Buttermilk Cake with Sour Milk Jam and Gin-Poached cherries

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 1 cup cherries dried
• 1 cup crème fraîche 
• 2 large eggs 
• 16 servings fennel bulb (for serving)
• 2 cups flour all-purpose plus more
• 1 cup hendrick's gin 
• 2 teaspoons juniper berries 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 1.3 cups butter unsalted plus more room temperature ()
• 1 cup milk whole

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• blender
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour pan.
2. Whisk baking soda, salt, and 2 cups flour in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour pan.
4. Whisk baking soda, salt, and 2 cups flour in a medium bowl; set aside.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and 1 1/4 cups butter in another medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and scraping down sides of bowl.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low and, with motor running, add dry ingredients in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
8. Bake until cake is golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.
9. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool before turning out.
10. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
11. Bring milk and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar; reduce heat and simmer gently, whisking occasionally, until mixture measures a scant 1/4 cup, 20-25 minutes.
12. Transfer to a small bowl; let cool (it will thicken as it sits).
13. Whisk in crème fraîche, cover, and chill.
14. DO AHEAD: Jam can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
15. Bring cherries, gin, sugar, juniper berries, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat and simmer until liquid is syrupy, 6-8 minutes.
16. Let cool.
17. Spoon a few dollops of jam onto plates. Tear cake into pieces and arrange around jam. Top with cherries and fennel fronds.
18. DO AHEAD: Cherries can be poached 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.