Sour Cream Pound Cake with Chocolate Cherry Glaze

This recipe makes 3 loaves, so great for a last minute gift!

For the cake:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
4&1/2 cups cake flour
2&1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 eggs, room temp.
1 T. pure* vanilla
1&1/4 cups sour cream or plain Greek yogurt*
1&1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temp.
2&1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 t. kosher salt

For the chocolate cherry glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 t. corn syrup
3 T. whole milk
1/2 T. pure* vanilla
1/2 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate (61% cacao)
1&1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 T. chopped pistachios, lightly toasted
1/4 cup dried cherries

To make the bread: Prepare three 8&1/2 x 3&1/2" rectangular loaf pans by lightly spraying the interior sides and bottom with cooking spray. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream in the top of a double boiler and whisk to combine. Heat the mixture to 75 degrees over the double boiler while gently whisking constantly. Remove from heat and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, honey and salt. Mix on med. speed until light and fluffy, about 8 mins., scraping the bowl as needed. Add half the sifted flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, about 1 min. Continuing with the mixer on low, slowly stream in half of the egg mixture. Scape down the bowl, add half the of remaining flour mixture, and mix just to combine. Slowly add the remaining egg mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, again mixing just until combined, about 1 min. Evenly divide the batter among the three prepared pans. Bake at 350 until golden brown, 50-55 mins. Place the cakes, still in their pans, on a cooling rack, and allow to cool for 15 mins. Turn the cakes out onto the rack and allow to cool completely. Top with glaze. Allow glaze to set, and serve.

To make the glaze: Place the butter, corn syrup, milk, and vanilla extract in a small pot over med.-low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is fully melted, about 3 mins. Reduce the heat to low, add the chocolate and whisk until combined and creamy, about 1 min. Remove from the heat, add the confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze into a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the glaze. Allow to rest at room temp. for 30 mins. Uncover the glaze, whisk lightly and pour over the pound cakes in a steady, quick stream, moving from one end to the other and back. Sprinkle with pistachios and cherries. Let the glaze set by allowing the cakes to rest at room temp for a least 1 hour before slicing.

"Jesus Himself is the greatest Christmas gift ever given."

Have FUN running around or hanging at home resting up today!!

Love,

MM