Cherry Cake {A Scratch Recipe}

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!

It seems that Cherry Cake is an often overlooked cake superstar when it comes to cakes with fruit.

Why We Love It

• The cherry cake layers have a moist, tender crumb.
• Light cherry flavor (from cherries, maraschino cherry juice, and a splash of cherry extract)
• Beautiful slices with bits of maraschino cherries
• Perfect for spring and summer birthdays

How to make a Cherry Cake

You can find the full, printable cherry cake recipe below, with complete instructions and ingredients. Here is a quick look at our steps!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, grease and flour three 8 inch round pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt for at least 30 seconds
3. In another bowl, add the egg whites, cherry juice, milk, vanilla and cherry extract, and vegetable oil. Blend together with a fork
4. In the bowl of your mixer add the softened butter and mix at medium speed to soften. Next, add the sugar and continue to mix for a few minutes until lightened in color and fluffy.
5. With the mixer on low speed, we will now alternate between adding dry and wet ingredients. Add approximately one third of the flour mixture to the bowl, mixing on low speed until just blended. Add about half of the wet ingredients and blend, and so on. Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients (ending with dry). We do three additions of dry, two of wet. Mix just until blended.
6. Reserve approximately 2 Tablespoons chopped cherries. Gently stir the remaining chopped cherries into the batter.
7. Once the batter is divided between the three prepared cake pans, sprinkle the reserved cherries over the top of the batter, using a toothpick push them just slightly below the surface of the cake batter.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F 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.
9. Cool the cake layers in the pans, one a wire rack, for ten minutes before turning out.
10. This cherry cake recipes makes 7 ½ cups cake batter.

Versatility of this Cherry Cake Recipe

This moist scratch Cherry Cake recipe is tender, flavorful, and is the prettiest shade of pink. While soft, the cake layers are sturdy enough to be covered in a layer of fondant. The cherry cake batter makes for beautiful homemade cupcakes also.