Cherry Pecan Cake

Cherry Pecan Cake

Originally published December 17, 2007.

The more I think and write about old family recipes that have made appearances on this blog, the more I begin to see them as connections to people and places. Some of them almost have a genealogy of sorts and to trace the connections of who passed them on to friends and family would probably be a walk through time and our own food heritage in this province. This particular recipe has been in my family for about 30 years. I remember my mom getting this recipe from her twin sister "Aunt Moo", who in turn got it from Ivy Loder of Badger, Newfoundland, a great family friend of many years to whom it had also been passed on.

I would hazard to say that this very moist, rich and delicious cake has been made hundreds of times by people in my extended family. I make it at least a few times a year myself and have very often made it as a wedding cake for numerous friends and acquaintances over the years. Once you taste this cake, you can imagine how many requests for the recipe come from its being served at a wedding reception. You're invited to join in the continuing legacy of one of the best cakes I have ever eaten.

Cream together well:

1 ½ cups sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup butter
1 ½ tsp vanilla

Add, one at a time,

4 eggs

Sift together:

2 ¼ cups flour (reserve ¼ cup to dust the cherries)
1 ½ tsp baking powder

Gently fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until the flour is almost fully incorporated. At that point fold in:

2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped in 1/2's or 1/3's (tossed in ¼ cup flour at the very last minute)
3/4 cup pecan pieces (not ground but in chopped in small chunks)

Bake in greased and parchment lined 10 inch springform or tube pan or two loaf pans at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.