Last Updated on April 6, 2021 by Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
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This easy recipe for a delicious and moist fresh Cherry Almond Cake has a delicate almond flavour and is studded with sweet juicy cherries.
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My favourite fruit is the cherry. I just can't resist sweet fresh cherries and when I'm at the market I always end up buying way too much. Since I couldn't eat them all, I thought it would be nice to bake something with the remaining cherries.
Since almonds and cherries complement each other so well, I decided I would bake something simple like a cherry and almond coffee cake that could be enjoyed as a snack or a casual dessert.
How to Make a Cherry Almond Cake
After a bit of research online, I came across a recipe from Joy of Baking for a Cherry Cake. I adapted the recipe to suit my taste and simplified the preparation method. Here's what you'll need to make a fresh cherry cake and how to make it. Exact amounts are listed in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredients Overview:
- Fresh sweet cherries
- All-purpose flour
- Almond meal or almond flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Pure almond extract
- Powdered sugar, for dusting cake before serving. This step and ingredient is optional.
Steps Overview:
- Preheat the oven. Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Rinse and remove stems from the cherries. Set aside 15 cherries for the top of the cake.
- Pit and quarter the rest of the cherries. Using a cherry pitter will make this a much easier and quicker task. Place the halved and quartered cherries on separate sheets of paper towel, cut side down.
- Take the remaining 15 cherries and pit and halve them, set them apart from the quartered cherries.
- In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time beating just until combined.
- Add the sour cream and almond extract and beat until mixed.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture and beat just until the flour is mixed in.
- Fold in the quartered cherries to the batter.
- Spread the batter into the pan and then arrange the halved cherries, cut side down, on top of the cake.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature before serving.
Tips:
- The cake has a delicate almond flavour coming from the ground almonds as well as from the pure almond extract. Pure almond extract imparts a delightful nutty flavour to your baked goods, and a little goes a long way.
- This cake has cherries mixed in the batter but is also studded with additional halved cherries. Adding some halved cherries to the top of the cake before baking ensures there are cherries throughout the cake and that they don't all sink to the bottom.
- If you don't have a cherry pitter, you can use a small paring knife to cut around the cherry, split it in half and remove the pit with your fingers.
How to Serve:
This Cherry Almond Cake is perfect served at room temperature with a hot cup of coffee or tea. I like to serve it with a light dusting of powdered sugar but you can also serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!
More Cakes Made with Fresh Fruit
- Plum Upside-Down Cake
- Fresh Peach and Blueberry Cake
- Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
- Mini Apple Spice Bundt Cakes
If you make this recipe let me know how it went for you in the comment section below. I'd love to know if you made any variations to the recipe and how it worked out. And if you take a picture, share it with me on Instagram by tagging #sweetandsavourypursuits, I love to see your photos!
Cherry Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole fresh stemmed sweet cherries 350 grams
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 130 grams
- ½ cup finely ground almonds (or almond meal) 55 grams
- 1-½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream (I used full-fat) 80 ml
- ½ tsp. pure almond extract
- 1-2 tbsp. powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Place a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, line it with parchment paper and butter the sides and paper with butter.
- Rinse the cherries well and set aside 15 cherries for the top of the cake.
- Pit and quarter the rest of the cherries. If you have a cherry pitter then this will be a much quicker task. If not, you can use a small paring knife to cut around the cherry, split it in half and remove the pit with your fingers.
- Take the remaining 15 cherries and pit and halve them, set them apart from the quartered cherries.
- Place the halved and quartered cherries on separate sheets of paper towel, cut side down.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time beating just until combined.
- Add the sour cream and almond extract and beat until mixed. The batter will look slightly curdled at this point but that’s ok.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture and beat just until the flour is mixed in.
- Add the quartered cherries to the batter and fold in with rubber spatula.
- Evenly spread the batter into the pan and then arrange the halved cherries (cut side down) on top of the cake.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
- If desired, you can dust the cake with a bit of powdered sugar once the cake has cooled.
Notes
- The cake has a delicate almond flavour coming from the ground almonds as well as from the pure almond extract. Pure almond extract imparts a delightful flavour to your baked goods. Just a touch goes a long way.
- This cake has fresh cherries mixed in the batter but is also studded with additional halved cherries. Adding some halved cherries to the top of the cake before baking ensures there are cherries throughout the cake and that they don't all sink to the bottom.
- If you don't own a cherry pitter, you can use a small paring knife to cut around the cherry, split it in half and remove the pit with your fingers.
- Cake is best served at room temperature.
Nutrition
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adashofmegnut says
Yum! I love fresh cherries! This looks so delicious!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you!
Nicky Corbishley says
Looks so good, and I just happened to buy too many cherries this week 🙂
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Then I highly recommend you try this recipe because it's delicious! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
huntfortheverybest says
what a yummy tea cake!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks! Yes, it was very yummy 🙂
A Cup Of That says
This looks absolutely incredible! I love your photography too! Beautiful...
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you so much!
Lily says
Looks delicious, this has been a fabulous season for cherries and they do pair so well almonds, what a wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing:)
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Yes, I'm making sure that I take advantage of the season. You're welcome!
Traditionally Modern Food says
Drooling here.. Yum yum
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Oh yes, very yummy!
oceanviewkitchen says
I love cherry cake! Right now is a perfect time to make it!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
If you also love almonds then I think you would really enjoy this cake 🙂
spiceinthecity says
Gorgeous pictures of a gorgeous cake. Must taste so good 🙂
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you so much! It was delicious, it got excellent reviews from my family 🙂
Amanda says
What a perfect cake for summertime cherry season! Yum!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
I'm in complete agreement with you 🙂 Thanks Amanda!
nancyc says
Your cake looks wonderful, and I love all your cherry photos! 🙂
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you so much Nancy!
Hungrycookie says
Looks great.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks!
lapetitepaniere says
It looks beautiful and delicious 🙂
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you!