Cherry Cake {A Scratch Recipe}

Comments

1. MsGF January 26, 2016 at 3:36 pm

   Looks and sounds delicious! I’ve printed it out to give it a try in Gluten-Free. :)
2. Melissa Diamond January 26, 2016 at 4:17 pm

   Thanks MsGF! You are so good at adapting recipes, if you try it I’d love to hear what you think!
3. Sammie January 26, 2016 at 5:02 pm

   This cake is unbelievably pretty and I adore maraschino cherries. When I was younger, before cherry Coke came out here in the UK, I would pour some of the syrup into my Coke! Now it is traditional at Christmas to have 2 on a cocktail stick in a glass of Babycham Perry whilst cooking Christmas dinner. Delicious cake must make it. Thanks for sharing. Sammie.
4. Melissa Diamond January 27, 2016 at 5:21 pm

   Sammie you were way ahead of the game with putting cherry into coke! xo ;0) So happy that you plan to make this!
5. JeanF January 28, 2016 at 4:58 pm

   This sounds so delicious! What icing would you recommend using? So appreciate all your great recipes!
6. Martha January 29, 2016 at 8:41 am

   Melissa, your cakes and your cake recipes are wonderful. I made the sour cream almond cake yesterday and it’s already gone. My family can’t get enough of it.
7. Melissa Diamond January 29, 2016 at 9:48 am

   @JeanF- Thanks! We’ve tried this cake with cherry buttercream (our classic vanilla buttercream recipe with a tsp. cherry extract added) and another time with cherry cream cheese frosting (our cream cheese frosting recipe with a tsp. cherry extract). Our favorite was probably with the cherry cream cheese frosting. (We love cream cheese frosting though!)

   @Martha- Thank you so much!! I’m so happy to hear it! xo
8. Liz Jacobs February 3, 2016 at 4:34 am

   This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it!!
9. Suzanne February 4, 2016 at 8:41 am

   Beautiful! And just in time for Valentine’s Day!
10. Sandra Garth February 9, 2016 at 1:03 pm

    Beautiful cake and I am looking forward to making it!
11. Melissa Diamond February 9, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    Thanks Liz, Suzanne, & Sandra!! I hope that you enjoy it!! xoxo
12. plasterer bristol February 15, 2016 at 2:07 am

    Yummy great recipe this. Love cherrys. Thanks for sharing

    Simon
13. lila james February 16, 2016 at 10:33 am

    What’s the best block chocolate you use for ganache?
14. BeBe February 16, 2016 at 12:38 pm

    HI Lila, If you have a Trader Joe’s store near you, we most often use the Trader Joe’s brand Pound Plus dark chocolate. We think it works best to have at least 54% cocoa. We also use Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips. A brand that taste good to you with a high cocoa content should work well for you.
15. Decio Vargas March 4, 2016 at 11:53 am

    Great cake! :)
16. Nicole October 24, 2016 at 7:44 pm

    How long would you bake cupcakes with this recipe?
17. BeBe October 24, 2016 at 9:08 pm

    Hi Nicole, Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Check for doneness by putting a toothpick in the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs , they are done. As with most scratch recipes, the cupcakes will not have a high dome.
18. bev December 30, 2016 at 11:30 am

    Cake was so delicious softvand moist everyone love it
19. BeBe December 30, 2016 at 8:58 pm

    Hi Bev, I so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for posting!!
20. Marie January 31, 2017 at 11:10 am

    Hi. Can you please share what brand of cherry extract you get and where it can be purchased? Could another extract be used instead, such as almond?
    Thanks!
21. BeBe March 26, 2017 at 10:12 pm

    Hi Marie, I’m very sorry your question was overlooked in January. I used Watkins brand cherry extract, I bought it at Walmart. I hope you can find it because I think it adds the extra cherry flavor that the cake needs.
22. Cathy April 9, 2017 at 2:03 pm

    Can I do this in a 13×9 pan?
23. BeBe April 9, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    Hi Cathy, Yes, it can be baked in a 13×9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, it is done. If not done at 40 min., cover pan loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the top from becoming too dark.
24. Adriene Titchenell May 19, 2017 at 11:33 am

    Can you use buttermilk?
25. BeBe May 19, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    Hi Adriene, I have not tried replacing the milk with buttermilk, but I think it would be fine to do so. I would add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and reduce the baking powder to 2 1/2 teaspoons.
26. Tricia Whitley June 8, 2017 at 11:00 pm

    I only have (2) 9 inch pans, would that be okay to use instead of the (3) 8 inch? If yes, should I still cook it on 350? Thank you for your help.
27. Patricia July 10, 2017 at 8:16 pm

    I made this luscious recipe for cupcakes and they were fantastic. My 6 yr old granddaughter wants this recipe for her birthday cake which will be covered in fondant. Will this recipe hold up? If not I was thinking about having the white almond sour cream scratch recipe that I’ve used several times( with great success) on the bottom and the cherry layer on top. It is going to be a 12 inch cake. I was seriously hoping that the cherry recipe will work. If not do you have another cherry cake recipe that will work? I appreciate your help immensely. I have to begin the cake on July 17. Thanks a million!
28. BeBe July 10, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    Hi Patricia, I’m thrilled that your granddaughter likes this recipe!! The recipe should hold up well to fondant.
29. Patricia July 11, 2017 at 8:18 am

    I appreciate your quick response and am relieved that it will hold up under fondant. With your reply in mind I think I’ll make both layers cherry. You know how little girls love pink. Now if I can only make a dolphin from gum paste I’ll be all set. The cake has to be transported to Cape Cod and I live in CT in July. I’ve never transported a cake such a distance away and am trying to remain calm. Thank you so much. I love receiving your emails and your recipes are fantastic. I’ve become a better baker.
30. Patricia July 16, 2017 at 11:56 am

    I’ll be shopping for the ingredients and wondered if the 12 inch pan needs 2 batches or does it need more? I am looking forward to having this cake done. I always get nervous when I bake and decorate a cake for others.
31. BeBe July 16, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    Hi Patricia, Don’t worry, everything will be great. This recipe makes 7 1/2 cups cake batter, that is enough for one 12 inch round cake pan ( based on a 2 inch deep pan). We use the following charts for cake batter amounts:

    link to wilton.com

    link to fromkarenskitchen.com
32. lea August 11, 2017 at 12:13 am

    Just made this for a woman who had a 77th birthday. It was moist and good. Do not use dark vanilla! I did and it made my cake a light green color. Apparently the cherry red and dark vanilla did not make a pink color for my cake.I would recommend substituting almond flavoring over the vanilla. Thanks
33. Patricia August 31, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    Everyone loved the cherry cake covered with fondant. I had no trouble with the cake at all and it had to be transported by car from CT to Cape Cod. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of requests for this cake when their birthday comes up. Thank you for the recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.
34. BeBe August 31, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    Hi Patricia, That is wonderful!! Glad to hear that it traveled well and that everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for letting us know!
35. Patricia August 31, 2017 at 9:31 pm

    I neglected to mention that the best recipes are found on My Cake School.
36. BeBe August 31, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    Patricia, that is so sweet, thank you!!
37. Sarah Tickenoff November 4, 2017 at 10:28 pm

    HI, we loved the cake! What can I do to cut down on the sweetness of the cake? That was the only thing wrong, too sweet. Also, when I went to put the cherries into flour, it all became gluggy. Would you have a solution? I drained the cherries, let them sit out, then put them into a bowl of flour. The cherries still sank to the bottom, which I did not notice. My husband picked it up! But, he loved the cake. Now, he is diagnosed with diabetes, I have to figure out how to make a diabetic cherry cake! Any suggestions?
38. BeBe November 5, 2017 at 12:11 am

    Hi Sarah, Thanks for giving the recipe a try. The cherry juice does add extra sweetness to this cake. You could cut the cherry juice to 1/3 cup and increase the milk to 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons. This should help. As for the cherries, I cut them into small pieces and dusted with flour. They will be lighter and less likely to sink. I am sorry that your husband has been diagnosed with diabetes. He won’t be able to eat this. I’m sorry I don’t have the answer for turning this into a diabetic cake, but there should be online sites with recipes and you could probably find one that cherries can be added to. Good Luck
39. Patricia November 9, 2017 at 2:24 pm

    Hello Sarah,

    Sorry for not replying sooner but I have been away from a computer. I have used the cherry cake recipe for both cupcakes and cakes and found it a little on the sweet side but the children loved them so I didn’t think twice about it. I always dust cherries in flour and it works quite well. I am making the notation of reducing the cherry juice and increasing the milk the next time I make this cake. Thanks for the suggestion.
40. Sarah Tickenoff December 20, 2017 at 1:34 am

    Hi, actually I failed to comment that I did dust the cherries with flour, it became a large gooy glob, and the cherries did sink to the bottom. Although I didn’t mind, others might not appreciate the cherries on the bottom.

    Being Maraschino cherries what else can be done to prevent the wetness of the cherries? I did paper towel them to absorb some moisture, but, being cut and wet, the flour covering did not help.
41. Patricia December 20, 2017 at 9:13 am

    Hi Sarah, I had no problem. I drained the cherries and used a paper towel to absorb them. After cutting I put them on another paper towel. I may have used a couple at a time to absorb the cherries. When I tossed them with the flour I used the least amount necessary, ran a fork through them and added them to the batter right away. It’s been since July that I baked this cake so I am trying to recall . I probably put the cherries on a double sheet of paper towel top and bottom and patted them. I always use Bounty paper towels so I am not sure if the one that you used might not have been absorbing enough?
42. BeBe December 20, 2017 at 9:32 pm

    Hi Sarah, I am sorry you had a problem with all the cherries sinking. I did as Patricia and used paper towels to remove some of the moisture after the cherries were cut. You could also try just leaving the cut cherries on the paper towel to air dry a bit before tossing with flour. Also, after the cake batter is in the pans, I sprinkled the 2 Tablespoons of reserved cherries over the top of the cake batter, and using a fork I gently pushed those cherries into the cake batter.

    Thanks for your post, Patricia.
43. Gail December 23, 2017 at 4:54 am

    Can I substitute cheery puree for maraschino cherry juice?
44. BeBe December 23, 2017 at 9:26 am

    Hi Gail, In the list of ingredients is 2/3 cup maraschino cherry juice. Do you mean you do not want to cut up the cherries to blend into the batter? You can leave them out but visually they are pretty.
45. Sarah Tickenoff December 23, 2017 at 10:48 am

    Yes, the cherries in the cake are very beautiful when the cake is sliced. Especially when the cake looks white.

    I have a question, can I add the cherries to a Angle Food cake? What quantity?
46. Gail December 23, 2017 at 2:46 pm

    I don’t want to use araschino cherry juice, but want to make my own cherry puree. Will this work?