All That's Left Are The Crumbs: Cherry-Port Swirled Bundt Cake with Almond Streusel ~ #BundtBakers

March 15, 2018

Cherry-Port Swirled Bundt Cake with Almond Streusel ~ #BundtBakers

They say life is a bowl of cherries - I say make those cherries into a bundt cake.

The theme this month for Bundt Bakers is Cherries. I have to admit I am a little picky when it comes to cherries. I love fresh cherries, but they are not in season and when they are they are usually very expensive here because they are imported - no cherry trees here in Hawaii. Maraschino cherries are not for me, even as a kid I would not eat them. So I knew it was going to be dried cherries that I needed to use.

This recipe was originally meant to be baked in a tube pan, but I adapted it so it could be baked as a bundt. I do love a good streusel, so I sprinkled some in the bottom of the pan (as it comes the top when baking a bundt), and I also added a ribbon of it running through the cake.

And who doesn't like a little tipple of alcohol in their cake? These cherries are soaked in port and become nice and plump. I wish I had made a little extra as they would be amazing over some delicious vanilla bean gelato. They are equally delicious in this bundt cake.

I know that it looks like there are a lot of steps in this cake, but you could definitely make the cherries and the streusel the day before to save a little time, and I promise it is worth the effort. After putting the cake together I did have some of the streusel leftover, so it will go to good use as a topping for muffins. Also, I only had whole almonds, but I ended up putting everything in my food processor to form the streusel, so I just made sure to add the almonds first to chop them up.

If you would like to know more about #BundtBakers and see what the other bakers made for our Cherries theme please scroll down below the recipe.

Cherry-Port Swirled Bundt Cake with Almond Streusel
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
Cherry-Port Swirl ~

200ml (1 cup) ruby port
140g (1 cup dried cherries - about 6 ounces), coarsely chopped
55g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean pod, halved, scraped, and seeds reserved for the cake batter
pinch salt

Almond Streusel ~

115g (4 tablespoons) warm, melted, unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
50g (3 tablespoons) packed dark brown sugar
45g (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
pinch salt
165g (1¼ cups) bleached cake flour
150g (½ cup) slivered almonds

Cake ~

300g (2½ cups) bleached cake flour
10g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
2g (½ teaspoon) baking soda
pinch salt
175g (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter - 1½ sticks), at room temperature
210g (1 cup) granulated sugar
Reserved seeds from 1 vanilla bean
3 large eggs, at room temperature
230g (1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation
Cherry-Port Swirl ~

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid starts to thicken and reduces to ¼ cup, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove to a medium heatproof bowl and discard the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean pod. Place uncovered in the refrigerator and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Almond Streusel ~

Whisk the butter, sugars, and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
Add the flour and almonds and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture forms a soft dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the cake batter.

Cake ~

Heat the oven to 350˚F.
Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with baking spray: set the pan aside.
Whisk the measured flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined; set aside.
Place the measured butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mixing on medium speed until lightened in color, about 2 minutes.
Add the sugar slowly and continue mixing until the butter is pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes total, stopping the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.
Return the mixer to medium speed and add the vanilla seeds., then the eggs 1 at a time, letting each completely incorporate before adding the next.
Turn the mixer to low, and gently stir in flour mixture, alternating with sour cream, stirring until just combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the reserved port-cherry mixture, using a rubber spatula and to gently fold just until large streaks of the mixture appear in the batter, about 4 strokes.
Sprinkle about half of the streusel mixture into the bottom of the prepared bundt pan.
Pour half of the batter into the bundt pan, sprinkle with the remaining streusel mixture, and then add the remaining batter.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs and the top is golden brown, about 60-70 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack and let cool, at least 1 hour.
Carefully invert bundt onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Place bundt cake on a serving dish and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page. Many thanks to Stacy and Sneha for hosting this month.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month ~