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breakfast cake

Cherry Crumb Cake Recipe

July 10, 2020 by Marisa 37 Comments

Serving a slice of cherry crumb cake

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. 

Cherry crumb cake recipe

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!

Fresh cherries on a white wooden board.

How to Make an Almond Streusel topping for a Crumb Cake

Almond streusel topping in a yellow and blue bowl.

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

Pitted cherries on a white wooden board.

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

Almond cake batter in a grey mixing bowl.
Cake batter poured in a silver baking pan.

  • 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.

Sliced pitted cherries topped over cake batter.

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

Almond streusel topping sprinkled over cherries in a baking pan.

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.

Cherry crumb cake dusted with powdered sugar.

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!

Cherry cake sliced into 8 portions.

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!

Serving a slice of cherry crumb cake

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

Cherry crumb cake recipe
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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: 12
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 458IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

 

Filed Under: Cakes, Dessert Tagged With: breakfast cake, cake, cherry, coffee cake, crumb topping, dessert

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