Enjoy this Maraschino cherry cake recipe to make a simple one-layer cake with a finishing touch of yogurt-covered almonds and cherries on top. It is an impressive dessert for your afternoon tea or any holiday. This easy recipe requires 10 minutes of active, hands-on time!
This Cherry cake is categorized as a travel cake, according to French pastry schools. You will be surprised to know that financiers were the first travel cakes. The packed madeleines, banana bread, and other loaf cakes are all travel cakes.
What is the travel cake?
The travel cake is such a cake that tolerates transportation and differences in temperature during trips. This cake does not have fillings with whipped cream or ganache, but it may contain candied fruits, chocolate, and other dried fruits or jams.
According to Madam Mercotte, a travel cake could be stored at room temperature for up to five days.
Story of Maraschino cherry cake
The first idea of 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 of all, 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 switched clarified butter for grapeseed oil, trimoline (inverted sugar syrup) for 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.
Why Maraschino cherry cake recipe works
- Adding grape seed oil brings additional moisture to the cake.
- Maraschino cherries give a sweet cherry flavor.
- Thick cake batter keeps whole maraschino cherries in place and prevents fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Sprinkling the cake with chopped yogurt-covered almonds gives an additional crunchiness and a gorgeous look to the cake.
- Bright, beautiful maraschino cherries on top of the cake make the dessert a winner of the table.
How to make Maraschino cherry cake
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).
Add chopped almonds, pitted and drained maraschino cherries (photo 3), and slightly combine to keep whole cherries. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake pan 7 inches/ 18 cm in diameter (photo 4).
Bake the cake for 40 minutes (photo 5). Remove the cake from the pan, flip it upside down, and let it cool (photo 6).
To decorate, crush yogurt covered almonds in a food processor (photo 7). Cover the cake all over with the heated apricot jam.
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).
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 are in love with two- or three-layered cakes, double or triple the recipe. Spread your favorite cream between layers and decorate the cake.
More delicious fruit cake recipes you will love
- Best Canned Pear Pound Cake
- Raspberry Almond Cake Ispahan
- German Black Forest Cake Recipe
- Browse all the Cake Recipes
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Maraschino Cherry Cake
Enjoy this Maraschino Cherry cake recipe to make a simple one-layer cake with a finishing touch of yogurt-covered almonds and cherries on top. It is an impressive dessert for your afternoon tea or any holiday. This easy recipe requires 10 minutes of active, hands-on time!
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the cake batter:
- ⅔ cup + 2 ½ teaspoons (95 g) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons (65 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (8 g) honey
- ⅓ cup (80 g) eggs (see note #1)
- ⅓ cup (70 g) grapeseed oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2.5 oz (70 g) chopped almonds
- 2.5 oz (70 g) pitted maraschino cherries
For the decoration:
- 3.5 oz (100 g) apricot jam
- 3.5 oz (100 g) yogurt covered almonds
- powdered (icing) sugar
- 5 maraschino cherries with stems
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- 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 and mix well. Slowly drizzle in grapeseed oil mixed with salt until emulsified.
- Add chopped almonds, pitted and drained maraschino cherries (without cherry syrup), and slightly combine to keep whole cherries. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake pan 7 inches/18 cm in diameter and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan, flip it upside down, and let it cool.
- To decorate, crush yogurt-covered almonds in a food processor. Cover the cake all over with the heated apricot jam. Generously sprinkle with chopped yogurt-covered almonds. Dust the top of the cake with powdered (icing) sugar and arrange maraschino cherries with stems.
Notes
- 80 g whole eggs are approximately equal to 1 ½ whole extra large chicken eggs (eggshell removed).
- 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 are in love with two- or three-layered cakes, double or triple the recipe. Spread your favorite cream between layers and decorate the cake.
Nutrition
- Calories: 341
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 87 mg
- Fat: 14.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.7 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
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. All posted pictures are mine.
Sapana says
Yum!! Love how simple and easy this was to make. Turned out perfect.
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Sapana, I am happy to hear that you loved the cake! Thanks a lot!
Alison says
This cake is beautiful and easy to make. Tastes great too!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Alison, it is nice to hear that you enjoy the cake. Thank you!
Patty at Spoonabilities says
This cake sounds so delicious and is such a perfect dessert for any occasion!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
This cake is a wonderful combo of effortless making and a great taste! Agree!
Pam Greer says
What a gorgeous cake!! I'm going to try my homemade maraschino cherries with it! So, it will be a little boozy!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Believe me that maraschino cherries in alcohol will be just perfect! I love to add some alcohol (rum, brandy, etc.) to desserts to bring an additional the flavor. Enjoy!
Traci says
Super YUMMM! Love this easy, delicious recipe! Gonna be hard to wait for this one to cool down enough to eat 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Traci, I agree with you! My guys cannot wait till I finish decoration of the cake!
Lauren Vavala says
What a delicious combination of flavors with the honey, almonds, and cherries! What a great summer dessert!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you! Actually, this cake is universal: due to canned maraschino cherries, you can make it all year round!
Tatiana says
Love the idea of the cherries!! Easy desserts recipes are great to have on hand. I’ll be pinning this recipe.
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Tatiana! Yes, this cake is simple yet delicious!
Vicky says
I love finding new cake recipes that I can make for dessert. My kids are big fans of cherries so I know they will love it. I like the fact that it doesn't take a lot of my time to put together.
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Vicky, you will love this cake more when you know that the recipe uses only one bowl to make the dessert! An easy cleanup for a busy mom:)
Andrea Metlika says
This cake looks so fluffy and delicious. Love the flavors with the cherries, almonds and grape seed oil.
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Andrea! The combo of cherries with almonds is one the best. As for the grape seed oil, it is neutral, but adds additional moisture to the cake.
Raia Todd says
Looks like a delicious cake! I love the topping!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Raia. Cherries on top! What could be better?:)
Jessica Formicola says
This is such a gorgeous cake! I can't wait to make it for our BBQ this weekend!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Jessica, your guests and you will enjoy the cake! Guaranteed!
Kate says
This has so many great flavours! Genius to add the yogurt covered almonds.
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Kate, thank you! I have another idea of sprinkling a cake all over. Will post a recipe in the nearest future. Stay tuned:)
Danielle says
Simple cake that I would certainly love because... there are cherries involved! Time to roll up my sleeves and make myself this deliciousness!
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Danielle, thank you! Just let me know how the cake turns out!
Krissy Allori says
Yum! This looks really good.
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Krissy!
Noel Lizotte says
I love cakes that can travel! my family is large and we often have get potluck dinners. Recipes like this are perfect.
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Noel, I agree with you. This cake will tolerate any trip and changes of the temperature. It is just perfect!