Cakes

Italian Orange Cake with Blueberries

July 24, 2021 by Marisa 17 Comments

Italian Orange Cake with blueberries, is a wonderfully dense and moist cake baked in a rose shaped Bundt pan for a lovely sculpted look.

This Italian-style breakfast cake uses the juice and zest of fresh oranges with folded blueberries in the mix. It’s then brushed with an orange glaze and crowned with more sweet blueberries for a spectacular looking dessert!

You’ll find it perfect for Sunday brunches, potlucks and yet elegant enough for special occasions.

I happen to have a love affair with beautiful intricate shaped baking pans as seen in my previous recipe of this flavorful lemon-thyme cake baked in a loaf pan.

Regardless of how simple a cake recipe is, when baked in decorative pans, the end result is just so pleasing to the eye!

It needs nothing more than a light syrup or glaze. Or even at times unadorned, with a final dusting of powdered sugar to enhance the look of the cake.

In fact whenever I bake my lemon Ciambella or our family’s much sought after apple cake, that’s all it needs indeed!

However, at times it can be challenging to effortlessly release the cake from the intricately designed mould. So do ensure you have a good cake release product.

Here I used a baking spray from Wilton (not sponsored) which allowed me to release the cake effortlessly.

But know that there is a difference between cooking spray and baking spray. You’ll want a baking spray because these such sprays contain flour and adds that extra release protection we need in baking.

Another good alternative is to brush the inside of your pan with softened vegetable shortening or butter and then dust with flour. Use a kitchen brush if you have one, as this lets you get into those narrow crevices and hard to reach places.

So prep your Bundt pan and lets get baking!

Ingredients for a Bundt Cake with Blueberries

flour
sugar
eggs
vegetable oil
fresh orange juice and zest
milk
baking powder
salt
blueberries

How to Make an Italian Orange Cake

Here are a few things I prep ahead before mixing the wet ingredients!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 10 inch (3 litre) Bundt pan or an angel food pan and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set this aside.
In a measuring cup, stir together the freshly squeezed orange juice and milk. And set aside.

Now we’re ready for the wet ingredients. You can use the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer.

Step 1: First beat together the oil and sugar until well combined.

Step 2: Next, beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in the orange zest.

Switch your mixer on stir mode or low speed for the next step.

Step 4: Using your stand mixer or hand held mixer, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the juice and milk mixture. Make 3 additions of flour and 2 of juice and milk mixture.

Step 5: Fold in the 2 cups of blueberries.

TIP: Toss the blueberries with a bit flour while shaking off any excess. This helps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the bowl.

6- Use a ladle to spoon the cake batter evenly around the prepared pan. Evenly spooning the cake batter into the pan will allow better distribution of the blueberries. Then smooth out the top and give the pan a light tap on your counter to release any air pockets.

7- Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees F (180C) for approximately 50-55 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack.

Let cool for 20 minutes then loosen the edges of the cake and invert onto a serving platter.

And now you’re ready to glaze this pretty and delicious Italian orange cake. But first we have to make the glaze!

Simple Orange Glaze

Citrusy glazes are one of the easiest ways to enhance a cakes flavor. They’re quick, easy and ready in mere minutes!

Just follow the simple steps below.

Orange Glaze: Combine 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of orange juice in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil a minute or so while stirring often.

You can also just as easily use the microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t boil over. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and allow the glaze to cool a little.

Finally, brush the top and sides of the cake with the orange glaze.

TIP: Use a pastry brush to get into the crevices of the rose shaped bundt cake.

When you’re ready to serve the cake, fill the centre with the remaining 2 cups of blueberries and top with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

You’ll find it easy to make, eye catching gorgeous and so delicious!

And if blueberries are not your jam then you might just enjoy a Pear and Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake. It’s exquisitely moist, made with a pear and rosemary compote.

Happy Baking!

This post was originally published on June 25, 2015 and republished July 24, 2021 with new photos and content.

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Italian Orange Cake with Blueberries

An Italian orange cake recipe with blueberries. This Italian-style breakfast and rose shaped cake is incredibly moist and delicious. It makes a spectacular looking dessert for just about any occasion.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian Orange Cake with Blueberries

Servings:

Calories: 385kcal

Equipment

Bundt Pan

Ingredients

For the Cake Batter

2½ cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
1/2 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 cups blueberries

Orange Glaze

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice freshly squeezed

Garnish

2 cups blueberries
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

For The Cake

Grease and flour a 10 inch (3 litre) Bundt pan or an angel food pan and set aside
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
Stir together the milk and orange juice. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the oil and sugar until well combined.
Beat in the eggs one at a time till fully combined.
Stir in the orange zest.
With the mixer on stir mode, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the milk and juice mixture, making 3 additions of flour and 2 of liquids.
Toss 2 cups of blueberries with some flour while shaking off any excess. (this helps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.)
Fold in the floured blueberries into the cake batter.
Use a ladle to pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan in an even circular fashion. This will allow the blueberries to be evenly distributed.
Smooth out the top and give the pan a light tap on your counter to release any air pockets.
Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 50 to 55 minutes.
Test for doneness with a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean then it's ready.
When ready, remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.

Orange Glaze

Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining 1/3 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup of orange juice.
Heat in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes while taking care it does not boil over and stir at 15 seconds intervals.
Loosen the cake around the edges of the pan and invert onto a serving platter.
Brush the cake with the orange glaze and allow to cool completely.
Once cooled, fill the centre of the orange cake with the remaining 2 cups of blueberries and dust with powdered sugar.
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Lemon and Thyme Cake with Lemon Glaze

July 6, 2021 by Marisa 10 Comments

A deliciously moist lemon loaf cake with a lovely hint of thyme. This easy to make lemon cake is made with olive oil which imparts an exquisite depth of flavour to baked goods. And along with the yogurt, it renders the cake with a wonderfully light and moist crumb.

Dress it up with a luscious lemon glaze for an extra tangy bite and watch every slice disappear in a flash!

Lemon glazed desserts are by far my favourite kind of sweet treats. So much so that you’ll find quite a few more of these lemonlicious goodies, in one form or another, here on the blog.

From soft cake-like Lemon Ricotta Cookies topped with a lemon glaze to the ever popular Italian knot cookies we call Tarallucci al Limone.

Other zesty Italian cookies that take a deep dive into lemon glacées are Ciambelle Cookies and yes, even biscotti!

Glazes have a way of elevating simple sweets to flavoursome, toothsome desserts!

And all you need for a lemon glaze are two ingredients!

Icing sugar, otherwise known as powdered sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. So simple!

And here today, this lemon concoction dazzles when adorned over a simple loaf cake!

Main Ingredients for a Lemon Thyme Cake

Sugar: I used granulated sugar and processed the sugar and thyme together in a food processor. This infuses the sugar with the thyme scent.
Thyme: A little goes a long way and enhances this loaf cake with its peppery-sweet taste.
Flour: The flour along with the baking powder and salt is sifted directly over the wet ingredients to break up any lumps while making mixing that much easier.
Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature and make sure to whisk them for 2 minutes alongside the thyme-sugar and olive oil to aerate the eggs.
Olive Oil: Gives a wonderful flavour to baked goods and reduces saturated fat.
Yogurt: It’s creamy texture helps to keep baked goods fresh and light.
Lemon zest and juice: Adds a bright and sweet taste to baked goods. It’s a bite of sunshine in every morsel.
Baking powder: Helps baked goods to rise and will lighten its texture.
Salt: Enhances the flavors of all ingredients used.

How To Make A Lemon Thyme Cake with Yogurt and Olive Oil

Step 1: In a bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whisk together the sugar-thyme mixture, eggs, olive oil and lemon zest. For about 2 minutes.

Step 2: Whisk in the lemon juice and the yogurt till well combined.

Alternately, you can use a hand held mixer.

Step 3: Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix till combined.

Step 4: Pour the cake batter into your prepared loaf pan.

Gently tap the loaf pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.

Step 5: Bake the lemon cake in a preheated oven for approximately 50 to 55 minutes.

Test for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean then it’s ready.

Step 6: Allow the lemon and thyme cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.

And now we’re ready to glaze this simple lemon and olive oil cake.

Glaze Tips:

If you want to have that brilliantly white snow capped look adorning your lemon loaf cake, you’ll need to allow it to cool completely after it’s released from the pan.

Glazing a still warm cake will give the glaze a translucent runny appearance. Which is ok if that’s the appearance you’re looking for.

Finally, let the glaze set and dry out before slicing into the sweet loaf. This should take a couple of hours.

Waiting a couple of hours not only allows the cake to soak up some of the glaze but it’ll also be easier to slice into. A wet glaze is a messy glaze!

The final step, and this is optional. I poke about a dozen or so holes over the cake with long wooden skewers. And then I drizzle the lemon glaze over the cake.

This allows some of the glaze to seep into the loaf and absorb some of the glacé. You’ll end up with an extra moist crumb in every bite.

But do allow it to set for a couple of hours as this firms up the glacé and makes slicing so much easier!

This lemon loaf stays fresh for quite a few days which is great if planning ahead.

Keep it stored at room temperature in a seal proof container. Or slice, wrap and freeze in individual portions for a quick grab-and-go treat.

Happy Baking!

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5 from 5 votes

Lemon and Thyme Cake

A deliciously moist lemon loaf cake with a hint of thyme. This easy lemon cake recipe is made without butter and topped with a luscious lemon glaze for an extra tangy bite.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Lemon Thyme Cake

Servings:

Calories: 262kcal

Ingredients

Lemon Thyme Cake

1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon thyme
2 large eggs
lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup yoghurt
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice approximately

Instructions

Lemon Thyme Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour a loaf pan or use your favourite non-stick baking spray.
Place the sugar and thyme leaves in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to combine. This infuses the sugar with the thyme scent.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whisk together the sugar-thyme mixture, eggs, olive oil and lemon zest. (For about 2 minutes)
Add in the lemon juice, yoghurt and whisk till combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt directly into the mixing bowl.
Stir together, either with a wooden spoon or the "stir mode" of your stand mixer.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Give the pan a little tap on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50 to 55 minutes. Or until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool slightly in the loaf pan for about 10 minutes.
Then, invert the cake directly onto a cooling rack positioned over a tray. (the tray will catch any drippings from the glaze)
Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze

Prepare the lemon glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a medium sized bowl.
With a long wooden skewer, poke holes on top of the loaf cake. About a dozen or so, as this will allow the cake to soak up some of the glaze.
Slowly drizzle the lemon glaze over the cake.
Allow the glaze to set and then garnish the top of the loaf cake with thyme leaves and small lemon wedges.
Slice, serve and enjoy alongside fresh berries if desired.

Nutrition

Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

March 27, 2021 by Marisa 32 Comments

Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake is a traditional Italian ring shaped cake. It’s so incredibly light with an airy fluffy crumb and infused with both the juice and zest of lemons. It makes for one very simple yet elegant dessert recipe.

Italians are notoriously known for their dolci, or rather sweet treats. Especially those yummy morsels that we leisurely love to dip in a steaming cup of coffee, tea or even milk.

It’s customary for us to break our morning fast with a biscotto, cornetto (little horn) which is not unlike a French croissant or even a brioche.

After all, aren’t mornings made for this?.

And, have I mentioned how much we love our sweets?

What is a Ciambella?

Ciambella is essentially referred to any round ring shaped cake, doughnut or even tiny ring cookies such as these lemon glazed Ciambelle Cookies. And also these rope shaped Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies.

But some would also call this type of Italian cake, a Ciambellone which references its larger shape.

In terms of simplicity, it probably doesn’t get much easier than this to make.

It’s all with ingredients you most likely already have on hand and you can whip up at a moments notice.

Shall we get started!

How To Make A Traditional Italian Lemon Cake

Step One: In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and then set this aside.

Step Two: In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar on medium high speed for about 2 minutes. The egg and sugar mixture should be pale yellow in colour.

Step Three: Mix in the oil, water, vanilla, lemon zest and juice to the egg mixture.

Step Four: Mix in the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat till smooth. Make sure to stop and scrape down the bowl if using a stand mixer.

Step Five: Pour the cake batter into a greased bundt pan.

Step Six: Bake the Italian lemon cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F., for about 45 minutes.

When ready the top of the cake will have a golden brown colour and will feel firm to the touch.

You can also check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer on top of the ciambella cake. If it comes out dry then the cake is ready!

Allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes. Take a butter knife or offset spatula and run it around the inside edges of the pan to loosen the cake.

Do take care not to scratch the non stick finish of your bundt pan. You don’t want to ruin a beautiful decorative bundt pan!

When you’re ready to serve this simple lemon cake, all it needs is a dusting of powdered or confectioner’s sugar.

You can enjoy this Italian breakfast cake accompanied with your morning cup of coffee or tea. Or simply a cold glass of milk if you so wish!

This Italian cake would also be great as an anytime dessert when you’re craving an easy to make lemon sponge cake.

How to prepare a bundt pan for a Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

Decorative cake pans can elevate a simple sponge cake to one of pretty elegance that would grace any table quite beautifully.

However, with all their intricate patterns and nooks and crevices, it can be quite a chore to release the cake with its pretty shape all intact.

I love, love decorative Bundt pans but although they have a non stick finish I always grease them.

One product I always use is Cake Release from Wilton. This is not a sponsored post and I’m not compensated in any way.

It has the consistency of softened butter and a little goes a long way.

I use a pastry brush so that all the sides and crevices are properly coated. You’ll want to brush the centre cone as well.
Hold up the pan near a light source just to make sure you don’t miss a spot. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way.
With the Cake Release product I don’t need to flour my pan.
If your choice of coating is melted butter, then consider using a pastry brush just the same for even distribution and then lightly dust with flour.
Make sure to tap any excess flour out over your kitchen sink. You don’t want any sticky flour residue over your cake.

Having said that, if you have another foolproof method that works for you, then use that and maybe share it in the comments below.

I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Baking!

Other Italian cake recipes you’ll love:

This recipe was originally published Sept. 13 2019 and republished March 27 2021 with new photos and content.

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4.27 from 15 votes

Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

A Ciambella is an Italian cake that is baked in a round cake tin. It's a typical Italian lemon breakfast cake that's light and spongy and so incredibly easy to make.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

Servings:

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Bundt Pan

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
lemon zest from 2 lemons
1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
powdered sugar for dusting over the cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat together the eggs with the sugar on medium high for about 2 minutes or until creamy and pale in colour.
Add in the oil, water, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and mix till combined.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until smooth and the batter falls into a ribbon like flow when the beaters are lifted.
Make sure to scrape down the bowl if using a stand mixer.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour and firm to the touch.
Alternately, you can insert a toothpick to check for doneness.
If the wooden toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, you'll know the cake is done.
Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes.
Loosen the edges with an offset spatula or butter knife. Take care not to scratch the non stick finish of your bundt pan.
Gently invert onto a wire rack to release the cake and allow to cool completely.
When ready to serve dust with confectioners sugar, slice and enjoy!

Nutrition

Italian Grape Cake Recipe

September 6, 2020 by Marisa 9 Comments

An incredibly moist Italian Grape Cake Recipe made with olive oil and scented with orange zest, almond and a hint of thyme. It’s an Italian-style harvest cake and a simple yet perfect way of baking with grapes.

Fall is fast approaching and with it comes a whole new season of culinary delights.

In Italy, grapes are harvested between the end of August to mid October. During this period it’s quite customary to present a dish or sweet treat with the newly harvested foods.

Alas, since I’m nowhere near Italy at the moment, I look no further than my favourite farmer’s market for the best grapes I could find.

Which now begs the question, have you spotted these Thomcord grapes yet?

Thomcord grapes are a hybrid of the seedless Thompson grapes. They’re very thin skinned and with the sweetest aromatic taste ever.

If not for the fact that they are packaged and sold in clusters while still intact on their vine, one would seriously think these tiny grapes are blueberries.

And much like blueberries the thin skin clings to the grape when bitten into.

And now begs another question! Have you ever baked with grapes before?

If not then all I can say is…oh my goodness…you’re missing out my friend!

When baked these fresh grapes turn a deep purple hue in color with pools of soft jammy goodness.

With this olive oil grape cake, each bite has a burst of sweetness and is complimented with the citrus, almond scent and hint of thyme.

It stays incredibly moist for days and has a lovely contrast in texture with some crunchy sliced almonds scattered over the grape cake.

Lets bake this Italian-style cake shall we!

How to Make an Italian Grape Cake

Start by sifting together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. And set the flour mixture aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs with the granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in color. About 3 minutes.

Add the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme to the egg mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.

Fold in 1 cup of grapes with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the cake batter into a greased and floured 9 inch springform pan. Or grease with your favourite baking product.
Scatter the remaining cup of grapes evenly over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds

Bake the grape cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes.
When ready the cake will be deep golden brown in color and should spring back when touched with your fingertip.
Alternately, you can check for doneness with a small wooden skewer. If a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean then it’s ready.

Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack. Run a knife along the sides of the pan and allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes before releasing the cake from the springform pan.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar just before serving.
Garnish with sugared grapes if desired. (check instructions below on how to make sugared grapes)

How to Make Sugared Grapes for Garnishing

Making sugared grapes is really quite easy but does require a little patience. Most of the time involved is inactive time.

To make the sugared grapes for garnishing, you’ll need:

3 small clusters of grapes on the vine or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup
1/3 water cup

First, we’ll make a simple syrup. Place 1/3 cup of sugar and equal part water in a small stock pot. Heat on medium low and stir together till the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from heat.

With a slotted spoon, dip the grapes in the simple sugar mixture while turning to coat all over.

Transfer to a wire rack and let the grapes dry for 1 hour.

Then, roll the grapes in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar while taking care to cover the entire surface of the grapes.

Return to the wire rack and let dry for another hour so that the sugar adheres to the grapes.

These sugared grapes add a pretty touch and also compliments this grape studded cake. But really, you can use them to garnish any sweet treat. They would also be perfect to serve with cocktails.

If planning ahead you’ll be happy to know that this Italian Grape Cake Recipe will stay fresh for quite a few days. And, it actually tastes better the following day!

It’s moist. Flavourful. And not too sweet. Making it a perfect breakfast cake or a special treat for brunch!

Happy Baking!

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5 from 1 vote

Italian Grape Cake Recipe

An incredibly moist Italian Grape Cake Recipe made with olive oil and scented with orange zest, almond and a hint of thyme. It's an Italian-style harvest cake and a simple yet perfect way of baking with grapes.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Harvest Cake, Italian Grape Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 343kcal

Equipment

9 inch spring form pan

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup almond milk or regular milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
orange zest from 1 medium orange
1 teaspoon thyme leaves optional
2 cups small seedless grapes such as Thomcord, Thompson or Concord divided (1 cup in cake batter and 1 cup to scatter over top)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
powdered sugar for dusting over the cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in colour. About 3 minutes.
Mix in the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme until well incorporated.
Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.
Fold in 1 cup of the grapes with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and level off with the back of a spoon.
Scatter the remaining 1 cup of grapes evenly over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds.
Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
When ready the cake will have a deep golden brown colour and springs back to the touch. Or, if a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean then it's ready.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
Run a knife alongside the edges of the pan and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Release the cake from the springform pan and cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Garnish with sugared grapes or fresh thyme leaves if desired. (see notes below on how to make sugared grapes)

Notes

Ingredients for sugared grapes:

3 small clusters of grapes on the vine or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup
1/3 water cup

Simple Syrup:

Place 1/3 cup of sugar and equal part water in a small stock pot.

Heat on medium low and stir together till the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from heat.

With a slotted spoon, dip the grapes in the simple sugar mixture, turning to coat all over.

Transfer to a wire rack and let the grapes dry for 1 hour.

Roll the grapes in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar while taking care to cover the grapes all over with the sugar.

Return to the wire rack and let dry for another hour so that the sugar adheres to the grapes.

Enjoy as a garnish for decorating sweet treats.

Nutrition

Cherry Crumb Cake Recipe

July 10, 2020 by Marisa 37 Comments

A deliciously moist and tender Cherry Crumb Cake that is sure to receive rave reviews at your next potluck or barbecue. This easy to make breakfast type cake is crowned with fresh ruby red cherries and a lemon scented, almond crumb streusel topping.

Having a neighbouring outdoor farmer’s market that’s opened 24 hours a day certainly has its perks. Especially coming off work after a late evening shift!

This farmer’s market is in the heart of a bustling metropolis. The fruit and vegetable stands are filled great produce at extremely affordable prices. However, they’re only opened during the Spring to Fall.

With cherry season upon us and outdoor stands brimming with one of summer’s luscious fruits, who can resist the pull to purchase this delectable fruit!

I’d be quite content savouring every juicy bite while basking in the warmth of a beautiful sunny day. However… transforming them into a special baked treat…is definitely the cherry on the cake!

How to Make an Almond Streusel topping for a Crumb Cake

We’ll start first with this almond and lemon scented crumb topping.

Simply combine the flour, sugar, melted butter, sliced almonds, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.

Stir the crumb top ingredients together until the mixture is crumbly. Use your hands to do this as it makes the job a whole lot easier.

Let it chill in the fridge while you pit the cherries.

And if you’re planning ahead, this almond streusel topping can be made and stored for up to 5 days.

How to Pit Cherries

To easily pit the cherries, it goes without saying that a cherry pitter is your best friend here!

But no worries if you don’t have one. You can just as easily quarter the cherries around the pit with a pairing knife.

I find it messier with a knife but it definitely gets the job done!

Once the cherries are all pitted, you can either slice them in half or in quarters. Both are fine for topping the cherry cake.

Set the cherries aside while you prepare the cake batter.

How to Make a Cherry Crumb Cake

With a stand mixer or a hand held mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
If using a stand mixer, make sure to stop occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the eggs one at a time while mixing well after each addition.
Mix in both the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a separate bowl, whisk well together the flour, baking powder and salt. This will remove any large lumps.
With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while alternating with the almond milk. You can substitute the almond milk with buttermilk or whole milk.
Pour the cake batter into a greased 8 inch springform pan and smooth the top with an off set spatula.

Scatter the pitted and quartered cherries evenly over the cake batter. If they overlap somewhat, it’s totally ok.

Sprinkle the almond crumb topping over the cherries while making sure to spread evenly over the cherries and covering them completely.

Bake the cherry cake for about 1 hour.

Test for doneness with a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean when inserted in the middle, then you’re good.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.

Then release the cake and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cherry crumb cake with powdered sugar, slice and serve!

This cherry crumb cake has all the makings of a delicious coffee cake. It’s wonderfully soft and dense in texture.

It makes for a lovely contrast with the burst of cherries just beneath the crumbly layer of almond crumble topping.

And there’s definitely some sweet goodness in every bite!

Happy baking!

This recipe was originally published June 23, 2017 and republished with new content and photos July 10, 2020.

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Cherry Crumb Cake

An almond flavoured Cherry Crumb Cake recipe made with fresh cherries. This easy to make cake is crowned with a lemon scented streusel topping.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Breakfast cake, Cherry Crumb Cake, Coffee cake, Streusel cake

Servings:

Calories: 346kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

ALMOND CRUMB TOPPING

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

FOR THE CHERRY CRUMB CAKE

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
1/4 cup almond milk substitute with buttermilk or whole milk
1 pound cherries pitted and quartered

Instructions

ALMOND CRUMB TOPPING

Combine all ingredients for the almond crumb topping in a small bowl and stir until the mixture is crumbly.
The mixture can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

CHERRY CRUMB CAKE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Grease and flour an 8 inch springform pan then line the pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.
If using a stand mixer make sure to occasionally stop and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
With the mixer reduced to low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while alternating with the almond milk.
Begin and end with the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Spread the pitted cherries evenly over the cake batter.
Sprinkle the almond crumb topping over the cherries.
Bake the cake for about 1 hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before releasing the cake and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 6 days.

Notes

Recipe is adapted from Bake From Scratch Magazine July/August issue 2017 with a few switch-ups.

I omitted the pecans, lime and fresh ginger to the crumb topping simply for personal taste.

I replaced them with lemon zest and sliced almonds to enhance the almond taste in the crumb topping.

Also I substituted the buttermilk with almond milk because that's what I usually have readily on hand. And what I found is that it complements the almond flavour of the cherry cake quite well.

But feel free to use buttermilk or whole milk if you prefer.

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