This Sweet Cherry Almond Cake recipe is tender and packed full of jammy, plump sweet cherries. It’s an easy single layer cake recipe to pull together and with a hint of almond, vanilla and lemon, it’s full of flavor. Use the freshest summer fruit in this cake and in other summer favorites like Blueberry Cornmeal Crisp and Carrot Cake with Pineapple. This recipe is vegetarian and easily dairy free. [ watch recipe VIDEO on recipe card ]
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “So yummy! Made it twice in 7 days for colleagues, friends and family, and everyone loved it. Will have to try it with other fruit variations. Thank you for a wonderful recipe and step by step, easy to follow instructions.” ~ Nikolina
A Little Fresh Cherry Cake Backstory
This easy cherry cake recipe is a loosely adapted version of Marian Burros’s famous Plum Torte recipe originally printed in 1983 in the New York Times. I tried it for the first time years ago while I was practicing at home during pastry school, and its become a beloved late summer cake easily adaptable to just about any juicy fruit. My favorite, turns out, is fresh sweet cherry.
An ultra tender, delicate, moist and light crumb, with just the right balance of sweet, this homemade cherry almond cake recipe is easy to pull together and freezer friendly, least you attempt to eat it all in one setting (seriously).
The cherries turn into soft, jammy goodness and the crumb is the most tender of crumbs with a nice texture thanks in part to almond flour. A sprinkle of sugar on the batter pre-bake turns into a thin layer of crackly crust. My heart is all a flutter!
If you love homemade cake recipes, you’ll enjoy this simple cherry cake.
About the Key Ingredients
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour – for a light and tender crumb, I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic All Purpose Flour.
- Almond Flour – adds flavor and texture. Be sure to use super-fine almond flour in this recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill.
- Cane Sugar – cane sugar has a larger grain size than granulated sugar and is less refined.
- Unsalted Butter or Melted Coconut Oil – either can be used here. For the butter, you’ll use a stand mixer for mixing the batter. With coconut oil, since you’ll melt it first, you can mix with a bowl and spoon.
- Fresh Sweet Cherries – I use Bing cherries for this cake. They’re sweet and have a beautiful bright cherry color.
- Fresh Lemon – you need zest and juice for this cake. It brightens the flavors of the cake and offers a hint of lemony flavor.
At a Glance: How to Make Cherry Cake
After pitting the cherries, mixing this cake is super simple. You’ll need a mixer for the butter version. If using the dairy free (coconut oil) version, a whisk and strong arm will do.
- First, pit the cherries and slice most into 1/4 pieces, some 1/2 pieces.
- Second, using a mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If using coconut oil, simply melt the oil and pour it into a mixing bowl with the sugar and whisk vigorously for about one minute.
- Third, mix in the eggs, extracts, lemon zest and juice. The batter will look broken. Press on!
- Next, sift in the almond and AP flour, salt and baking powder and mix until just incorporated. The batter will be very thick.
- Last, fold in the quartered cherries. Scrape the batter into a prepared cake pan. Place the halved cherries on top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake!
This cherry almond-flavored cake will need to cool completely before sharing. Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Variations on Sweet Cherry Almond Cake
This cherry cake recipe can be made with other juicy summer fruits as well. I’ve made plum, strawberry and this cherry cake. I’m thinking peach or apricot would be fun to play with too.
The bake time will be longer however, if using juicier fruit. Deb at Smitten Kitchen shares the original plum torte recipe. Worth a look if you plan on making it.
Traci’s Tips
- Freezer friendly? Yes please! Once the cake is completely cool, wrap it snugly in plastic wrap, or storage container and freeze for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature.
- This fresh cherry cake is delicious shared warm with a bit of ice cream. Gently rewarm in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
*Update* May 2022
This cake has received glowing five star reviews here and on social media, but also, several makers reported the cake soggy or under done. I’ve remade the recipe (multiple times), baking it right at 38 minutes. The results have been as expected. Here are a few additional tips to help ensure success.
- Super Fine Almond Flour is a must – I use Bob’s Red Mill. This has a different texture than almond meal or natural almond flour and will impact the cake’s outcome if not used.
- Use Cane Sugar (as called for in the recipe) rather than granulated sugar as it has a larger grain size than granulated. Most online forums say there’s no difference in using either or, but my bakery experience has proven otherwise. You can see the difference it makes in cookies on my blog post (cane sugar) and recipe video (granulated sugar) for these Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies.
- Use firm, fresh cherries. Older fruit tends to be softer and juicier.
- Employ an oven thermometer. New and old ovens alike vary in calibration. An oven thermometer will allow you to know the exact internal temperature of your oven, and you can adjust as necessary. It’s an essential tool in every baker’s kitchen.
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients. It’s more accurate than volume measurements, which is why professional bakers weigh their ingredients.
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- Use the toothpick test to see if your cake is done. When a toothpick is inserted in the cake, it should come out with very few crumbs, if any on it. You may have to poke around to avoid poking into a cherry.
- Keep the oven door closed until the last minutes of baking to do the toothpick test.
- Allow your cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Once out of the pan, allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature before removing the bottom part of the spring form pan and/or cutting into into the cake. Cooling is an important part of crumb development in baked goods (it even has a name, carryover).
Sweet Cherry Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (300 grams) Sweet Cherries I use Bing
- 1/2 Cup (113 grams) Unsalted Butter room temperature or 1/2 Cup unrefined melted coconut oil + more for greasing the pan
- 3/4 Cup (165 grams) Organic Cane Sugar + 1.5 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
- Lemon Zest from one lemon
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice about 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract optional
- 2 Whole Eggs large, at room temperature
- 3/4 Cup (110 grams) All Purpose Flour unbleached
- 1/4 Cup (30 grams) Super Fine Almond Flour I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
Prepare:
- Using unsalted butter or coconut oil, grease an 8" spring form pan (20 centimeter) non stick, or cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment. grease the parchment. Set aside.
Pit and Slice the Cherries:
- Pit the cherries (this is the Cherry Pitter I use). Cut about a hand full in halves about 1/4 cup), set aside. Cut the remaining in quarters. The halves will be used to dot the top of the cake with so keep those separate. The quarters will be folded into the cake. Set aside.
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius). Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven.
- If Using Butter: In the bowl of a Stand Mixer add the room temperature butter and sugar. Set a timer for 5 minutes and using the paddle attachment (or handheld beaters), beat on medium (speed 4 if using a KitchenAid) for five minutes. The mixture will be light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. If Using Coconut Oil: In a large mixing bowl, add the melted coconut oil (it should be warm to touch) and sugar. Using a whisk, beat the mixture until the sugar is smooth and the ingredients come together, about 1-2 minutes. (You can use a stand mixer or handheld beaters here if you like). Scrape down the bowl.
- To the sugar/fat mixture, add the lemon zest and juice, and extracts. Add eggs, one at a time, and whisk for about 10-15 seconds each or until each egg is broken up. The mixture will look broken at this point. Scrape down the bowl, all the way to the bottom. Into the mixing bowl, sift in the flours, baking powder and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined and no more dry flour is visible. The batter will be thick. Fold the quartered cherries into the batter.
- Scrape the batter into the pan, pressing it in and evenly smooth the top using an Offset Spatula. Arrange the halved cherries on top of the cake, cut side facing up or down (no need to press them in - just set them on top - the cake will bake up and around them). Sprinkle the top of the cake with 1 1/2 tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top is golden and springs back when gentle pressure is applied. Cool for 20 minutes. Use a paring knife to ease the cake away from the pan around the circumference of the pan, then remove the cake from the pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Share simply or top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. Store at room temperature, covered for up to three days. Reheat in a 325 Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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This was super easy and super delicious. Your updates were spot on to create a tasty cake that was not too soggy. Cherries are peak right now where I live; therefore, I cut the amount of cane sugar in half and we did not miss it at all. I also used 1/4 cup of coconut oil (I feel the coconut flavor can overpower a dish) and 1/4 cup of avocado oil and it turned out great. I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
Hooray! Thank you for your note, Tina and sharing your tips. So glad you’re enjoying the cake!
I’ve made this twice now-the first time with the sugar amount listed and it was just too sweet for us…plus the added sugar on top.
After reading another review I reduced the sugar to 2/3rds cup and 1 TBS sprinkled on top-it was perfect. It really lets the sweet cherries shine. I also made it gluten free using Bobs 1-1. Loved it and will make it again
This is a wonderful recipe. The finished cake was light and delicious, and not too sweet. I used a Meyer lemon and made it gluten-free using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 instead of the all-purpose flour. My only disappointment is that our guests loved it so much that they took a big chunk home, leaving less for me to have with my coffee. I can’t wait to try it again with plums or apricots!
Hi Lauren! Thank you for your note and Sharing your GF tip! Sooo glad it worked for you and everyone enjoyed the cake. Sounds like it’s time to make another one 😉
I made this recipe, as written, for the first time Spring/Summer 2023 and it was amazing. I later made it with blueberries and it was just as delicious. I am often asked to make this by family and friends. It has become one of my signature bakes. Thank you!
Hiii Jackie! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go… yes to blueberries!! I love this has become one of your signature bakes – can you hear me clapping? 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I made this today and it is delicious! I used whole almonds to make the almond flour and I used canned tart cherries. I didn’t sprinkle the sugar on top, as it didn’t need it. I don’t like really sweet desserts. This is a keeper!
Thank you for your note, D and sharing your tips!
I’m not sure why so many folks had issues with this recipe. I only supervised while my 7 yr old daughter made this cake using a hand mixer. We didn’t have a lemon so she used a lime, otherwise followed recipe and her cake came out moist, absolutely not soggy. Subtle citrus flavor and chunks of cherry. Not too sweet. It’s great with a cup of coffee. Thank you for the recipe!
I didn’t give myself enough time to make this before I went out to a show and had to entrust it to my air fryer on a 35 minute timer and otherwise unsupervised. When I came back three hours later it was a little darker than your photograph but otherwise turned out beautifully and was enjoyed by all.
I made a few adaptions to the recipe to experiment.. I went with just canola oil and half plain flour half almond meal about (75gm each).
I was worried at first as the mix was runnier than expected, however the cake was beautiful!
I also just used morello cherries because I wanted that flavour, I drained them and patted them with paper towel.
I’d like to try it with only almond meal !
Hi Lara! Thank you for you note, giving the cake a go and sharing your adaptation and tips with us! The morello cherries sound delightful!
I made the cake the other day and it was good. The lemon flavor was stronger than I had anticipated, but not too strong. I am not going to leave a rating because my cherries didn’t have the best flavor. I think the cake would be very good using blueberries as opposed to cherries.
I didn’t have a round 8″ pan, so I used an 8×8 pan. I didn’t have any almond flour, so I used all plain flour and added a bit more almond extract.
I can come up with 2 reasons why some people’s cake came out soggy or under cooked. I cooked mine for a total of 37 minutes. I checked it at 30 minutes and my cake tester came out clean. The top was starting to brown, but it was still white around the edges. I knew it wasn’t done. At 37 minutes the cake was starting to pull away from the paper. The second reason is the flour measurement. From your weight, I know that you used the dip and sweep method. If someone doesn’t have a scale and uses sifted or lightly spooned method, there won’t be enough flour in the cake. You may wish to add a couple more tips. Watch for the cake to pull away from the pan and to use the dip and sweep method for measuring the flour.
This is a wonderful cake. Moist and flavorful. I left it in the pan to cool and forgot to remove it after 20 minutes. A little soggy but still very edible. I’ll be making this whenever i have fresh cherries.
Hi Diane! thank you for your note and recipe rating. Hooray for a tasty cake!
Great recipe! I used frozen cherries for this. I just thawed them and drained off excess juice. I also baked for 38 minutes and it was perfectly done. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Joy! Hooray! Thank you for giving the recipe a go and sharing your tips! SO happy to hear!
I made this cake with jar cherries. As they were small I put them in as is and pressed some into the top as well. The cake texture was next level. The jar cherries were tart and beautiful in the cake.
Hi Justine! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the cake! Thank you for your note. Can you tell us what jarred cherries you used? Did you rinse them first?
I used Woolworths home brand pitted morello cherries. Drain them really well. No rinsing.
This was great. I made 1 1/2 times the recipe and cooked it in a very large springform pan. Also I didn’t chop the cherries (I was kinda sick of them after the pitting). I threw them all into the mix whole. The cake is about 2 inches high and perfect consistency. Really delicious.
Hi Jax! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! Everything good about a larger cake – I’m curious about how long you baked the larger cake for? So happy to hear you’re enjoying this summer cake!
I wish I’d heeded the warning that the cake often turns out wet and soggy! This happened to me too. The flavor is nice, but the texture of the cake is off. Not quite sure exactly what went wrong. The batter was not as wet as a typical cake batter (meaning, it was a little thicker than I thought it would be) and the cherries weren’t overly ripe and dipping (rather, they were “dry”). Still, it didn’t quite turn out. I think the ratios are off. The outer ring cooked and pulled away from the sides (light golden brown on the top) and the inner part is only partially baked. Overall, we can still eat it but I won’t make this again and can’t recommend it.
Hi Jenn… Oh goodness. I’m so sorry to hear this. I’m not sure why some makers’ cakes are turning out and others aren’t. I’m curious if an oven thermometer was employed? The cake batter is thicker in this recipe due to the moisture content of the cherries. Thank you for sharing your experience with me.
soggy cake, disappointing
Hi Meg! I’m so sorry to hear the cake didn’t work for you. With many five star reviews here and on social, I’m not sure what went wrong. Were there any ingredients substitutions? I’m curious if an oven thermometer was employed?
I made this gluten free for a friend who is intolerant to wheat and it worked out quiet well.
I replaced wheat flour with GF plain flour. I used less sugar down to 120grams but will use even less next time as the fruit I was using was quiet sweet. I really liked the sugar crust on top.
I was a bit heavy handed w the fruit which made my cake a bit soft on the bottom.
This is a great recipe and was super easy to follow! Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Anna! SO happy to hear the recipe worked out using GF ingredients! Thank you for sharing your tips.
How might I prepare dried cherries to add to the batter; I don’t have access to fresh or frozen cherries.
Hi Marie! Thank you for your note. For dried cherries, soak them in hot steaming water for about 15 minutes to rehydrate them. Drain and pat dry. You may want to chop them a bit before folding them into the batter. I hope this helps! Please let us know how the cake turns out!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I used cocktail cherries (Bada Bing cherries from Stonewall Kitchen) and since they are sweetened, I reduced the sugar in the cake by 2 Tbsp and also skipped the sugar topping. The level of sweetness was perfect for me and my family (we like sweet but not super sweet). The cake was buttery with a lovely almond flavor. Delicious!
Hi Amy! Thank you for your note and tip about the cocktail cherries – that sounds wonderful! So happy to hear you enjoyed the cake :D
OMG, this is the best recipe! I had to buy a whole bag of fresh sweet cherries to make a cherry smash bourbon cocktail–my new hobby in The Time of Covid–but who can drink that much alcohol before the cherries (and your liver) go bad? Then I found your recipe! Instead of making it in a cake pan, I put it in individual lined muffin cups so I’d be able to keep myself from eating the whole thing in one setting. I doubled the recipe, sprayed the muffin tins and then the paper muffin liners with coconut oil baking spray to ensure they came out without crumbling. It made 18 jumbo muffins that look like they’re the same thickness as the cake version; baked for 30 minutes. I’ll freeze them and pull out one at a time for breakfast to enjoy with my pour-through coffee. I can’t wait for morning!
OMGee Lane? Cherry Smash?! Thank you for sharing your tips and detailed notes about individual lined muffin cups (and this totally makes sense with this cake)! What a treat with your morning coffee!
So yummy! Made it twice in 7 days for colleagues, friends and family, and everyone loved it. Will have to try it with other fruit variations. Thank you for a wonderful recipe and step by step, easy to follow instructions.
Hi Nikolina! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! SO happy to hear everyone’s enjoying it… Hooray!
I made this cake for my brother-in-law’s birthday, it was easy and it was a huge hit! My brother-in-law saved the last piece for himself and decided not to share it the next day. This cake took longer to bake for me, it’s possible I had more cherries than the recipe needed. It was delicious and I will definitely make this again. 😊
I have made this cake five times in the last couple of weeks. Friends and family have all raved about it. It’s a simple cake to make with a moist crumb texture. I have made both the cherry version and a fresh peach version. Personally love the peach. It’s as suitable to eat for breakfast as after dinner! This cake is going into the “forever” dessert rotation in our house! ❤️
Just made this tonight! So easy to follow and came out beautifully! We are a dairy-free house so I served it with a vegan chocolate sauce (vegan dark chocolate chips melted in 2Tbsp hot almond milk) drizzled on top of each slice. Perfect and not too sweet! Thanks for the recipe
Oh myyyy that chocolate drizzle, Hannah – what a delicious addition! Thank you for your tip. SO happy to hear you enjoyed the cake :D !
Oh blimey, even as an experienced cook who can improvise, I have no idea what happened but followed this recipe accurately (maybe a few more cherries, and just over on the ground almonds). Total disaster. I didn’t feel right about the lemon juice and didn’t feel that there was enough flour to maintain integrity of the sponge but trusted the recipe. I suspect my cherries were too juicy! More like a sponge topped fruit pie! 😆
Hi Clare! I’m so sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you. Other makers that have left notes here and on social haven’t experienced trouble, so I’m not sure what went wrong.
Delicious – love the simplicity of this cake! I used granulated sugar in the cake but used turbinado sugar for the top of the cake and that is the only change I made. I would serve it with whipped cream for company but my husband and I love it as is with coffee or after the evening meal. I don’t always have heavy cream on hand!
Hi Debbie! Thank you for your note and five star review! So happy you and your husband enjoyed the cake. Agreed about heavy cream. I hardly ever have it on hand, but I do have ice cream! :D Thank you for your tip about turbinado on top! I bet it had a really nice crunch!
I love it! I’ve made it 4 times since you posted this recipe! The last time I added a little more almond flour and less regular flour… I’ll keep trying to see what is the maximum almond flour ratio I can do… I’ll let you know the results.
In fact its a very Vanilla and Bean weekend, with Sweet Cherry cake, Chewy peanut butter granola bars – a special request from my son, and the crunchy Thai peanut noodle salad as a beach picnic item!
Hiii Alexandra! Oh my gosh, you’ve made my day! FOUR times!? I can’t wait to hear how far you push that almond flour… Please do let us know what you find. Hooray for a beach weekend! I love those granola bars – I’m working on a NO bake variety because it’s so hot out. That salad is so good for picnicking! Y’all have fun… it sounds like a blast! Thank you again, Alexandra!
I made this cake and it was a huge hit with my family. It is light, moist and not to sweet wonderful with a cup of coffee midday or for dessert. This is going into my regular rotation!
Hiii Kimbra! Thank you for leaving a note and your five star rating! SO happy to hear y’all enjoyed this scrumptious cake! And YES to regular rotation!
Hi Traci,
Apples/pears are in season in my part of the world (winter fruits). Would you suggest I cook the apples before adding or just chop them and add? Will definitely try with cherries also once we are in summer and I can buy them fresh (not imported!)
Also love that I can use coconut oil to make it quicker and easier!!
Thank you,
Hi Verna! I’ve not made this with apples, only soft summer fruits. If I were making this with apples, I’d slice them thin and slightly fan them out… omit the lemon zest and add a bit of cinnamon to that sugar sprinkle on top (nutmeg too!). If you give it a go, lease let us know how it turns out for you! I can’t wait for apple season!
Oh, I didn’t mention the interior apples! Yes, I’d chop them small.
Hi Traci! Can we use frozen cherries? Please say yes because I want to make this now and I only have frozen :) Thank you!!
I don’t see why not! Hope you enjoy Carrie!
So delicious. Made this and my only substution was little less sugar 2/3 cup
Definitely will make agai
Hi Rita! Thank you for your note, five star rating and tip on the sugar! So happy to hear!
What do I replace eggs with for vegan….flax eggs, applesauce, banana. What do you think would work best for this particular cake? Dying to make it!!
Hi Bridget! While I’ve not tested this recipe with any of the three of the egg replacers you mentioned, the one that gets my vote would be applesauce. I’ve had little success with flax eggs (perhaps I’m expecting too much?). Please let us know how it works out for you!
Thanks Traci, i’ll try the applesauce for sure. Much thanks for your prompt response.
Cherry and almond are such a great flavor combo! I’m intrigued with your changes to the original recipe, especially subbing in the almond flour. I did make this with the plums a couple years ago and it just didn’t wow me and I was bummed after all of the rave reviews. We’ve got lots of local peaches coming in here now so I’m tempted to try it with those. This is by far my favorite time to bake with all of the fresh fruit around. Glad the heat wave is set to break a bit next week. I’ll be spending tomorrow in my friend’s pool only getting out to eat some of your quinoa tabouli that I’m bringing. Kudos to you for honing your sushi skills! Enjoy all of your weekend plans!
Isn’t it such a great time to bake, despite the heat? Exactly, Jean.. and reason for my subs. Almond flour with a hint of almond extract elevate any fruity cake IMHO. I forgot to mention, I added lemon zest too! Hooray for poolside with tabouli! Y’all stay cool and enjoy!