Here’s a rich, bakery-style Cherry Garcia Loaf Cake — inspired by the famous cherry-chocolate combo and packed with juicy cherries throughout 🍒🍫
🍒🍫 Cherry Garcia Loaf Cake
📝 Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
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1½ cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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½ teaspoon baking soda
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½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
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½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
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¾ cup granulated sugar
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2 large eggs
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½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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½ teaspoon almond extract (optional but enhances cherry flavor)
Mix-Ins
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1½ cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted & halved
(If using frozen, thaw and pat dry.) -
¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
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1 tablespoon flour (for tossing cherries)
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Prep
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment.
2️⃣ Make the Batter
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Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Beat in eggs one at a time.
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Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract.
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Gradually add dry ingredients until just combined.
3️⃣ Add the Good Stuff
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Toss cherries with 1 tablespoon flour (prevents sinking).
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Gently fold cherries and chocolate chips into batter.
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Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.
4️⃣ Bake
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Bake 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (melted chocolate is fine, raw batter is not).
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Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
🍫 Optional Chocolate Drizzle
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½ cup chocolate chips
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1 tablespoon heavy cream
Melt together and drizzle over cooled loaf.
💡 Tips for Extra Cherry Flavor
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Add 2 tablespoons cherry juice to the batter.
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Sprinkle a few extra cherries on top before baking.
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For a boozy twist, soak cherries in cherry liqueur for 30 minutes and drain.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
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A glazed cherry almond loaf
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A cherry Garcia pound cake
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Or a mini loaf gift version 🎁🍒