Pound Cake with Hearts of Cherry Sauce

• Cake:
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar 
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 tablespoons sour cream 
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg yolks, plus 3 egg whites, at room temperature 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Sauce:
• 2 (12 oz.) bags frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice 
• 2 tablespoons black cherry preserves (optional)
• 1/4 cup kirsch or rum (optional) 
• 2 pints vanilla ice cream 

Preparation

1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan. Use a mixer to cream butter and sugar. Beat in almond extract, applesauce and sour cream.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Reduce mixer speed; add flour mixture in 3 parts. Beat in yolks. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining whites. Pour into pan; bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then turn cake out. (Can be made 2 days ahead; wrap in foil and refrigerate.)
3. Make sauce: Mix cherries, sugar, lemon juice and preserves; simmer over mediumlow heat, stirring often, until warmed, about 7 minutes. Drain cherries and return juices to pan. Boil juices until reduced by half, 5 minutes. Return cherries to pan, remove from heat and stir in liquor; cool. (Can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill.)
4. Assemble dessert: Slice cake. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make 16 hearts. Toast Kir Royale Pour 2 teaspoons crème de cassis into each of 8 stem glasses and fill with chilled Champagne or sparkling white wine. Serve cold. Serves 8. PER SERVING: 103 Cal., 0g Fat, 0mg Chol., 0g Fiber, 0g Pro., 4g Carb., 6mg Sod. until lightly browned. Scoop ice cream onto serving plates. Arrange 2 hearts around scoops and add 2 Tbsp. sauce.

All You
FEBRUARY 2008