Skip To Main ContentMasterClass logo
|Articles
At Work
Log In
Sign Up
Food

Cherry Cake Recipe: Tips for Making a Cherry Cake

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Apr 15, 2022 • 4 min read

Maraschino cherry juice gives this cherry cake a lovely pink hue, making it a strong candidate for a Valentine’s Day celebration.

Learn From the Best

Sign Up

What Is Cherry Cake?

Cherry cake is a baked good featuring cherries. There are many ways to make cherry cake, but each version features cherries in some form: fresh cherries, maraschino cherries, or cherry pie filling. One popular British rendition of cherry cake features pound cake studded with fresh cherries. A more colorful version consists of a frosted layer cake made with white cake batter dyed pink with maraschino cherry juice. For a quick and easy variation, make your cakes with boxed cake mix (vanilla or cherry flavor) from the grocery store, then top the cooled cakes with whipped cream and cherry pie filling.

Serve cherry cake with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream topped with chopped maraschino cherries.

3 Tips for Making Cherry Cake

Chopping your cherries before adding them to the batter (whether they’re candied cherries or fresh pitted cherries) ensures cherry flavor in every bite. Here’s what else to know about making cherry cake from scratch:

  1. 1. Toss the cherries in flour to prevent sinking. When the cake mix-ins are heavier than the actual batter, as is often the case with cherries, they tend to sink to the bottom of the cake during baking. Toss your cherries in flour before adding them to your batter to prevent sinking. The flour coating helps the cherries adhere to the batter, resulting in better cherry distribution throughout the baked cake.
  2. 2. Amp up the cherry flavor. Try adding cherry liqueur or cherry juice to the cake batter for a more pronounced cherry flavor. If you’d like a pink cake, use the syrup leftover from a jar of maraschino cherries; for a colorless flavor boost, try kirsch (cherry brandy).
  3. 3. Cool the cakes before frosting. Cool your freshly baked cake layers on a wire rack before frosting. Frosting cooled cakes will ensure the frosting adheres and doesn’t melt and drip off the dessert. A thin first coating of frosting called a crumb coat will ensure the cleanest look. Learn how to frost cakes and cupcakes properly.

Retro Maraschino Cherry Cake Recipe

email recipe
3 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

1 8-inch layer cake

prep time

1 hr

total time

1 hr 25 min

cook time

25 min

Ingredients

For the cakes:

For the buttercream frosting and assembly:

Note: Total time does not include 10 minutes of inactive time.

Bake the cakes:

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. 2

    Grease 3 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray or butter. Line each pan with a circle of parchment paper.

  3. 3

    In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups of the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set it aside.

  4. 4

    In a small bowl, toss the chopped cherries with the remaining ½ cup of flour and set it aside.

  5. 5

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 5–8 minutes.

  6. 6

    Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and sour cream and beat until thoroughly incorporated.

  7. 7

    Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

  8. 8

    With the mixture on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  9. 9

    When the flour is fully incorporated, mix in the maraschino cherry juice and cherry kirsch.

  10. 10

    Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour-coated chopped cherries and white chocolate chips into the batter, incorporating any leftover flour until no dry spots remain.

  11. 11

    Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula.

  12. 12

    Bake the cakes in the preheated oven, rotating them every 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 25–30 minutes.

  13. 13

    Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting and assemble the cake:

  1. 1

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, salt, and maraschino cherry juice until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

  2. 2

    Using a serrated knife, level the cooled cakes by carefully slicing off any uneven tops.

  3. 3

    Place the first cake layer on a cake stand.

  4. 4

    Using an offset spatula, generously frost the top of the cake, leaving a ½-inch border.

  5. 5

    Top with the second layer and repeat the process.

  6. 6

    Using an offset spatula, lightly frost the top and sides of the layer cake to trap any crumbs. (This is called the crumb coat.)

  7. 7

    Generously frost the top and sides of the cake.

  8. 8

    Fill a piping bag with the remaining frosting and pipe onto the top of the cake for decoration, if desired.

  9. 9

    Decorate the top of the cake with whole maraschino cherries.

  10. 10

    Serve the cake immediately, or place it in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to serve.

Become a better baker with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Joanne Chang, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Chef Thomas Keller, Mashama Bailey, and more.