This fast and easy Cherry Cake is deliciously moist, made with yogurt and bursting with fresh cherries. Serve it plain or with a dollop of whipped cream and a chocolate dipped cherry!

When we think of summer food what do we think of? BBQs, Ice Cream and of course all the amazing fresh fruit. From Peaches, to Watermelon to Cantaloupe to yup, one of my favourites Cherries.

So needless to say I had to make a cake with Cherries. When it comes to cherries I adore fresh cherries not candied cherries or Maraschino Cherries. Nope fresh all the way. The only thing was pitting them seemed to be a big project in my opinion! But surprise surprise it wasn’t.

How to Pit Fresh Cherries

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After a lot of searching to see the best way to pit a cherry,
from a chop stick to an actual Cherry Pitter to what I used.
One of my newly acquired Stainless Steel Straws .
Because not only are they great for the environment but they make the best cherry pitters!
Just remove the stem, stick the straw through the top and gently push to remove the pit. Worked every time!

I remember back in Toronto when my sister had the most amazing Cherry Tree! The tree was full of cherries every year! So of course when I moved to Italy I told my husband we had to have a Cherry Tree, unfortunately I think that tree has been listening to our Lemon Tree.

The thing is huge but if we get 3 cherries we are lucky! Although the blossoms are absolutely gorgeous the beginning of Spring, so that kind of makes up for it.

This Cherry Cake Recipe is very easy, full of cherries and deliciously moist. It’s perfect on its own, with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning for breakfast (Italian’s love a slice of a simple cake in the morning) or snack in the afternoon.

How to Make a Cherry Cake

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a the bowl of your stand up mixer on medium speed beat the eggs and sugar and until light and fluffy.

Then add the zest and vanilla and beat. Then slowly add the vegetable oil and continue beating. Add the yogurt and milk and beat on low speed to combine, add the flour a third at a time, beating on low and scraping the bowl after each addition just until smooth.

how to make a cherry cake the ingredients, the batter and ready for baking in the pan

Fold half the pitted cherries into the batter, then pour into the prepared cake pan, top with remaining cherries, be sure to press down lightly with a spatula. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar before baking. Bake until golden and done, test with a toothpick for doneness.

Recipe Tip

If you don’t like using vegetable oil then you can substitute with coconut oil, light olive oil or even melted butter.

How to Store a baked Cherry Cake

The Cherry cake may be kept at room temperature for a day if the area is not too warm, after that the cake should be covered with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to a week.

Can I freeze a Baked Cherry Cake?

The cake can also be frozen be sure to wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. The cake should keep up to 4 – 6 months.

How to keep Cherries from sinking in the batter

Toss the cherries with a couple of teaspoons of all purpose flour and mix to coat. Then add the cherries to the batter and continue with the recipe. If using frozen cherries, don’t thaw them but lightly toss them in flour, the flour will help absorb some of the liquid.

More Summer Fruit Desserts

However you serve this Cherry Cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a chocolate dipped cherry or with just a dusting of Powder Sugar I hope you enjoy it. Enjoy!