I Should Lay Off the Almond Extract: Cherry Coconut Almond Cake

Cherries, coconuts, and almonds are three of my favorite things, so making Yossy Arefi's "Cherry Coconut Almond Cake" was a no-brainer. The only problem was that the recipe didn't make it to the top of my to-bake list until long after cherry season was over. But the recipe says that you can use fresh or frozen cherries (tart or sweet), so I used frozen sweet cherries.

This is a one-bowl recipe that doesn't require a mixer. You whisk eggs and sugar until pale and foamy; add buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and coconut extract; and incorporate the dry ingredients (flour, almond flour, unsweetened shredded coconut, and baking powder. You spread the batter in a parchment-lined pan; scatter the cherries on top; and sprinkle on sugar (I used coarse sugar), sliced almonds, and more shredded unsweetened coconut before baking. I keep coconut extract on hand but use it sparingly since sometimes it can come across more like suntan lotion as opposed to actual coconuts. So instead of coconut extract, I added almond extract. I love almond extract and have a habit of adding it to anything with almonds, even when the recipe doesn't call for it.

The cherries sank into the cake during baking, so they weren't visible until I sliced the cake. The cake was tender and fluffy, but I think I accidentally turned it into an almond cake. Maybe just this one time I slightly regret adding almond extract, because the cake was so almond forward that it was hard to taste the coconut. Also, I don't think that frozen fruit was a good choice. The fruit was very soft, and I think the cake would have been better if I had used fresh, firm, Bing cherries. (Even though the headnote says that tart cherries and sweet cherries are equally good for this recipe, I think I would give the edge to sweet cherries just for their firmer texture.) 

This was a good cake. But if I can restrain myself from undisciplined almond extract usage and wait until cherries are back in season, I'm confident it will be better next time.

 

Recipe: "Cherry Coconut Almond Cake" from Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi.