CHERRY CAKE PUDDING

STICKY, GOOEY, SWEET MOUTHFULS OF WINTER COMFORT

 

Waaaaaahhhhhh!  I wanna' go back............to Kona!  

We're home again, home again, but, but, um, er......I haven't quite climatized yet. 

Well jeepers!!!  It's snowy, grey and chilly.  Brrrrrrrr!  

Who wouldn't have problems climatizing?

One week home and I'm still longing for sandy beaches, blossom-scented tropical breezes, beautiful, warm, azure waves (to bob in), sunset Mai Tais, outdoor restaurants with tiki torches and of course settling onto the sun-drenched lanai of our little vacation cottage every morning, with Kona coffee in hand, to make sure the neighborhood geckos have their daily fix of guava jelly.  

You might say I'm in the throes of geographical re-adjustment problems........woe is me!

I need comforting.  Or maybe just comfort.  Which is precisely what was on my mind when I was trying to figure out what to make for dessert to top off our Turkey Noodle Wonton Soup.  

I pondered some of my old stand-bys, but was in the mood to try something new.  Something that suited the season, the likes of my dinner guests and the meal itself.  Time to surf!  Thankfully it didn't take me long to make my way to the The Pioneer Woman food blog (love this blog!) and hit paydirt! 

Cherry Cake Pudding is C O M F O R T on a fork.  Mark my words (not you Mark!)

Shining like a candy apple with it's divinely sticky-sweet glaze this dessert shouts of cherriness and has an addictive, almost chewy texture, like a cake crossed with an old-fashioned English pud. 

Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, no nifty new flavour combos, just down-home warm mouthfuls of goodness.

And it's easy peasy to make.  I used toasted walnuts instead of pecans and canned sour cherries rather than the canned sweet Bing cherries that the Pioneer Woman used, but something tells me that it's not so much about the kind of cherries you use in this cake, just that you do.

So, when the skies are grey and the weather chilly, with a stir here and a beat there, you too can remedy the brrrrrrs with some cheery, cherry, sweet comfort.  Thanks Ree!

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Here we go..............it's quick and easy to mix up the batter.  Then pour into a generously buttered 9-inch springform or cake pan.

 
While the cake is baking, make the sauce by combining reserved cherry juice, flour and sugar in a small pot.  Boil gently for 8-10 minutes.

 
Turn off heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, all toasty, golden brown, drizzle at least 1/3 of the sauce over the cake and spread it evenly.

 
A little of the sauce sneaks into the cake, adding an extra layer of yumminess....the rest creates that ooey, gooey glaze.

 
Spoon out pieces of the warm, cherry-happy cake onto serving plates, drizzle with more saucey syrup and top with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.  

 
As it turns out, Cherry Pudding Cake is a perfect ending to a chilly-winter-night dinner gathering in the snowy hills of Peachland.  I could tell by all the mmmm's. Try it yourself and see how many mmmm's you can get in your neck of the woods........ 

CHERRY CAKE PUDDING

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 can (15-18 ounces) sour cherries in syrup, drained, juice reserved
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

SAUCE:
1 cup reserved juice from cherries (add water to make 1 cup if necessary)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Unsweetened freshly whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325F.  Generously butter a square 9x9-inch baking dish or 9-inch springform pan.  Cream sugar and butter.  Add egg and mix well.  In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt then add to mixing bowl alternately with milk.  Add cherries and chopped nuts and stir gently to mix.  Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the surface.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer jiggly.

While cake is baking, make the sauce by combining cherry juice, sugar and flour in a small pot.  Boil gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until thickened.  Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and the vanilla or almond extract.

Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce on the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Spread to distribute over the surface and wait ten minutes before serving so the sauce will seep into the top of the cake a bit.

Spoon out pieces of warm, sticky cake, drizzle with a little more sauce and top with unsweetened whipped cream. 

**I made my cake earlier in the day, then just reheated in a 300F degree oven for about 10 minutes before serving.**