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Cherry Chip Cake
Old-fashioned cherry chip cake is bright and bursting with cherry flavor, perfect for serving at birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or any other special occasion.
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Bright and bursting with cherry flavor, old-fashioned cherry chip cake is the perfect cake for almost any celebration. A beautiful pink cake, filled with maraschino cherries, and topped with luscious frosting.
MORE RECIPES: Cherry Danish | Cake Mix Cookies | Ambrosia Salad
Cherry Chip Cake
Vintage cherry chip layer cake is a made from scratch, two-layer, lip-smacking, whimsical cake that is sure to delight anyone who gets a slice. Bursts of cherry flavor fill the cake with more maraschino cherries garnishing the top.
A celebration on a plate, a slice of cherry chip cake is ideal for celebrating birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or any other special occasion. Of course, there’s no need to wait for a holiday, any day is a good day for a piece of cake.
Pair your homemade cake with easy homemade ice cream. Enjoy your cake with a glass of iced tea or a mug of hot chocolate.
Cherry Chip Cake Ingredients
- Flour - cake flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter - salted sweet cream butter, softened
- Sugar - granulated sugar
- Eggs - egg whites, room temperature
- Milk - whole milk
- Cherry juice - maraschino cherry juice
- Vanilla - clear vanilla flavoring
- Almond extract
- Cherries - chopped maraschino cherries
- Food color - red food color
Butter - unsalted butter, softened - Shortening - vegetable shortening
- Sugar - powdered sugar
- Half-and-half
- Cherries - maraschino cherries with stems, optional garnish
The key to preventing your cherries from sinking to the bottom of the cake is to coat them with flour. If you don’t have cake flour you can also use all-purpose flour to make this cake recipe.
Want your cake to be a different shade of pink? For a very light pink, you can omit the food color entirely as the cherries will give a hint of color to the cake batter. If you want a darker pink you can add an extra drop of red food color.
You want to make sure that your chopped cherries aren’t too wet. Make sure the paper towel soaks up as much extra juice as possible before adding the cherries to the other ingredients.
How to Make Cherry Chip Cake
Cherry Chip Cake
FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2 (9-inch) cake pans with baker’s spray (like Baker’s Joy or another brand) and set aside.
SECOND STEP: Using a slotted spoon, remove the maraschino cherries from the jar and chop enough cherries to equal ½ cup once chopped. Place the chopped cherries onto a paper towel-lined plate to allow all the excess juices to be absorbed. *You want to make sure your chopped cherries are not really wet* Set aside while preparing the rest of the recipe.
THIRD STEP: Once you have removed your cherries from the jar you can measure out your ⅓ cup of maraschino cherry juice and set it aside.
FOURTH STEP: Using a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Set it aside.
FIFTH STEP: Using either a stand mixer, or a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter and the granulated sugar for 1-1½ minutes, until light and fluffy.
SIXTH STEP: Lower the mixer speed to medium speed and add the eggs in one at a time, mixing until well combined.
SEVENTH STEP: Lower the mixer speed to low, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, cherry juice, vanilla flavoring, and the almond extract. Mix until well incorporated.
EIGHTH STEP: Add the food color and mix just until well incorporated.
NINTH STEP: Using a small bowl, toss the chopped cherries and the 1 tablespoon cake flour to completely coat the cherries.
TENTH STEP: Fold in the coated cherries.
ELEVENTH STEP: Evenly divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared cake pans.
TWELFTH STEP: Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to rest until completely cooled.
Frosting
THIRTEENTH STEP: Using either a stand mixer, or a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the softened butter and the shortening for 1-1½ minutes.
FOURTEENTH STEP: Lower the mixer speed to low, add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing just until combined.
FIFTEENTH STEP: Increase the mixer speed to medium, and drizzle the half-and-half, vanilla flavoring, and the almond extract. Continue mixing until the frosting is completely smooth. Reserve ¼ - ⅓ cup of the frosting for garnishing the top of the frosted cake.
SIXTEENTH STEP: Once the cakes are completely cooled, carefully remove one of the cake layers and transfer it to either a serving plate or a cake stand.
SEVENTEENTH STEP: Using either a spatula or an offset spatula, evenly spread a layer of frosting.
EIGHTEENTH STEP: Remove the 2nd cake layer from the pan and place it on top of the bottom cake layer.
NINETEENTH STEP: Using the spatula or an offset spatula, evenly spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
TWENTIETH STEP: Using either a piping bag and star tip, or a quart-size Ziploc with one tip snipped off, pipe 8 quarter-sized dollops of frosting around the top of the frosted cake. Place 1 cherry with the stem attached on top of the frosting dollops.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
If you don’t have cake flour you can make your own using all-purpose flour. For each cup of all-purpose flour, take out 2 tablespoons of flour and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot. This will make 1 cup of cake flour.
Can I make this as a 9x13 cake?
Yes, this layer cake can be made as a rectangular cake. By using a 9”x13” cake pan you may end up with extra batter and you will have to adjust the baking time.
How do I make the cake layers level?
Using cake strips around the cake pans can help ensure the cake layer's bake level.
What can I add to my cherry chip cake?
Chocolate and cherries are a delicious flavor pairing, and adding 1 cup of chocolate chips coated in flour is a fun addition to this cake.
How to Store Cherry Chip Cake
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover cake covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
IN THE FREEZER: Unfrosted cherry chip cake layers can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow the layers to thaw completely before frosting.
Cherry Chip Cake
Old-fashioned cherry chip cake is bright and bursting with cherry flavor, perfect for serving at birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or any other special occasion.
Ingredients
Cherry Chip Cake
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 8 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter,, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 extra-large egg whites, room temperature
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup maraschino cherry juice
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
- 1 tablespoon cake flour
- 1-2 drops red food color
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter,, softened
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 4 cups sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 8 maraschino cherries with stems, (optional garnish)
DIRECTIONS
Cherry Chip Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2 (9-inch) cake pans with baker’s spray (like Baker’s Joy or another brand) and set aside
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the maraschino cherries from the jar and chop enough cherries to equal ½ cup once chopped. Place the chopped cherries onto a paper towel-lined plate to allow all the excess juices to be absorbed. *You want to make sure your chopped cherries are not really wet* Set aside while preparing the rest of the recipe.
- Once you have removed your cherries from the jar you can measure out your ⅓ cup of maraschino cherry juice and set it aside.
- Using a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Set it aside.
- Using either a stand mixer, or a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter and the granulated sugar for 1-1½ minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Lower the mixer speed to medium speed and add the eggs in one at a time, mixing until well combined.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, cherry juice, vanilla flavoring, and the almond extract. Mix until well incorporated.
- Add the food color and mix just until well incorporated.
- Using a small bowl, toss the chopped cherries and the 1 tablespoon cake flour to completely coat the cherries.
- Fold in the coated cherries.
- Evenly divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to rest until completely cooled.
Frosting
- Using either a stand mixer, or a medium-size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the softened butter and the shortening for 1-1½ minutes.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing just until combined.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium, and drizzle the half-and-half, vanilla flavoring, and the almond extract. Continue mixing until the frosting is completely smooth. Reserve ¼ - ⅓ cup of the frosting for garnishing the top of the frosted cake.
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, carefully remove one of the cake layers and transfer it to either a serving plate or a cake stand.
- Using either a spatula or an offset spatula, evenly spread a layer of frosting.
- Remove the 2nd cake layer from the pan and place it on top of the bottom cake layer.
- Using the spatula or an offset spatula, evenly spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
- Using either a piping bag and star tip, or a quart-size Ziploc with one tip snipped off, pipe 8 quarter-sized dollops of frosting around the top of the frosted cake. Place 1 cherry with the stem attached on top of the frosting dollops.
Nutrition
Calories: 1081kcal | Carbohydrates: 180g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 149g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 1mg
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