This Cherry Almond Cake features fresh cherries, almond extract, and a buttery crumb topping with sliced almonds. Finished with sweet almond glaze, this easy homemade cake is perfect for summer gatherings!
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Quick Recipe Overview
WHAT: A moist coffee cake with fresh cherries, almond flavor, buttery crumb topping, and sweet glaze.
WHY: Perfect texture balance, showcases fresh cherries, bakery-quality presentation, simple preparation, works for breakfast or dessert.
HOW: Mix cake batter, fold in cherries, top with almond streusel, bake until golden, drizzle with icing.
Jump to:
- Quick Recipe Overview
- Why I Love Making Cherry Almond Cake
- Ingredient Notes
- Cherry Almond Cake with Streusel Topping
- How To Make Cherry Almond Cake
- FAQs for Cherry Almond Cake
- My Best Tips for Making Cherry Almond Cake
- What to Serve With Cherry Almond Cake
- Storage & Reheating Tips
- More Delicious Coffee Cake Recipes to Try
Why I Love Making Cherry Almond Cake
Every summer when cherry season arrives, I find myself making this coffee cake a lot! There’s something about the combination of tender almond-scented cake, juicy cherries, and that irresistible crunchy topping that keeps my family asking for seconds.
This recipe highlights fresh cherries without being overly complicated. The almond extract adds a subtle sophistication that pairs beautifully with the fruit, while the crumb topping provides textural contrast that makes every bite interesting. Unlike fussy layer cakes that require precision and patience, this single-layer beauty comes together in about an hour from start to finish.
I’ve made this cake for birthday celebrations, neighborhood potlucks, and lazy Sunday afternoons when I just want something homemade and comforting. The springform pan makes it look bakery-worthy, but honestly, the technique is so straightforward that even beginner bakers get beautiful results.
🩷 Melissa
I always toss my cherries with a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter, and this simple step makes all the difference in keeping them evenly distributed throughout the cake instead of sinking to the bottom while it bakes.
When I’m mixing the crumb topping, I make sure to create varied clump sizes rather than fine, uniform crumbs, which gives the finished cake much better texture contrast and makes it look more rustic and appealing.
Ingredient Notes
Almond Extract: This concentrated flavoring is key to the recipe’s signature taste. A little goes a long way — ½ teaspoon in the batter provides noticeable almond flavor without being overwhelming. Look for pure almond extract rather than imitation for the best flavor.
Fresh Cherries: Sweet cherries like Bing or Rainier work beautifully, but tart cherries (like Montmorency) create a more complex flavor profile. If using sour cherries, add 2 tablespoons more sugar to the batter to balance the tartness.
Sliced Almonds: These add both visual appeal and textural crunch to the topping. Buy them pre-sliced or slice whole almonds yourself. Avoid chopped or slivered almonds, which don’t provide the same delicate appearance.
Springform Pan:The removable sides make serving easier and create a professional presentation. If you don’t have a 9-inch springform, use a regular 9-inch round cake pan, but you’ll need to cut slices in the pan with a knife rather than removing the whole cake.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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Cherry Almond Cake with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 cups fresh cherries pitted and quartered
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9″ springform pan with non-stick cooking spray with flour.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, almond extract and milk. Add flour mixture and mix just until combine. Stir in cherries.½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, ⅓ cup whole milk, 2 cups fresh cherries
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
- To make the crumb topping, add the sugar, flour, and butter to a small bowl, and use a fork to combine well. Add the almonds and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the top of the cake batter½ cup sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons butter, ½ cup sliced almonds
- Bake at 350º for 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract to create a thin glaze. Drizzle over the cake.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Cherry Almond Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2: Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and milk. Gently fold in the flour mixture with a spoon until just combined—don’t overmix or the cake light texture will be compromised. Fold in quartered cherries.
Step 3: Spread batter in pan. Mix sugar, flour, and melted butter with a fork, stir in sliced almonds, and sprinkle over batter.
Step 4: Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the toothpick test shows just a few moist crumbs. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 5: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract. Drizzle over cooled cake and serve.
FAQs for Cherry Almond Cake
Yes, you can use frozen cherries. Don’t thaw them first – add them frozen and quartered to prevent excess moisture. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
Use a cherry pitter for fastest results. Alternatively, you can use a paperclip: unfold it, push the rounded end through the stem, and hook out the pit.
Overmixing the batter develops too much gluten. Mix only the wet ingredients until the flour is just incorporated. Also ensure your baking powder is fresh and your butter is properly softened to room temperature for proper cake rise.
Yes, simply increase the vanilla extract to 2½ teaspoons total and omit the almond extract from both the batter and the icing. The cake will have a more classic vanilla flavor that still pairs wonderfully with the cherries and sliced almonds in the topping.
My Best Tips for Making Cherry Almond Cake
☞ Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature for a smoother batter and more even rise. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to curdle.
☞ Don’t Overbake: Start checking at 40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick has a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Overbaking will dry it out.
☞ Cool Before Glazing: Let the cake cool completely before adding the icing. Warm cake will cause the glaze to become too thin and absorb into the cake rather than creating a pretty drizzle.
☞ Make the Crumb Topping Chunky: Use a fork to combine the sugar, flour, and melted butter until you get pea-sized crumbs. Larger chunks create better texture contrast than fine crumbs, which tend to just melt into the cake.
What to Serve With Cherry Almond Cake
This cherry almond coffee cake pairs beautifully with hot coffee or tea for breakfast or brunch. Serve alongside scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit for a complete brunch spread.
For dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Greek yogurt makes a nice tangy contrast to the sweet cake. Fresh berries or additional cherries on the side complement the flavors perfectly.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Room Temperature
Store covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The cake stays moist at room temperature.
Refrigerator Storage
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving or warm briefly.
Freezer Storage
Freeze unfrosted cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add glaze before serving.
Reheating
Warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Make-Ahead
Bake the cake 1-2 days ahead and store covered. Add the icing glaze just before serving for best appearance and texture.
More Delicious Coffee Cake Recipes to Try
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Pat
This is the best recipe I have tried lately. I am a baker and always looking for new recipes. Today my search was for recipes with fresh cherries. I cannot tell you what an EXCELLENT******* recipe this is. I will try with other fruit in the future. If I could give you more than 5 * ,I would. My husband said to make sure I record this one in my book.
I did make a change or two because of what I had one hand. I used heavy cream instead of milk. I also used a sick of butter in the topping because I doubled the recipe. I doubled the recipe because I wanted to use a 13 x 9 pan. I did have to make 3 large muffins because it was a bit too much for the 13 x 9…
Paula
I made your Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake for a women’s breakfast….amazing. Not too sweet so the sweet berries were shining through. Tonight I am baking this one with the sour cherries for a meeting tomorrow…I can hardly wait to share with my friendd. Thank you for what has become my go to favorite coffee cake recipe. My sweet husband always wants a piece “to make sure it’s good enough to take”.
Barbara Schieving
Awwwww thanks for much for the sweet comment Paula! So nice to hear you’re enjoying the recipes.
Steve T Selleck
Very good recipe. Thanks.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Steve!
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
Lovely coffee cake! Love that there’s pink in it! It looks so delish!
Teak
Oh my goodness, the cherry coffee cake is fabulous! I used some frozen sour cherries and doubled the recipe, so I could share one with co-workers and freeze one for my family. We’ll have to do a long bike ride to earn our coffee cake prize, but it will be worth it! There was a bit of extra batter due to smaller spring forms used, so I filled two ramekins with mini cakes and my 18 year old son raved. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Teak for the great review. How nice of you to make one for your co-workers as well.
Teresa
Hey, Barbara, did you realize your third picture has “streusel” spelled incorrectly in the watermark? Just thought you’d want to know.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the heads up. It seems to be one of those words I always get wrong. I’m out if town but will fix it soon.
Teresa
No worries. I was thinking about trying this recipe with peaches since I’m trying to use up peaches from six trees in our back yard!
Jamie
This is one gorgeous coffee cake (most of yours are!) and don’t I love cherries and doesn’t my husband love a plain coffee cake with just the perfect amount of fresh fruit! Perfect!