Cherry Cake is an easy cake made with fresh cherries, flour, sugar, oil and vanilla. Fresh cherries are folded into a soft cake batter and baked until golden, light and tender. This simple homemade cake is perfect for tea time, dessert or special occasions. The recipe works well with both Indian and imported cherries.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 55 minutes
  • Total time: 75 minutes
  • Yield: 8 · 8 Slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: World

Ingredients

  • 200 grams cherries (– fresh, pitted and halved (about 1 cup halved cherries))
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (– for coating the cherries)
  • 180 grams/1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 20 grams/3 tablespoons cornstarch ((cornflour))
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 150 grams/¾ cup sugar (– add 1 to 2 tablespoons more for tart cherries)
  • ¼ cup sunflower oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)
  • ¾ cup milk (– dairy or plant-based)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (– optional)

Method

Preparation

  1. Rinse, pit and halve the cherries. Set aside
  2. Prepare a 7-inch cake pan or a square pan by greasing it with oil and optionally lining the base with parchment paper.
  3. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes before baking.

Making Buttermilk Mixture & More Prep

  1. Mix the milk with vinegar or lemon juice and let it stand for 10 minutes to make a slightly curdled buttermilk mixture.
  2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour to the halved cherries. Toss gently until they are evenly coated.
  4. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla to the prepared buttermilk mixture.
  5. Whisk until smooth and the sugar has dissolved.

Making Cherry Cake

  1. Add the dry sifted ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until a smooth batter forms. Do not over-mix.At this point you can also add lemon zest.
  2. Fold ¾ portion of the flour-coated cherries into the batter.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan on the countertop 2 to 3 times to release any large air bubbles.
  4. Arrange the remaining cherries on top.
  5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a skewer or bamboo tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Place the pan on a wire rack. Cool the cake completely before slicing and serving.
  7. Enjoy Cherry Cake as a tea-time cake with tea or coffee, or serve it as a simple dessert. Dust with powdered sugar, if you like.
  8. Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 4 to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.