Cranberry Loaf Cake

This Cranberry bread is a recipe of my grandma's, and it's become a tradition for me to make it around the holidays. Her recipes usually require some interpretation, so I'll do my best to make sense of it for you. It uses almond extract (my favorite of all the extracts) and I think that's what makes it so yummy. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/4 pound) butter or margarine

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 pint (1 cup) sour cream

1 tsp. almond extract

1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Sift dry ingredients and set aside. In large mixer bowl, beat softened butter, sugar and eggs until creamy, add almond extract. Add dry ingredients gradually with sour cream. Pour half of the mixture into a well-greased and floured loaf pan or tube pan, add the cranberries over the mixture and add the rest of the batter. Top with nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for about 55 minutes.

Cool. Drizzle top of loaf with a mixture of:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 tbsp. warm water

Notes: I usually mix half the cranberries in with the dough before putting it in the pan, but otherwise follow directions to place the rest of the cranberries in the middle. Also, it usually takes longer than 55 minutes. Test with a toothpick to test doneness.