This adaptable cocoa loaf brings together deep chocolate flavor, juicy cherries, and a gentle herbal lift from fresh thyme. Buttermilk keeps the crumb tender, while frozen cherries make the cake easy to bake in any season. Add a spoonful of whipped cream and it becomes a wonderfully simple Black Forest-inspired dessert.
THE RECIPE
Cocoa-Cherry Thyme Cake
Prep25 min
Bake65 min
Total1 hr 50 min
Serves8–10
Ingredients
Instructions
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray, or butter and flour it. Line the bottom and long sides with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy lifting.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until evenly combined.
- Place the sugar in a large bowl and sprinkle the chopped thyme over it. Rub and press the thyme into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and slightly moist.
- Pour in the neutral oil and whisk energetically until blended; the mixture will look slushy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition so the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
- Add the cocoa mixture in three additions and the buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir gently after each addition only until the streaks disappear, then give the finished batter about a dozen brisk strokes to smooth it.
- Fold the frozen cherries into the batter without thawing them. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and level the top.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, checking at 55 minutes. The loaf is ready when the top is set and a tester inserted away from a cherry comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Tent loosely with foil if the surface darkens too quickly.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the short ends, lift out the loaf with the parchment, and cool completely before slicing. Serve plain or with whipped cream, ice cream, or crème fraîche.
Tips and Variations
- Use 1 tablespoon thyme for a delicate herbal note or 2 tablespoons for a more noticeable flavor.
- Do not thaw the frozen cherries. If using fresh or previously thawed fruit, drain and dry it very well before folding it into the batter.
- Raspberries, blueberries, mixed berries, diced mango, or peaches can replace the cherries. Basil or a small amount of minced rosemary can replace the thyme, or the herb may be omitted.
- A tester can look wet after piercing a cherry, so check the loaf in two or three spots before deciding it needs more time.
- Keep the cooled cake tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze individual slices for up to 1 month.
Recipe adapted from the cookbook page supplied by the site owner; directions rewritten with AI assistance. Featured image: AI-generated food photography.