Holiday Gift Cake

Submitted by Chef #1069986

"I have been making this recipe for 18 years now, and it has become a tradition. Your family and friends will love this loaf as a gift. The cherries make it very festive, the chocolate - decadent, and the walnuts very rich. They can be stored in freezer bags if you want to get a jump on the holidays. Then, just simply take out, thaw, put a red ribbon around it, and you have an instant homemade holiday treat!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 3 loaves
• Serves: 24

ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 cup butter (room temp)
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1⁄4 cups flour
• 2 (10 ounce) jars maraschino cherries (rinsed and drained)
• 1 1⁄2 cups chopped walnuts
• 11 1⁄2 ounces milk chocolate chips

directions

1. Mix all ingredients in one large mixing bowl:.
2. - Combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
3. - Add the sugar, cream well.
4. - Add eggs and vanilla, cream well.
5. - Blend in flour and baking powder, mix until smooth.
6. - Fold in cherries,nuts and chocolate chips.
7. - Spray 3 - 1 lb. tin loaf pans with Pam.
8. - Pour the mixture into 3 - 1lb. tin loaf pans approximately 2/3 full.
9. - Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown.

Reviews

[bjbuttillo]

I followed the recipe exactly as written. I took the cake to a family gathering for Christmas and while it was good it just wasn't great.

 

[stgmngrjan]

Great. I did 4 mini loaves for 35 minutes. I also used frozen sour pie cherries, sprinkled with a bit of sugar after they thawed, instead of maraschinos. Also used semi-sweet mini chips. Jan

 

[chris_tam]

What a winner!!! My husband and I put up our Christmas decorations tonight and I wanted to make a special treat for us so I whipped this up. We were not disappointed. I added pecans instead of walnuts and baked in one mini loaf pan and one regular loaf pan. This will be a tradition in our home around the holidays from now on.