Cook Loose

I first came across this recipe in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Wednesday food pages a week before I was planning a St. Patrick's Day open house. I had the corned beef, boiled dinner and Irish soda bread all set to go. I needed a dessert and didn't know any "traditional" Irish desserts. There were all kinds of hybrids that took chocolate cake, say, and threw Bailey's into it, but I wanted something that seemed like it might be a REAL Irish dessert. It's the only reason I made this recipe. And I am SO glad I did.

This cake is addictive, delicious and, maybe best of all, a snap to make. You can slice it very thin and feed a gazillion people with it, or go with a normal slice and milk and have a great snack.

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) of butter
• 2 Cups of sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 Cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 16 ounces maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 1/2 Cups raisins, plumped
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a Bundt pan? (I spray it with Baker's Joy?).

Cream the butter with the sugar in your stand mixer on medium until it is creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating the egg and scraping down the inside of the bowl. Add the extract then beat on medium for a minute until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (sift them if you wish), then add to the mixing bowl and mix on low just until it comes together. Add the cherries and raisins and fold into the batter using a rubber spatula.

Scrape the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Yes, 90 minutes. It seems WAY too long. You will think the cake is done at 45 minutes. Let it go. When it is done the top should be dark brown, not burnt, but the inside will be golden. Let it cool completely, then turn the cake out onto a plate.

Slice. Eat. Enjoy. Repeat.

Notes

• You could use 3 1/4 Cups of self-rising flour instead of the flour, salt and baking powder.
• Some would say that buttering a slice of this wonderful cake/bread is sinful. Some would say it is heavenly. You'll need to trust your own moral compass on this one.