Holiday Gift Cakes

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 1 cup butter softened
• 2.3 cups cake flour divided sifted
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 4  eggs 
• 8 oz maraschino cherries drained chopped well
• 1 halves maraschino cherry and pecan green red
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• 1 cup pecans divided finely chopped
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 1.5 cups sugar 
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Equipment

• oven
• loaf pan
• toothpicks

Directions

1. Thoroughly blend cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift together 2 cups flour and baking powder. Gradually add sifted flour mixture to batter. Dredge cherries and 1/2 cup pecans with remaining 1/4 cup flour; fold into batter. Grease 4 (3"x5 1/2") loaf pans; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans.
3. Pour batter into pans.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick tests clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk.
5. Add more milk, if needed, for drizzling consistency.
6. Drizzle glaze over top and sides of cake.
7. Garnish with cherry and pecan halves, as desired.