chopped Maraschino Cherries
  • ½ Cup Chopped Nuts

Frosting:

  • 3 Tablespoons Butter, softened
  • 3 Tablespoons Maraschino Cherry Juice
  • ½ Teaspoon Almond Extract
  • ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and grease and flour the bottom and sides of an 8x4x2½-inch loaf pan. Set the pan aside for later.
  • In a large bowl beat the eggs, oil, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined and frothy.
    2 Eggs, ⅓ Cup Safflower Oil, 1 Cup White Granulated Sugar, 1 Cup Whole Milk, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
    2 Cups All Purpose Flour, 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder, ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • Fold in the cherries and nuts and spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
    ½ Cup Chopped Maraschino Cherries, ½ Cup Chopped Nuts
  • Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan and if desired, frost it.
  • Frost the cake: In a medium sized bowl combine the butter, Maraschino juice, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and a third of the powdered sugar with a hand or stand mixer. Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar and beat after each addition until smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the top of the loaf and refrigerate the cake to let the frosting set completely before slicing.
    3 Tablespoons Butter, 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Maraschino Cherry Juice, ½ Teaspoon Almond Extract, ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Notes

My Top Tips
♡ Blot the Cherries - Maraschino cherries are very wet and juicy. I use paper towels to blot the excess liquid from them before they are chopped.
♡ Frost in Stages - I like to frost this cake in two stages. First I apply a thin layer of frosting to the top of the cake and refrigerate it for ½ hour. Then I add the rest of the frosting.
Equipment
A hand or stand mixer is very handy to mix the cake and the frosting. But if you do not have a mixer you can easily use a wire whisk.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Store any leftover cake in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 5 days

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg

All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

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