This fresh cherry cake is everything! Fast, easy, moist, and bursting with fresh cherries. You’ll be baking this cherry cake recipe over and over again. Serve it as is or with a scoop of ice cream, and it’ll be the best homemade summer cake you’ll have!
Every summer, when fresh cherries hit the market, I go a little overboard with them. Every summer! Baking a cherry pie, a cherry bread pudding, and this cherry cake from scratch is a must. It’s a soft and juicy cake. So light that I love it with evening tea or morning coffee. It’s flavored with almonds and vanilla, which tastes delicious with cherries (like my cherry almond scones)!
✨ This cherry cake is packed with fresh seasonal cherries that add a pop of juicy, sweet-tart flavor in every bite!
✨ With a soft, light, fluffy crumb, this rustic cherry cake is as comforting as it's beautiful!
✨ Super simple to make, it comes together so quickly. No special ingredients, no complicated steps, just a straightforward, feel-good bake!
✨ It's perfect for any time of the day, great with tea or coffee, snacking, and dessert. Top it with ice cream, whipped cream, or even a dollop of homemade cream cheese and make it extra special!
✨ This cake is a sure-shot crowd-pleaser! Bring it for potlucks, picnics, or serve it for brunch, everyone will love this cherry cake!
Reader Love ❤️
This recipe is an all rounder! I loved it ♡ I doubled the ingredients to fit a 18cm cake pan. Super easy to follow I topped it up with some sugar sprinkled at the top, to give it extra crunchiness. I also serve it with whipped cream Thanks heaps for sharing
This was phenomenal! We made it in a 6in pan and it was the perfect size for our small family
Recipe Ingredients
Cherries are the star of the show, and fresh cherries are preferable.
Flour: I use all-purpose flour and almond flour for a delicate nutty flavor.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works well. But you can use cane or raw sugar too.
Egg helps bind the cake and gives it structure.
Yogurt: Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt is the best. It makes the fresh cherry crumb incredibly moist. Don’t have it? Use homemade yogurt. Just drain it really, really well.
Oil: I use coconut oil. You can use any neutral oil or even melted butter.
Flavorings: Just a little almond extract takes this cherry cake to a whole new level. Vanilla extract gives a bakery-style touch.Store-bought is fine, or you can try my homemade vanilla extract.
Please see the recipe card for full information about ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
Frozen cherries: You can make this cherry cake recipe with frozen cherries. Thaw and drain them first.
Almond meal: Instead of almond flour, you can use almond meal like I did in my plum and apricot cake.
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: In another bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mix well, but gently. This is a thick batter. Toss the pitted and halved cherries in a bit of flour. Fold the flour-coated cherries into the cake batter.
Step 4: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Top with cherry halves and almond flakes. Bake for 40 -45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before turning it out on a cooling rack.
Step 6: Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, and serve!
Pro Tips
Toss the cherries in a couple of teaspoons of flour before you fold them into the batter. This prevents them from sinking to the base. You can use this technique with any fresh fruit or chocolate chips.
I used a 6-inch pan and got a tall cake. If you use a bigger size pan - 7" or 8", the cake will be flatter.
Grease the cake pan well and line the bottom with parchment paper. This will help the cake come out neatly and will keep the crust intact!
Please don't overmix the batter. Mix just enough that the ingredients are combined well. This ensures a soft and tender crumb.
Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing. This cake is so soft, it can crumble easily if sliced when warm!
You can use almond meal instead of almond flour. To make almond meal at home, grind almonds in your food processor until you get coarse crumbs. You can also blanch, peel, and dry the almonds well before grinding them.
How To Serve the Fresh Cherry Cake
This cherry cake with fresh cherries is perfect on its own. You don’t need to pretty it up. It’s the ideal fresh cherry coffee cake for brunches, lazy weekends, or afternoon tea.
You can, of course, dust it with powdered sugar or serve it slightly warm with whipped cream or vanilla, or coffee ice cream.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen cherries instead of fresh ones?
Yes, just make sure to thaw and drain them well before adding them to the batter to avoid excess moisture.
How do I stop the cherries from sinking into the cake batter?
Toss your halved cherries in a little flour before folding them into the batter. This helps suspend them evenly throughout the cake.
How long does cherry cake stay fresh?
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, your moist cherry cake will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others.That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this fresh cherry cake as much as we do!
The fresh cherry cake, bursting with the sweetest, juiciest ruby-red cherries and lightly dusted with powdered sugar, is a true, true crowd-pleaser. And it's so easy to bake!
1cupCherries, pitted and halvedTossed in 2 tsp of flour
Cherry halves, almond flakes - for toppingOptional
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180C or 350 F. Grease a 6" pan well. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and lightly grease that too.
In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 cup All-purpose flour, ¼ cup Almond flour, ½ cup Sugar, 1 tsp Baking powder, ¼ tsp Baking soda, ¼ tsp Salt
In another bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract.1 Egg, ½ cup Greek yogurt, plain, ¼ cup Coconut oil, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, ½ tsp Almond extract
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mix well, but gently. This is a thick batter.
Fold in the flour-coated cherries.1 cup Cherries, pitted and halved, 2 tsp flour
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Top with a few cherry halves and almond flakes - this is optional.Bake at 180 c or 350 f for 40 -45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before turning it out on a cooling rack.
Allow the cake to cool completely. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Toss the cherries in a couple of teaspoons of flour before you fold them into the batter. This prevents them from sinking to the base. You can use this technique with any fresh fruit or chocolate chips.
I used a 6-inch pan and got a tall cake. If you use a bigger size pan - 7" or 8", the cake will be flatter.
Grease the cake pan well and line the bottom with parchment paper. This will help the cake come out neatly and will keep the crust intact!
Please don't overmix the batter. Mix just enough that the ingredients are combined well. This ensures a soft and tender crumb.
Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing. This cake is so soft, it can crumble easily if sliced when warm!
You can use almond meal instead of almond flour. To make almond meal at home, grind almonds in your food processor until you get coarse crumbs. You can also blanch, peel, and dry the almonds well before grinding them.
Your fresh cherry cake sounds absolutely heavenly! I love how you highlight the vibrant, juicy cherries and the fluffy texture—it's the perfect summer dessert. The simplicity of the recipe is a huge bonus, making it accessible for all bakers. Thank you for sharing this delightful treat; I can't wait to bake it and share it with family and friends!
The cake was amazing! Really enjoyed it, so much so that I’ve made two and making another two. Served it with home made cherry ice cream with cherries from my daughter’s cherry orchard.
Hi Carol, thank you for your interest in this recipe. I've updated the recipe card to include the metric measurements. Hope the cake turns out well for you. I'd love to hear your feedback. Happy baking and have a wonderful new week!
This recipe is an all rounder! I loved it ♡ I doubled the ingredients to fit a 18cm cake pan.
Super easy to follow
I topped it up with some sugar sprinkled at the top, to give it extra crunchiness. I also serve it with whipped cream
Thanks heaps for sharing
☆☆☆☆☆
Unique places in the World says
Your fresh cherry cake sounds absolutely heavenly! I love how you highlight the vibrant, juicy cherries and the fluffy texture—it's the perfect summer dessert. The simplicity of the recipe is a huge bonus, making it accessible for all bakers. Thank you for sharing this delightful treat; I can't wait to bake it and share it with family and friends!
Carol says
Hi Natasha, thank you so much for taking the time to do the conversion. I’ve made the cake now and it’s cooling, can’t wait to taste a slice!
Natasha Minocha says
You are most welcome Carol! I hope the cake turned out well for you. 🙂
Carol says
The cake was amazing! Really enjoyed it, so much so that I’ve made two and making another two. Served it with home made cherry ice cream with cherries from my daughter’s cherry orchard.
Natasha Minocha says
Oh how wonderful Carol!Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and for following along.Love that your daughter has a cherry orchard, lucky you! xx
Carol says
This recipe looks amazing and I want to try it. Do you have the measurements in grams instead of cups please?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Carol, thank you for your interest in this recipe. I've updated the recipe card to include the metric measurements. Hope the cake turns out well for you. I'd love to hear your feedback. Happy baking and have a wonderful new week!
Carol says
Thanks for the metric measurements! This is my go to cherry cake recipe, I’ve made it several times and it’s just delicious!
Natasha Minocha says
So so happy to hear this Carol! This is one of my favorite cakes too. Thank you for your kind words, you made my day!
Cindy says
This recipe is an all rounder! I loved it ♡ I doubled the ingredients to fit a 18cm cake pan.
Super easy to follow
I topped it up with some sugar sprinkled at the top, to give it extra crunchiness. I also serve it with whipped cream
Thanks heaps for sharing
☆☆☆☆☆
Natasha Minocha says
So so happy to hear this Cindy! Thank you very much for your feedback and support. Really appreciate you.
S White says
This was phenomenal! We made it in a 6in pan and it was the perfect size for our small family.
Natasha Minocha says
I'm thrilled to hear that!! Thank you for trying the recipe and for your lovely feedback! xx
Vineeta says
Absolutely amazing ......the cake was moist and decadent......thanks for the recipe...
Natasha Minocha says
Oh, thank you, Vineeta for your fabulous comment. You made my day! 🙂