Cherry Cake! My favourite. This is a traditional recipe made easy using the all-in-one method.
My mother tells the story of my father's first visit to her family home. Granny offered tea and cake and my father duly complimented her on her 'lovely Madeira cake'. Oops! Apparently, my grandmother was a bit miffed - not surprisingly, as she had made her best cherry loaf cake. Unfortunately, my father had a slice with no cherries.
Traditional Cherry Cake
My classic cherry cake recipe is based on Granny's, a cherry Madeira cake really - a nice firm cake, which keeps well. Of all my easy cherry cake recipes, this is my go-to when I want a quick and easy cake. If you want a softer cherry sponge cake recipe with icing see the Iced Cherry Cake recipe.
Key Ingredients in Cherry Cake
Original red or dark natural-dyed cherries?
Whatever you like is the short answer. I often use the darker cherries these days but red are fine too (as here). My only warning, as always, is to check for natural dyes if you have children as E127 isn't recommended for them.
Butter
This cake is fairly plain, apart from the cherries and a lot of the appeal is in its buttery taste, so it's worth using butter for this recipe. In fact, I always do use butter because I prefer the flavour - and, of course, nearly 100 years ago, my grandmother would have only used butter!
Ground almonds
Nothing beats the flavours of a cherry and almond cake. The ground almonds also add texture and help the cake keep longer by retaining moisture. If you want extra almond flavour, add a few drops of almond extract.
Ring the changes
Make a Fresh Cherry Cake
During the short season that you can buy fresh cherries, you could use those instead. You need 250g cherries, washed and stoned to give about 220g to use. Cut them into halves and/or quarters. Cooking time is the same.
See the recipe for Fresh Cherry Cake for more details.
Make a round Cherry Cake
Cook the cake in a 7-inch/18cm deep round tin. Cooking time is the same.
Secrets of Success
Easy, all-in-one method
As with most of my cakes, this cherry loaf cake is made using the all-in-one method - put everything in the bowl and mix it well. Two points to bear in mind:
You need soft butter
Your butter does need to be very soft if you're attempting this by hand. If it isn't very soft, try helping it along in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time - but be careful not to overdo it.
Mix the cherries by hand
Don't include the cherries in your all-in-one mix. They must be added at the end, by hand even if you did the rest with a machine. What you don't want is a pink cake with flecks of cherry
How to get cherries in every slice of cake
- I use a lot more cherries than the original recipe so they aren't so thinly spread
2. Wash and dry the cherries before you use them to avoid too much sinkage. (Although I'm not too bothered about that mostly.)
3. Quarter the cherries so they aren't so heavy. I don't actually do this - I always halve the cherries - because for me a cherry cake is all about big chunks of cherry!
4. (I've also never done this because I can't be bothered), keep some of the cherries back and poke them into the mixture once it's in the tin. It's probably only worth doing when you want to impress someone - like a would-be suitor for your daughter.
Why is my cake dry?
If your cakes turn out dry, check out my article Why Is My Cake Dry? for some of the most common reasons and the solutions.
Can you freeze Cherry Cake?
Cherry Cake freezes well. Wrap in foil or, I've recently tried beeswax wraps, which work well. Keep for up to 3 months. If you don't eat much cake, you can cut it in half and freeze half for later. I often make two cakes and freeze one for later, as it's so more-ish.
What equipment do you need?
- Baking parchment loaf tin liner - Line the tin with a liner and forget about it sticking, or greasing the tin - and the washing up is easier too. Leave the cake in the liner if you're freezing the cake, or while storing in the fridge to keep it moist
- Beeswax Loaf Wraps - I'm trying to reduce the amount of clingfilm, foil and plastic bags that I use, and my biggest problem has been something to wrap loaf cakes in for the freezer. I've now found large beeswax loaf wraps that will cover a loaf of bread, and are ideal for loaf cakes. They're washable and you can even rejuvenate them. Definitely worth a look.
If you like this...
...Why don't you try:
Iced Cherry Cake
Cherry Scones
Cherry and Almond Traybake
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Recipe
Cherry Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g glacé cherries, save 3 or 4 for the top if desired.
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 160 g butter, at room temperature
- 160 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 25 g ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Set the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ gas mark 4/ 350°F
- Grease a 2lb loaf tin with butter or use a paper liner
- Halve the cherries, then wash in warm water and dry. This will remove the syrup and stop them sinking too much. Quarter them if you want a better distribution. If you're short of time, don't bother to wash. The cherries may sink but the cake will still taste fabulous200 g glacé cherries,
For the cake:
- Put all the ingredients except the cherries into a large bowl and mix well with a mixer or in a food processor.225 g self-raising flour, 160 g butter,, 160 g caster sugar, 3 large eggs, 25 g ground almonds, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the cherries and fold in with a large spoon until they are evenly distributed through the mixture.200 g glacé cherries,
- Put the cake mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight dip along the centre to stop it peaking when cooked
- Put a few extra cherries on top and dredge with castor sugar
- Cook for 45-60 minutes until well risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean
- Take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool
Lynne, London, UK says
Second attempt at this cake and it's about perfect. I did tweak the recipe as follows, through choice or necessity: insufficient cherries so I topped up to 200g with other chopped, dried fruits, plus a few remaining choloate chips. I used healthy, wholemeal flour and one dessert spoon of artificial sweetener. I used a food processor and the mixture ended up like a dough ball, so I blitzed in about a quarter pint of milk. Waiting for it to finish cooking now but it already smells delicious.
Susie Collings says
Hi Lynne, Hope it tastes as good as it sounds 🙂
Barbara says
So, l put everything in the bowl - Except the floured cherries, and whisked like made with my electric whisk, folded in the cherries and - It’s worked like a treat - So easy - Thank you.
Susie Collings says
Brilliant! So pleased you like the cake. It's been a favourite in our family for generations 🙂
Diane says
Great recipe and for the first time ever my cherries didn’t sink after following your tips!
Susie Collings says
Hi Diane, That's good to hear. I'm so pleased you like the cake.
Maria says
Hi..im trying to make this delicious cake..but i don't understand the measurements...i tried to google but still don't understand..can u please what's the measurements for cups please..thanks
Susie Collings says
Hi Maria, I've just made this cake using cups and I've updated the recipe card so you can switch to US customary. Cheers - Susie
Sarita says
Hello..step 1 says mix all ingredients in a bowl...do u not first beat sugar and butter..then add eggs and beat...then add flour and mix... thanks
Alison M says
Have everything at room temperature and then mix in your food processor as per the recipe - I cut the butter into 1cm cubes to ease the load on the motor and you may want just a drop of milk. Works brilliantly!
Susie Collings says
Hi Alison, You beat me to it 🙂
Susie Collings says
Hi Sarita, If you're mixing by hand it's often easier to do it in stages, but the main reason for doing so is to beat in the air and fold in the flour to keep in the air to help the cake rise.
The all-in-one method uses a little extra baking powder to compensate for beating all the ingredients together. In this case using self-raising flour rather than plain flour - and see Alison's comment, below.
Lucy says
I usually melt the butter before mixing, does that make a difference for this cake?
Susie Collings says
Hi Lucy, Melting the butter will give a different texture as it reacts differently with the sugar and flour. You will get a denser cake.
Peter says
Hi Susie
I have now baked 6 of your fruit cakes and have been experimenting with adding glacé cherries and walnuts, all worked out fine. I reduced the mixed fruit to compensate.
Also tried soaking the fruit in whiskey for two of them and port for another all delicious.
Also baked two lemon drizzle cakes which were eaten within 24 hours!!
I plan to make the cherry cake this week but wondered if I put some walnuts in as well, what would you advise?
Susie Collings says
Hi Peter, So pleased you like the fruit cake 🙂 Adding chopped walnuts to the cherry cake should be fine. Depending on how many you want to add, you could just put them in, or if it's a lot you'll need to reduce the quantity of cherries. Chop the walnuts to the same size as the cherries for best effect.
Peter says
My first cherry cake turned out delicious however for the next one I will try quartering the cherries and increase the quantity in an effort to get a more even distribution.
I did save 5 cherries to poke into the top which made the cake look good.
Maybe I will include walnuts in cake three?
Thanks for your recipes I have passed them onto family members.
Susie Collings says
Hi Peter, For me it's the balance between better cherry distribution and being bothered to cut them up! It's worth trying both and seeing which you prefer. You sound really busy making cakes at the moment 🙂
Alison M says
Hi Susie,
The recipe looks great - plan to give it a try this weekend, Cherry Cake is my favourite afternoon tea break item! I'm in Canada so it will be interesting to see how our cake & pastry (soft) flour compares with what you're buying in the UK. One question, you suggest testing with a thermometer but I don't see the recommended internal temperature anywhere in the instructions? Would you please add that to the recipe?
Many thanks! Alison
Susie Collings says
Hi Alison, It will be interesting to see if the flour makes a difference. The ground almonds do help. I don't use a thermometer just a skewer or cocktail stick, which will come out clean when the cake is done. Interestingly, I have a thermometer for marmalade and fudge etc and you've inspired me to check the cakes as well next time I make them. I will update when done. Hope you are safe and keeping warm in Canada. Cheers - Susie
Alison M says
Hi Susie - I think the flour I used absorbs a bit more liquid as the batter was very stiff - I added 2tbsp of milk and that gave a firm dropping consistency. Love the food processor method, and the cakes look awesome - can't wait for them to cool! The quantities you give make 2 6"x3" cakes, which are perfect for freezing as there are no cut edges (I know, neither will make it to the freezer ;-). I went with the skewer test in the end - all suggestions I could find recommended not using a thermometer for cake as it's the batter consistency is too variable. Thanks!
Susie Collings says
Hi Alison, Enjoy the cakes! Glad you like the recipe 🙂
Nisha says
This recipe worked so well! Thank you 😀
Susie Collings says
You're welcome 🙂
Angela Southall says
An absolutely beautiful cake but the cherries all fell to the bottom. I washed and dried them and folded them in be hand. Any ideas?
Susie Collings says
Hi Angela, You could chop them smaller. Something that sometimes happens is that when you scrape the cake out of the bowl into the tin the last lot of mixture doesn't have any cherries in. To get round that you could leave some out and poke them in the top.
Heather Vipers says
Why does it bother you so much? Was it tasty? Aesthetic maybe, but so what?