If you love cherry desserts, you will love this bursting with cherry flavour, cherry layer cake. The cake is tinted pink with cherry juice from none other then a maraschino cherry jar. Maraschino cherries are mixed into the cake batter to make sure the cherry flavour shines. A tart cherry cream cheese frosting finishes off this cake that is perfect for any occasion!
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🍒An old fashioned cake, but a goody!
This cherry layer cake is perfectly vintage and reminds me of a cake that would be served at a 1950's diner. I can see a waitress in a poodle skirt carrying this to a customer...anyways, back to the cake!
Because we use maraschino cherry juice in the cake and the cream cheese frosting, the cake has a pretty pink hue to it. And lots of cherry flavour! This cherry layer cake can be made any season, and would be perfect to serve anytime!
If you like cherry desserts, try my classic cherry pie, black forest trifle, or cherry chocolate loaf cake!
🥘Ingredients
Cherry cake layers
Cherry cream cheese frosting
Ingredient notes
- Maraschino cherries - You will need two 10oz (or 375ml) jars of maraschino cherries. 1 full jar for the cake and 1 jar needed for the juice for the frosting, and some cherries to decorate. You will have some leftover cherries. Use them on top of ice cream with whipped cream!
- Cream cheese - Use the block cream cheese, which is the kind for baking. Use full fat for best taste. A lighter cream cheese will still taste great though!
🔪Instructions
Cherry cake layers
Grease and line three 8" or 9" round cake pans with parchment paper. I used 8" cake pans. If you use 9", the cake layer will be a little thinner and will not take as long to bake. Start checking them at 22 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. In another medium bowl, whisk egg whites, cherry juice, milk, and vanilla together.
Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sour cream and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Mix in half the dry ingredients until combined. Mix in all the egg white mixture until combined, then the rest of the dry ingredients. If you like your frosting smoother, whisk it until smooth.
Mix cherries with 2 tablespoons of flour until coated, then fold into cake batter. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cherry cream cheese frosting
Beat butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Add cherry juice and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in powdered sugar until fully combined.
To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake decorating plate, or a serving plate, and top with some frosting, about half a cup. Place another cake layer on top, and frost, then another cake layer, and more frosting.
Frost the sides of the cake, and decorate the top with piped frosting and cherries. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Leftovers will keep for 3 days.
For more step by step photos, see the web story for Cherry Layer Cake!
✔️Expert tips
- You will need two 10oz (or 375ml) jars of maraschino cherries for this recipe. 1 full jar for the cake and 1 jar needed for the juice for the frosting, and some cherries to decorate.
- Mix the cake ingredients until just combined.
- To ensure a cake is moist, you can brush each layer with a simple syrup. Heat ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool at room temperature before using.
- If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
💭FAQs
You can make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months. Wrap each layer with plastic wrap and store in freezer bags. Decorate the cake with the frozen cake layers. If you really want them at room temperature, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Toss the cherries with a bit of flour before folding them in the cake batter. The flour will help the cherries "stick" to the batter, so they won't sink to the bottom of the cake pan.
🔖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
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Cherry Layer Cake {with Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting}
Equipment
- Three 8" or 9" round cake pans
Ingredients
Cherry Cake Layers
- 2½ cups all purpose flour + another 2 tablespoons for dusting cherries
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 large egg whites room temperature
- ⅔ cup maraschino cherry juice
- ¾ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 20 maraschino cherries
Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- 8 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cherry Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350° (180°C). Grease and line three 8" or 9" round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- In another medium bowl, whisk egg whites, cherry juice, milk, and vanilla together.
- Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sour cream and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in half the dry ingredients until combined. Mix in all the egg white mixture until combined, then the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Mix cherries with 2 tablespoons of flour until coated, then fold into cake batter. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Add cherry juice and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in powdered sugar until fully combined.
Assembly
- Place one cake layer on a cake decorating plate, or a serving plate and top with some frosting, about half a cup. Place another cake layer on top, and frost, then another cake layer, and more frosting.
- Frost the sides of the cake, and decorate the top with piped frosting and cherries. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Leftovers will keep for 3 days.
Notes
- You will need two 10oz (or 375ml) jars of maraschino cherries for this recipe. 1 full jar for the cake and 1 jar needed for the juice for the frosting, and some cherries to decorate.
- Mix the cake ingredients until just combined.
- To ensure a cake is moist, you can brush each layer with a simple syrup. Heat ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool at room temperature before using.
- If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Linda
I’m looking for a cherry cake for my friends birthday. This looks awesome. I would like to bake it as a whole cake and not layers. What pan would you recommend and bake time. I have a number of different tube pans.
Nina
Hi Linda! I always bake cakes in separate layers, so I haven't tried baking all of the cake together. As it's a 3 layer cake, it would be difficult to try that. I recommend half the recipe and bake as a one layer cake in in one 8" or 9" pan. Baking time depends on which pan you choose. I would say to bake it for anywhere between 20-30 minutes. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. I hope this helps and please let me know how it goes! 🙂
Cynthia Gracie
Made this for fathers day, super easy and looks delicious! I made 2 cakes and had a hard time getting them to cook in the recommended time so I think they are a little overdone. I bought maraschino syrup from Amazon (will be great for SOOOOO many other things) and I am doing a store bought cherry frosting that I will probably doctor. Hopefully I can add an edit tomorrow when we munch 😊
Nina
I hope you have a great Father's Day Cynthia 🙂
Linda
Hi there - love the sound of this cake but was SO disappointed that there were no metric measurements available! I don't understand the cup measuring system - especially for things like butter- as I'm in the UK. I have bakes some of your recipes that do have our measurements and they have nbeen fantastic thanks!
Nina
Hi Linda! Thank you for coming back and trying more recipes of mine! So sorry that I forgot to add the metric measurements to this recipe. I like to weigh certain ingredients too. I have added the metric measurements now.
Amy Powell
Made this for a friends birthday, it was perfect! I’ve never had a cake cook so perfectly before! Will definitely be making this again!!!
Nina
Hi Amy! That's awesome! I'm so glad it was a hit 🙂
Kay
Wow this cake is way too dense!
Not enough cherries and lacking cherry flavor in the cake.. The frosting was very good. I made 2 layers and the recipe for the frosting should be cut in half.
Nina
Hi Kay! I wonder if you mixed the cake batter too long. That would result in a dense cake. Also check the date of your baking powder. An expired baking powder would make the cake not rise enough.
If you like a strong cherry flavour, you could try adding a cherry extract. I think the balance of the cherries, maraschino cherry juice, and the cherry frosting balances wonderfully though. The frosting is the correct amount for a three layer cake.
Katt D
Would you think there is a way to use real cherries somehow? Like frozen/thawed ones chopped up? Not really a maraschino fan, but cherry cake sounds awesome...Thanks for any thoughts....
Nina
Hi Katt! I think the substitution would work. You could use cherry juice instead of maraschino cherry juice in the cake batter and the frosting. It might make the cake a darker pink though. Let me know if you try it!