Double Chocolate Cake with Cherry Cheesecake Swirl

So, remember the other day when the bundt cake bakers got together to make cherry cakes for April? I had initially thought about combining chocolate and cherries but ended up making a more spring-like lemon cherry cake with a lemon glaze. It was delicious! But I still had chocolate and cherries on the brain. Plus I had a chocolate loaf cake recipe waiting to be tested and a leftover jar of cherry preserves and...the rest was fate. And a sweet tooth. :)

I've made a skinnier version of a chocolate loaf before but this one is totally decadent. Moist chocolate cake and rich chocolate glaze and crunchy chocolate chips sprinkled on top of the glaze and a sweet cherry cheesecake swirl... oh, that swirl! I don't think I've ever tasted this exact flavor combination before and, let me tell you, it is gooooood!

I purposely made the glaze a little runny so that I could pour some over each slice. Also, because the cake is so moist, you should let it cool completely in the pan before carefully turning it out and waiting before you slice into it. In other words, do as I say and not as I did. Or, you could just leave it in the pan, pour the glaze over it and get a big spoon. Did I mention that this cake is really, really good? Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cake:
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Cup sugar
1 Stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Egg
1 Cup buttermilk

Swirl:
8 oz. Cream cheese
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1/4 Cup cherry preserves

Glaze:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons chocolate chips (of your choice)
Dash of salt

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, beat until smooth and add the buttermilk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Make the swirl by combining the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beating until completely smooth. Swirl in the cherry preserves by hand but there's no need to thoroughly combine. The mixture should have a red and white swirl effect.

Butter and flour a loaf pan and pour in half the chocolate batter. Pour the cherry cheese swirl mixture over it and top with the remaining chocolate batter. Using a butter knife, gently swirl the batters together slightly. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and allow to cool completely before turning out of the loaf pan.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by combining the melted butter, milk, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt and confectioners sugar and whisking until completely smooth. If you'd like a thicker glaze, use one less tablespoon of milk. Pour over the top of the cooled cake and top with the chocolate chips. Makes approximately 10 servings.