A light, fluffy cherry cake recipe made with yogurt and separated eggs for an incredibly tender crumb, loaded with tart sour cherries, and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Ready in about an hour with jarred or fresh cherries.
If you love fruit cakes for breakfast or brunch, my Cherry Almond Focaccia is another sour cherry recipe worth trying - and for a showstopper summer dessert, the Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake is one of my favorites.
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This is one of my most personal recipes on the site. My great-aunt Mariska was Hungarian and quite a baker. Every summer she made this cake when cherries were in season - always in a 9x13 pan, always sliced into neat squares, always served with coffee. The jarred sour cherries I use are actually imported from Hungary. When I open a jar, the smell takes me right back to her kitchen.
The technique here is a little more involved than a one-bowl cake - you separate the eggs and beat the whites to soft peaks before folding them in. That step is what makes the crumb so extraordinarily light. It is the same principle behind Italian pan di Spagna, and it is completely worth the extra bowl.
Why you'll love this cherry cake recipe from scratch:
- Easy to make: Made with simple pantry ingredients and sour cherries. If you're a beginner baker, you should try this out. You could use fresh or jarred cherries.
- Super fluffy cake: The combination of fluffy egg whites and creamy egg yolks creates a light and airy texture.
- Not overly sweet: A really great cake to enjoy for breakfast or a lazy Sunday brunch.
- Lots of cherries: You could use sweet or sour cherries. I used jarred sour cherries, and they are so lovely in this cake!
Ingredient Notes
Here is all you need to make this really simple cherry cake recipe. Full printable recipe is below:
- All-purpose flour: used as the main dry ingredient in the cake batter, providing structure and texture.
- Eggs: provide moisture and act as a binding agent for the other ingredients.
- Granulated sugar: adds sweetness to the cake and helps with browning and texture.
- Oil or unsalted butter: adds richness and flavor to the cake, as well as helping with moisture.
- Yogurt: adds moisture and tanginess to the cake, also helps with tenderness and texture.
- Vanilla extract: adds flavor and aroma to the cake.
- Baking powder: a leavening agent that helps the cake rise.
- Sea salt: enhances flavors in the cake batter.
- Milk: adds additional moisture and helps thin out the batter if needed.
- Cherries: adds flavor, texture and a pop of color to the cake. Can be substituted with other fruits.
- Confectioner's sugar: used for dusting on top of the finished cake for added sweetness and decoration.
How to make a cherry cake?
Here are the steps to make this easy cake recipe. Full printable recipe is below.
- Prep your baking pan: As soon as you gather all the ingredients to start the cake, prep your pan.
- Heat oven: Preheat oven to 350 F. If you're using butter, melt the butter and set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest; set aside.
- Beat egg whites: In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer, in a medium sized mixing bowl) beat the egg whites until white and form soft peaks.
- Beat egg yolks: In a clean mixing bowl, add the sugar and beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
- Add in dry ingredients: On medium speed, mix in about ½ cup of the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture; beat about one minute. Beat in another ½ cup of the flour mixture.
- Add in oil (or butter): Slowly add in the oil; beat until combined (about 1 more minute). Stop the mixture to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula when needed.
- Add in the yogurt: On medium speed, mix in ½ of the yogurt and the vanilla followed by another ½ cup of the flour mixture until combined (about 1 minute), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the rest of the yogurt followed by the rest of the flour mixture. If the batter feels too dense and thick, start to mix in some of the milk. I had some sourdough discard on hand and I added a little bit in (that's totally optional).
- Stir in about ⅓ of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. With a mixing spoon or spatula the batter from the bottom of the bowl over the egg whites and keep turning the bowl around until it is all folded together.
- Gently fold in the cherries. Reserve some to place on the top of the cake batter.
- Spoon out batter into the prepped cake pan and even out the top of the batter with your spatula; tap pan carefully on your counter to level out the batter.
- Bake the cake. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the cake is golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent the cake with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
- Let cake cool and then remove the bottom of the pan and place on your serving plate. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Expert tips
- I prefer to use jarred sour cherries for making this cherry cake recipe. If you have fresh cherries on hand and do not mind pitting them, go ahead and use them.
- The jarred cherries need to be drained.
- The cake would be made with seasonal blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, or peaches.
- Be sure to properly grease and flour your cake pan to prevent sticking. Or if you have baking spray on hand, use that to prep your baking pan.
- Use room temperature eggs for best results.
- Make sure to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, but not too stiff.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl periodically to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- If you have vanilla paste on hand, go ahead and use that instead of the vanilla extract.
Variations
- Different fruit: Blueberries, sliced peaches, plums, or rhubarb all work beautifully in place of or alongside the cherries. Use the same quantity.
- Add chocolate chips or chopped nuts: Semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped walnuts folded into the batter add richness and crunch.
- Orange or lime zest: Swap the lemon zest for orange zest for a warmer, sweeter citrus note that pairs especially well with cherries.
- Almond topping: Scatter sliced almonds over the top of the batter before baking. They toast beautifully and add a delicate crunch.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend (Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur both work well) in place of the all-purpose flour.
Dairy-free: Use coconut yogurt or a thick plant-based yogurt in place of the whole milk yogurt, and use oil rather than butter. The cake bakes up beautifully
How to Serve Cherry Cake
This cake needs no dressing up - it is wonderful warm from the oven with just a dusting of powdered sugar. But here are a few ways to take it a little further:
- Warm with vanilla ice cream - the contrast of warm cake and cold ice cream is hard to beat
- With a dollop of whipped cream - especially nice when served as dessert
- A spoonful of vanilla yogurt on top - keeps it feeling like breakfast
- Sliced into squares for a coffee spread - exactly the way Aunt Mariska served it
- With fresh berries alongside - strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries all complement the cherries well
How to Store Cherry Cake
This cake is best the day it is baked, but it holds up well for several days.
- Room temperature: Keep covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: After day two, wrap well and refrigerate. The cake keeps for up to 4 days refrigerated. Note that the crumb becomes more moist around the cherries over time.
- Freezer: Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Some other dessert recipes to enjoy:
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Pecan Topping
- Easy Apple Bundt Cake
- Vegan Berry Crumble Bars
- Easy Italian Plum Cake
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Easy Cherry Cake Recipe (Fluffy Sour Cherry Cake)
Equipment
- 1 cake pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour even better the Italian "00" flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- zest from 1 large lemon organic is best
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs separated make sure they're room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil or any mild flavored oil, or melted butter
- 1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt use your favorite dairy-free if you're cutting out dairy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ milk unsweetened almond milk for dairy-free
- 1 ½ cups sour cherries I used Morello jarred cherries that are drained
- confectioner's sugar for serving
Instructions
- Prep your baking pan: Butter and flour a tube pan (or spray generously with baking spray-my preferred method for making cakes).
- Heat oven: Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt the butter and set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest; set aside.
- Beat egg whites: In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer, in a medium sized mixing bowl) beat the egg whites until white and form soft peaks.
- Beat egg yolks: In a clean mixing bowl, add the sugar and beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
- Add in dry ingredients: On medium speed, mix in about ½ cup of the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture; beat about one minute. Beat in another ½ cup of the flour mixture.
- Add in oil (or butter): Slowly add in the oil; beat until combined (about 1 more minute). Stop the mixture to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula when needed.
- Add in the yogurt: On medium speed, mix in ½ of the yogurt and the vanilla followed by another ½ cup of the flour mixture until combined (about 1 minute), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the rest of the yogurt followed by the rest of the flour mixture. If the batter feels too dense and thick, start to mix in some of the milk.
- Add in egg whites: Stir in about ⅓ of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. With a mixing spoon or spatula the batter from the bottom of the bowl over the egg whites and keep turning the bowl around until it is all folded together.
- Gently fold in the cherries. Reserve some to place on the top of the cake batter.
- Spoon out batter into the prepped cake pan and even out the top of the batter with your spatula; tap pan carefully on your counter to level out the batter.
- Bake the cake. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the cake is golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent the cake with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
- Let cake cool and then remove the bottom of the pan and place on your serving plate. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Drain and pat the cherries very dry - excess moisture makes the batter wet and can prevent the cake from setting.
- Toss cherries in flour before folding in - this is the most reliable way to keep them from sinking to the bottom.
- Room temperature egg whites whip to a much higher volume - pull eggs out 30 minutes before starting.
- Stop beating whites at soft peaks, not stiff. Stiff whites are harder to fold in evenly.
- Freezes beautifully - wrap individual slices and freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
FAQ's
If you can make this when it's cherry season, use some dark sweet cherries. Try to not buy cherries that have a mushy feel, look out for ones that are firm. The sweeter the cherries, the more natural sweetness the cake will have. Use a cherry pitter to to pit them to prep for adding to the cake.
Canned or frozen cherries - best not to use them for this recipe, as they will be too mushy. If all you have is frozen cherries, you could try the cake out, but it may bake up a little differently.
Dark morello cherries - I used dark morello cherries. I drained them out of the liquid. They have a slightly sour taste and are hold their shape while baking. These cherries are fantastic if you could get a hold of them. They are Hungarian sour cherries.
Blot the cherries to dry them. Gently toss the cherries in a sieve with flour or cornstarch.
There are different cake pan sizes that you could use. You could use a 10-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. The cast iron skillet will have it bake up with golden-brown edges that are nice and crispy, and a very soft center.
A regular 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan works fine if that's what you have on hand.
I used a A 9x3 inch springform baking pan. It's a nice pan that will easily release to get the cake out. You could like the bottom of the pan with a parchment paper round.
In Hungarian it is called a meggyes lepeny. Sour cherries are called meggye.
No, they will not work for this recipe.
Yes, you could use any mild flavored oil instead of butter. Use a dairy-free yogurt and dairy-free milk.
This Easy Homemade Cherry Cake sounds like a delightful treat for any time of day! Using sour cherries adds a lovely tartness that perfectly balances the sweetness of the cake. I love that it’s a simple snack cake, making it ideal for breakfast, Sunday brunch, or dessert. The flexibility to use fresh cherries during the season or jarred sour cherries year-round is such a great bonus, ensuring you can enjoy this delicious cake whenever you crave it. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe that’s sure to become a go-to for many occasions!
Hi Nanajee-Thank you for taking the time for writing me! It is a great snack cake! ENJOY!
The ingredients lists 1/4 cup of milk, but the instructions never say when to pour in the milk
Hi Kristina-You must have missed it. Take a look again at the recipe and look at step 9 it says "Mix in the rest of the yogurt followed by the rest of the flour mixture. If the batter feels too dense and thick, start to mix in some of the milk." If you find the batter to be too thick, go ahead and add the milk in that point. I hope that helps!
Happy Baking!
I happened to have a jar of those cherries that I got at Trader Joe's and was so excited to make this cake! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I added the Greek yogurt and just a little bit of milk. Not too sweet. Will get more cherries to make another one.