Oh how we LOVE this amazing Cherry Cake recipe from scratch! We are so happy to have another tried & true homemade recipe for our collection of favorite cakes.
I love light, fruit flavored cakes any time of the year, but especially in the spring and summer. This versatile and flavorful recipe deserves a place in your recipe box!
Often Strawberry Cakes or Lemon Cakes are the first to spring to our minds when planning our dessert menus for summertime gatherings.
While we’ve included SO many favorite fruity cakes in our Recipes Section, don’t overlook this amazing homemade Cherry Cake! It just might become a new favorite.
This moist scratch Cherry Cake recipe is tender, flavorful, and is the prettiest shade of pink! It is sturdy enough for fondant, and makes beautiful cupcakes also. I love a cake recipe with a little versatility!
Chopped maraschino cherries, cherry juice, and a splash of cherry extract lend a beautiful shade of pink to this homemade cake as well as a flavor that is just perfect!
Frost or drizzle this delightful Cherry Cake with decadent chocolate ganache for a “Chocolate Covered Cherry” cake, coat it with luxurious Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting, or add a bit of cherry extract to your favorite vanilla buttercream!
Love Cherry Cakes and Desserts? Don’t Miss these other fantastic Recipes!
If you’re a fan of Cherry Desserts (of course you are, you’re here!)- Then you MUST also try out our Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe! It has all of the moistness and flavor of this cake recipe, but with the bonus of chocolate chips and Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting!
You can find it here: AMAZING Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake
Looking for our heavenly Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting? Follow the link!Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting
This silky smooth cherry cream cheese frosting is a snap to make, and is perfection when swirled onto cherry or chocolate cakes and cupcakes!
**Make sure to check out our full collection of favorite cake, frosting, and filling recipes in our Recipes Section!
You can also find beautiful and creative cake decorating techniques in our Free Cake Tutorials Section!
If you’re looking for more fruity Summertime Cake Recipes, don’t miss our Roundup of favorites! Summertime Cake Roundup
Thanks for stopping by! If you try our Cherry Cake recipe, make sure to let us know what you think in the comments below! We think you’re going to love this one!
Cherry Cake from Scratch
This moist and flavorful Cherry Cake from Scratch is one of our favorites! Keep it in mind for spring and summer gatherings!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour plus 2 Tablespoons for dusting cherries
- 1Tablespoon (15g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) salt
- 6 egg whites (180g)
- 2/3 cup (146g) cherry juice from a 10 ounce bottle of maraschino cherries, if there is not enough juice to reach 2/3's cup add water or milk
- 3/4 cup (172g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (4g) cherry extract
- 1/4 cup (54g) vegetable oil
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cold to the touch
- maraschino cherries from a 10 ounce jar (use all) chopped and dusted with 2 Tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 3 (8 inch) round pans
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt for at least 30 seconds
- In another bowl, add the egg whites, cherry juice, milk, vanilla and cherry extract, and vegetable oil. Blend together with a fork
- In the bowl of your mixer add the butter and beat at medium speed to soften. Add the sugar and continue to beat until lightened in color and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes, longer if using a hand mixer.
- Add approximately 1/2 of the flour mixture to the bowl, mixing on low speed until just blended. Add half of the wet ingredients and blend. Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients (ending with dry) until blended. Do not over beat.
- Reserve approximately 2 Tablespoons chopped cherries. Gently stir the remaining chopped cherries into the batter.
- Once the batter is in the cake pans, sprinkle the reserved cherries over the top of the batter, and using a toothpick push them just slightly below the surface of the cake batter. Even though the flour is supposed to keep the cherries from sinking to the bottom of the pan, I find that most will, so this is my reason for adding a few to the top.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, when the cake springs back to the touch or a toothpick pulls out clean or with only a few crumbs attached, the cake is done.
- Makes 7 1/2 cups cake batter
- Works well for cupcakes
- Will hold up to fondant
There are no written directions to explain what to do with the flour and cherries. I read the recipe twice.
I’ll be trying this soon.
Thanks!
Hi Maya Bee, In the list of ingredients the last item is a 10 oz jar of maraschino cherries, chopped and dusted with 2 Tablespoons flour. You should put the chopped cherries into a bowl, sprinkle 2 T. flour over them and toss with a fork. Set aside until time to fold into the batter. I hope you will enjoy the cake.
I can’t find cherry extract. Any ideas?
Hi Julie, I used Watkins Brand Cherry Extract that I bought at a Walmart grocery. It could also be ordered online. I love this cake, I hope you will like it also.
I made my own extract! Thankfully they’re in season. I’ll be making the cake in two weeks when the extract is ready.
Just made this cake. It’s amazingly delicious!
Hi Adanne, I’m happy you tried the recipe!! Thanks so much for your nice review.
Hi, does this recipe do well using the reverse cream method or is it better to stick with traditional creaming? Thanks so much!
Hi Tyler, Yes, you can use the reverse creaming method with this recipe, if you like. The general rule is, if the weight of the sugar is equal to or greater than the weight of the flour, the recipe will work well using the reverse creaming method. It is a good idea to rewrite the recipe when changing the mixing method and count the ingredients to make sure nothing is left out. Hope you will enjoy the cake.
Hello! How many cupcakes would this recipe make? :)
Hi Maureen, The recipes makes 7 1/2 cups batter so I think you could make about 35 standard size cupcakes, depending on how much batter is in each cupcake liner.
Hi. I find my cakes don’t bake evenly in the oven. The centres are often nice and pink while the edges and top are more brown. Any suggestions?
When I bake cakes especially large ones I put a strip along the side of the pan. There are some available online. I can’t recall the name but it looks like aluminum on the outside and fabric on the interior. Years ago I didn’t want to invest the money so I cut strips of old terrycloth towels and folded them lengthwise wet in some water and put them around the exterior of the pan keeping the 2 ends closed by using T-pins. It worked every time. I hope this helps. I’d be happy to answer any questions.
Can i use salted butter?
Hi Kim, Yes, you can use salted butter and omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt from the recipe.
Hello. Can cherry extract be used for strawberry cake?
Hi Ty, We have never used cherry extract with our strawberry cake. Are you wanting to make a strawberry cherry flavored cake?
Can you use liquid egg whites?
Hi Samantha, Yes, it should be fine to use liquid egg whites.
This cake was a hit with all my girlfriends! One was craving a Cherry Cake for a long time so I surprised her with this cake and she couldn’t stop eating it and saying how good it was ! I made it in a 9×13 because I figured it would be easier to share. It’s a keeper!
I also had a bit of batter left to make an 8×8 pan for us at home along with the 9×13
Hi April, I so happy to hear that you and your friends enjoyed the Cherry Cake. That was a nice surprise for your family, extra batter for more cake. Thanks so much for your nice review.
Hi, I’m just checking to make sure I don’t need to whip the egg whites first before mixing with the other wet ingredients? 😊
Hi Ann, No, you do not need to whip the egg whites before mixing with the other wet ingredients. Hope you will enjoy the cake!!