Yield: 1 chocolate cherry marbled loaf cake // Total Time: 1 hr. 30 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links. //
Light and fluffy vanilla and chocolate marbled cherry loaf cake, topped with a cherry-infused whipped chocolate ganache
chocolate cherry marbled loaf cake with a cherry-infused whipped ganache
Today I’m continuing my love of marbled cakes with this delicious chocolate cherry marbled loaf cake. The cake is SUPER light and fluffy, to the point where it falls apart easily and melts in your mouth. The two cake batters are made from one cake batter so it comes together really easily as well. We’re then topping the loaf cake off with a whipped ganache that’s infused with cherries for even more delicious chocolate cherry flavor!
recipe tips
weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient which can give you some undesirable results. This kitchen scale is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out! If you don’t have access to a scale, here is the best way to measure flour: fluff up the flour with a fork, then use a spoon to scoop it into your measuring cup. Use a knife to level off the top of the cup, then use as directed.
mix the batter carefully
After adding in your flour, you’ll want to be careful to only mix until that last streak of flour disappears into the batter to avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing your batter leads to developing more gluten in the batter, which will make the banana bread more tough and chewy.
room temperature ingredients
It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. If you have ever had your batter look curdled, it is most likely due to the ingredients separating from being at different temperatures. Take out the butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. A little hack that I do is to run the eggs under hot water for 1 minute to bring them to room temp., and microwave the sour cream and milk in 5-second intervals until it’s no longer cold (but not hot.)
bloom your cocoa powder
The secret to getting more chocolate flavor into your chocolate cake? Bloom your cocoa powder! Blooming your cocoa powder just means that you’re mixing the cocoa with a hot liquid. In this case, we’re using espresso because it also compliments the chocolate flavor (but you can use hot water instead if needed.) Doing so releases the cocoa powder particles from a very thin membrane on them, exposing cocoa solids and bringing out more flavor. It’s a super simple way to add more flavor into your chocolate bakes!
how to tell when your loaf cake is done.
It’s always a little game with telling if your loaf is done. Sometimes it will look done, but it’s still super wet in the center, and now since you’ve opened the oven door, you risk the loaf collapsing in the middle, which is never desirable. This loaf cake took me ~55 minutes in an 9×5″ loaf pan at 350F. I would recommend waiting until at least 45 minutes to check on your loaf, so long as you know your oven isn’t running hotter than it claims to be. When checking for doneness, you’ll want to take a toothpick and stick it down the exact center of the loaf. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs, you’re good to take it out! If it’s still a little wet, put the loaf back in the oven, checking in 5-minute intervals for doneness.
ingredients and substitutions
For the cherry marbled loaf cake:
All purpose flour: gives the cake structure.
Baking powder: helps the cake rise.
Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the batter.
Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and adding flavor. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to omit the extra salt in the batter. You can also use your favorite dairy-free butter stick in it’s place.
Vegetable oil: for tenderizing the cake. You can substitute any neutral oil, such as canola, in place of vegetable oil.
Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake its rise.
Egg: for binding and for moisture. We’ll use 2 eggs and 1 egg white.
Vanilla: for flavor.
Sour cream: adds moisture and makes the cake tender. I recommend full fat sour cream for the best texture.
Whole milk: adds moisture – like above I recommend whole for the best results. However, 2%, 1%, or your favorite non-dairy milk should work just fine.
Dutch process cocoa powder: gives the cake a rich chocolate flavor. I highly highly recommend dutch process because it’s more flavorful – but you can use natural if it’s what you have on hand.
Espresso: we’ll use some freshly brewed espresso to bloom the cocoa which will bring out more flavor in it! You can also sub in hot water or hot coffee.
Cherries: I used and recommend fresh dark sweet cherries.
For the whipped chocolate cherry ganache:
Heavy whipping cream: for thinning out the ganache.
Cherries: we’ll use some cherries here and infuse their flavor into the heavy cream!
Chocolate: chocolate chips, a chocolate baking bar, or chocolate chunks of the milk/semi-sweet/dark variety will work here. I recommend milk chocolate since the heavy cream doesn’t have any sugar, but semi-sweet or dark will work if you like it less sweet and more bitter!
how to make a chocolate cherry marbled loaf cake
Here are some pictures that will hopefully help with the process of making this cherry loaf cake. The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of this blog post!
chocolate cherry loaf cake q&a
what size loaf pan do I need?
I used and recommend a 9×5″ metal loaf pan. If you use all the batter in an 8×4″ loaf it will most likely spill over in the oven (which is NEVER fun to clean!) If all you have is an 8×4″ loaf, you can reserve 1 cup of batter and make cupcakes with it! I don’t recommend using a glass loaf pan since glass doesn’t conduct heat as well, so your loaf will take much longer to bake.
alternative topping options
Steeping the cherries into the cream gives the ganache a subtle cherry flavor along with the chocolate. You can totally skip this step for a regular whipped ganache, or you can choose to not whip the ganache and just pour it over as if it’s a glaze.
Note that the amount of ganache is VERY generous here, so if you’re looking for less on top, you can half the recipe.
You could also top this with a simple chocolate glaze made up of powdered sugar, cocoa powder and milk, or just leave it plain!
can I double this recipe?
Of course! Just double all the ingredients and bake them in two 9×5″ loaf pans.
how to store this cherry loaf cake
Frosted with the cherry ganache, this loaf cake can stay at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you plan on having this loaf for longer, I’d recommend storing it in the fridge for the best food safety practices. If you don’t frost the loaf with the ganache, it will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
a note on oven temperature
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
did you make this chocolate cherry marbled loaf cake?
If you made this chocolate cherry marbled loaf cake I would love to see them and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Chocolate Cherry Marbled Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cherry Marbled Loaf Cake
- 240 g all purpose flour (2 c.)
- 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 100 g unsalted butter room temperature (7 tbsp.)
- 60 g vegetable oil (⅓ c.)
- 250 g granulated sugar (1 ¼ c.)
- 2 eggs + 1 egg white room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 120 g sour cream room temperature (½ c.)
- 120 g whole milk room temperature (½ c.)
- 30 g dutch process cocoa powder (¼ c. + 1 tbsp.)
- 45 g freshly brewed espresso* (1.5 oz.)
- 240 g dark sweet cherries washed and pitted (1 ½ c.)
Cherry Infused Whipped Ganache
- 225 g heavy whipping cream (⅔ c.)
- 160 g dark sweet cherries washed and pitted (1 c.)
- 225 g milk chocolate chips or baking bar (1 ⅓ c.)
Instructions
Chocolate Cherry Marbled Loaf Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter and line an 9×5" metal** loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat together the butter, oil, and sugar for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add in one egg at a time, beating until combined after the two additions.
- Add in the egg white, vanilla, and sour cream and beat until combined.
- Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk. Fold in ½ of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, followed by the rest of the flour mixture.
- Add the cocoa powder to a small mixing bowl, then brew the espresso and immediately pour it into the cocoa powder, mixing until the mixture is smooth. Add 2 cups of the vanilla cake batter to the cocoa mixture, and gently mix the batter together just until no streaks remain.
- To the vanilla cake batter, gently fold in the cherries.
- Alternate scooping in the different batters into the loaf pan. Once all the batter has been used, use a knife to gently swirl the batters together.
- Bake for 50-60 minutse, or until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- While the cake is cooling, make the ganache.
Cherry Infused Whipped Ganache
- Place the chocolate into a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add the washed and pitted cherries to a small saucepan, followed by the heavy cream.
- Place the mixture on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and slightly crushing the cherries, until the mixture starts to simmer.
- Once the mixture is simmering, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes, and up to 20 minutes.
- Once the cherries and cream have rested, put the mixture back on medium heat and once again bring it to a simmer.
- Once simmering, pour the cream through a fine-mesh sieve over the chocolate.
- Mix the hot cream and chocolate together until the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the ganache to the freezer, and stir every 5-10 minutes until it has significantly thickened up.
- Once the ganache has cooled and thickened, use a hand mixer to lightly whip up the mixture until it is fluffy and has lightened in color
- Spread the ganache over the cooled loaf cake, and add on some cherries for garnish. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Paula says
Hello. I am thinking of trying this lovely recipe very soon. Aside from a loaf, if I wanted to make this in 5 or 6″ pans, would I double the recipe or how many layers would a single recipe give me? Thank you.
Erin says
Hello! I have not tested this in a cake pan but you theoretically should be able to get two layers worth of cake using a 5″ or 6″ pan. Just keep note that they will bake much faster – I would probably start checking on them around 20 minutes. Hope this helps!