Phase 1: Preparation

1. 1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Loaf Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two longer sides to act as handles for easy removal.

1. 1. Prepare Cherries and Almonds: If using fresh cherries, pit and roughly chop or halve them. If using frozen cherries, keep them frozen until ready to use. Measure out your almonds.

      • • Tip to prevent sinking: If using fresh or frozen cherries, gently toss them in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the measured all-purpose flour. This helps suspend them in the batter.

1. 1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining all-purpose flour (2 cups minus the 1 tablespoon used for cherries, if applicable), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Phase 2: Mixing the Batter

1. 1. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

1. 1. Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

1. 1. Add Extracts: Beat in the pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract until combined.

1. 1. Alternate Dry and Wet Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, begin adding the dry ingredient mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk (or yogurt/sour cream) in two additions. Start and end with the dry ingredients. (Dry -> Wet -> Dry -> Wet -> Dry). Mix only until each addition is just combined. Do not overmix. Overmixing can lead to a tough bread.

1. 1. Fold in Cherries and Almonds: Gently fold the prepared cherries (flour-coated, if you did that step) and ½ cup of sliced/slivered almonds into the batter using a rubber spatula, until just distributed. Again, be careful not to overmix.

Phase 3: Baking the Bread

1. 1. Transfer Batter to Pan: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and spread the top gently with the spatula.

1. 1. Add Topping: Sprinkle the top of the batter generously with additional sliced almonds. If desired, also sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of coarse sugar for a crunchy, sparkling crust.

1. 1. Bake: Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached (but no wet batter). If the top of the bread starts to brown too quickly before the inside is cooked, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.

1. 1. Cool in Pan: Once baked, remove the loaf pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.

1. 1. Cool Completely on Rack: After 10-15 minutes, carefully invert the bread onto the wire rack, or use the parchment paper handles to lift it out. Remove the parchment paper if used. Let the bread cool completely on the wire rack before slicing. This is important for the texture and to prevent it from crumbling. This can take 2-3 hours.

Phase 4: Optional Glazing

1. 1. Prepare and Drizzle Glaze (Optional): If you desire a glaze, wait until the bread is completely cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk or cream. Add more milk/cream, a tiny bit at a time, until you reach your desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled bread. Let the glaze set before slicing.