Maraschino Cherry Cake (Easy One-Layer Recipe)

Name: Maraschino Cherry Cake (Easy One-Layer Recipe)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2/3 cup + 2 1/2 teaspoons (95 g) flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons (65 g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon (8 g) honey; 1/3 cup (80 g) eggs (see note #1); 1/3 cup (70 g) grapeseed oil; 1 pinch of salt; 2.5 oz (70 g) chopped almonds; 2.5 oz (70 g) pitted maraschino cherries; 3.5 oz (100 g) apricot jam; 3.5 oz (100 g) yogurt covered almonds; powdered (icing) sugar; 5 maraschino cherries with stems

Modified: Jun 3, 2022 · Published: Jul 30, 2018 by Irina Totterman · This post may contain affiliate links · 30 Comments

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Quick Summary: Maraschino cherry cake is a simple one-layer almond cake studded with sweet maraschino cherries and finished with crushed yogurt-covered almonds and cherries on top. It bakes low and slow, travels well, and needs no frosting.

Maraschino cherry cake on a serving plate.

What is a maraschino cherry cake?

A maraschino cherry cake is a French-style travel cake, meaning a sturdy loaf-type cake that keeps well at room temperature and holds up to transport. While many popular versions rely on a boxed cake mix, this one is made from scratch with an almond batter, so you control the ingredients and get a fresher, more tender crumb. The sweet maraschino cherries and yogurt-covered almonds on top do the rest.

The first idea for making Maraschino cherry cake came up when I saw that cake on Nicolas Bernardé's site. I could not resist trying it. I altered the chef's recipe in several ways.

First, he uses cherries in alcohol to fold into the cake batter, but I replaced them with canned maraschino cherries to make the cake kid-friendly. I replaced clarified butter with grapeseed oil and trimoline (inverted sugar syrup) with honey.

Moreover, I replaced hard Jordan almonds (dragees) with yogurt-covered almonds that are easy to chew. As a final touch, I decorated the cake with stemmed maraschino cherries instead of fresh ones to make the cake a year-round dessert.

Sliced Maraschino Cherry cake on a dessert plate with flatware on background

Why you'll love this recipe

Moist crumb: grape seed oil keeps the cake tender and moist.
Sweet cherry flavor: maraschino cherries fold through every slice.
Cherries stay put: a thick batter holds the whole cherries in place instead of letting them sink.
Crunchy finish: chopped yogurt-covered almonds add a sweet, crunchy topping.
No frosting needed: bright cherries on top make it a showstopper with zero fuss.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Flour: Use all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, so the cake isn't dense.

Baking powder: Check that it is fresh so the cake rises well.

Granulated sugar: Use white granulated sugar to sweeten the batter.

Honey: Adds moisture and keeps the crumb soft. Use a mild honey so it does not overpower the cherries.

Eggs: Use whole large eggs at room temperature so they blend smoothly into the batter.

Grapeseed oil: Keeps the cake moist and tender. You can swap it for another neutral oil.

Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.

Chopped almonds: Add a nutty flavor and texture to the batter.

Maraschino cherries: Drain and pat dry before folding in so they don't sink.

Apricot jam: Brushed over the cake so the topping sticks. Warm it slightly for easy spreading.

Yogurt-covered almonds: Crushed for a sweet, crunchy coating in place of hard almond dragees.

Powdered (icing) sugar: Dusted over the top to finish.

Maraschino cherries with stems: Placed on top to decorate the cake.

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer
Mixing bowls
Round cake pan (7-inch)
Food processor (to crush the yogurt-covered almonds)
Fine-mesh sieve (for dusting with powdered sugar)
Wire cooling rack

How to make Maraschino cherry cake

Step 1. Preheat oven to 295°F (145°C). To make the cake batter, place flour, baking powder, sugar, honey, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer (photo 1) and mix well. Slowly drizzle in grapeseed oil mixed with salt until emulsified (photo 2).

Photo 1: Flour, baking powder, sugar, honey and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer Photo 2: Yellow-colored mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Step 2. Add chopped almonds and pitted, drained maraschino cherries (photo 3), and gently fold to keep the cherries whole. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake pan, 7 inches/18 cm in diameter (photo 4).

Photo 3: Cherries and chopped almonds on top of the cake preparation in the bowl of a stand mixer Photo 4: Cake batter in a cake pan — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Step 3. Bake the cake for 40 minutes (photo 5). Remove the cake from the pan, flip it upside down, and let it cool (photo 6).

Photo 5: Baked cake in a pan Photo 6: Cake flipped upside down on a plate — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Step 4. To decorate, crush yogurt-covered almonds in a food processor (photo 7). Cover the cake all over with the heated apricot jam.

Step 5. Generously sprinkle with crushed yogurt-covered almonds. Dust the top of the cake with powdered (icing) sugar and arrange maraschino cherries with stems (photo 8).

Photo 7: Crushed yogurt covered almonds Photo 8: Cake sprinkled with crushed yogurt covered almonds with cherries on top and served on a plate — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

Expert Tips

Add a few drops of almond extract to add almond flavor, or add a few drops of cherry extract to enhance the sweet cherry flavor of the cake.
Replace maraschino cherries with morello cherries in brandy if you do not serve the cake to kids.
Chop yogurt-covered almonds with a knife or use a food processor.
In the summer, decorate the cake with fresh cherries coated with apricot jam.
If you love two- or three-layer cakes, double or triple the recipe. Spread your favorite cream between layers and decorate the cake.

Recipe FAQ

What is a maraschino cherry cake?
A maraschino cherry cake is a single-layer almond cake made with sweet maraschino cherries folded into the batter and topped with crushed yogurt-covered almonds.

Can I use fresh cherries instead of maraschino cherries?
Maraschino cherries give this cake its signature sweetness and color. Fresh cherries hold more moisture and less sugar, so the flavor and texture will change if you swap them.

How do I keep maraschino cherries from sinking?
Drain and pat the cherries dry, then fold them into a thick batter. The thick batter holds the whole cherries in place as the cake bakes.

What can I use instead of almond dragees?
This recipe uses crushed yogurt-covered almonds in place of hard almond dragees for an easier, softer crunch on top.

Why is the cake baked at a low temperature?
Baking at 295°F (145°C) for 40 minutes keeps the crumb moist and prevents the top from browning too fast.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the cake a day ahead, store it well wrapped at room temperature, and add the crushed almonds and cherries on top before serving.

How do I store maraschino cherry cake?
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate to extend its shelf life.

More delicious fruit cake recipes you will love

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from http://nicolas-bernarde.com/. It was originally published in July 2018. The recipe has been re-tested and revised to include improved content and photos.

About Irina Totterman

I'm Irina, an experienced home baker with over 30 years of expertise and the blogger behind Baking Like a Chef (since 2018), where I share baking recipes, tips, and tricks. My recipes have been featured in the renowned French Chef Simon and Le Journal des Femmes.