Cherry Chip Cake: Homemade cherry chip cake is easier to make than you think! Tender vanilla cake is dotted with maraschino cherries that give it a hint of sweet cherry flavor.
This nostalgic cake makes a perfect birthday cake, Valentine’s Day dessert, or treats for special occasions!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Cherry chip cake is one of those fun cakes that has a special place in my heart. Not only are the flavors amazing but I have love for anything pink!
Now although there’s the Betty Crocker super moist cherry chip cake mix variety, sometimes it’s fun to make cakes from scratch.
I was intimidated the first time I attempted to make a from-scratch cherry chip cake, but it turns out it’s pretty simple!
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a boxed cake mix and it definitely has its time and place. But if you are looking to make a delicious cherry cake from scratch, with simple ingredients, keep reading. You won’t be disappointed!
It makes a fabulous party cake recipe (whether that party is for a first birthday, wedding day, or some other celebration). If you’re looking for party ideas (decorations, favors, food…) we have so many on the blog. Check them out!
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Ingredients for cherry chip cake recipe
This easy cherry chip cake recipe is one of those cake recipes that has stood the test of time, and for good reason. Simple ingredients come together to create this lovely pink cake that’s tasty and fun!
This cake definitely delivers on the promise of great taste!
- 1 cup salted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice from a can
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ cups maraschino cherries (diced)
Ingredients for Cherry Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice from a can
How to make cherry chip cake
- Heat oven to 325° F and cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed.
- Once the butter and sugar are creamed together, add the eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and cherry juice to your mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture together until the ingredients are just combined (don’t overmix).
- Add the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and whisk again. Whisk the mixture until no clumps of flour remain and the mixture is smooth.
- Fold in the diced maraschino cherries until they are evenly distributed throughout the cake batter.
- Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of each one. Fill each pan up with an even amount of batter (this will help your cake layers to bake the same).
- Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick can be removed from the centers cleanly.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the fridge while you prepare the cherry frosting.
How to make cherry frosting
- To prepare the frosting, combine the butter and powdered sugar (on low speed if using electric mixer) until well combined.
- Slowly add the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is well combined.
Assembling your cherry chip cake
- Remove the cakes from the pans and cut off the excess bump on top of each cake.
- Spread some of your pink icing on the top of one of your 9-inch round cakes.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted cake.
- Add frosting to the top and sides of your layered cake with an offset spatula if you have. If you don’t have an offset spatula, you can use a butter knife to spread the icing along the top and sides of the cake.
- Place a few maraschino cherries or fresh cherries on top of the cake as decorations. Serve and enjoy!
If you’ve never assembled a layer cake before, this video shows you how to do it step by step.
Substitutions
Don’t have time to make the cake from scratch?
Use cake mixes instead! Grab a yellow cake or white cake mix and make the following changes:
- Add an extra egg
- Instead of the water called for on the back of the box, use whole milk
- Add 3 teaspoon cherry juice and fold in 1 1/2 cups chopped maraschino cherries
Don’t like maraschino cherries and want to use fresh cherries instead?
You absolutely can! You’ll need to get some cherry juice or blend some fresh cherries to replace the maraschino cherry juice called for in the cake and frosting, but you can definitely chop up fresh cherries to replace the 1 1/2 cups of chopped maraschino cherries in the cake recipe!
Equipment
This recipe calls for two 9-inch round cake pans. If you don’t have cake pans, you could also bake this cake in a greased 9×13 glass pan and serve it as a sheet cake instead of a layered cake!
Storage
This cake, iced and assembled, will last for about 5-7 days on the counter or in the fridge when the whole cake is in an airtight container.
Alternatively, you can store your cake layers in the freezer for 1-2 months and they will stay nice and fresh. Simply place the cake in the fridge to thaw before icing it and serving.
It is possible to freeze the iced and assembled cake, but freezing does change the texture of buttercream frostings like the one in this recipe. We would recommend freezing the cake layers and making the icing when you are ready to assemble the cake.
Expert tips and FAQs
While old-fashioned cherry chip cake is traditionally made with maraschino cherries, you can most definitely use fresh chopped cherries as well! You will want to blend some cherries to form a substitute for the cherry juice if you don’t have a can of maraschino cherries on hand and you opt to use fresh instead.
If you feel like there’s enough cherry flavor in this cake without adding cherry frosting too, there are several other options you can try.
You could try an old-fashioned vanilla frosting.
If you are looking for something unique, you could try this seven-minute frosting that incorporates egg whites, corn syrup, and sugar to make a fluffy meringue style frosting!
A chocolate frosting like this fluffy chocolate buttercream would pair nicely with the cherries in this recipe.
A marshmallow frosting like this one would be a fun one to try with this cake!
You could also frost this cake with a tangy cream cheese frosting like the one you’ll find in our easy carrot cake recipe.
Related Recipes
Now that you’ve mastered making a cherry chip cake from scratch, why not try another kind of cake from-scratch like our easy carrot cake recipe or our easy homemade marble cake!
Or, if you’re a fan of “cherry” anything, then these cherry cookies will be perfect for you!
AMAZING Cherry Chip Cake
Ingredients
Cherry Chip Cake
- 1 cup salted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice from a can
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ cups maraschino cherries* diced
Cherry Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice from a can
Instructions
Cherry Chip Cake
- Heat oven to 325° F and cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed.
- Once the butter and sugar are creamed together, add the eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and cherry juice to your mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture together until the ingredients are just combined (don't overmix).
- Add the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and whisk again. Whisk the mixture until no clumps of flour remain and the mixture is smooth.
- Fold in the diced maraschino cherries until they are evenly distributed throughout the cake batter.
- Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of each one. Fill each pan up with an even amount of batter (this will help your cake layers to bake the same).
- Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick can be removed from the centers cleanly.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the fridge while you prepare the cherry frosting.
Cherry Frosting
- To prepare the frosting, combine the butter and powdered sugar (on low speed if using electric mixer) until well combined.
- Slowly add the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is well combined.
Assembling Your Cake
- Remove the cakes from the pans and cut off the excess bump on top of each cake.
- Spread some of your pink icing on the top of one of your 9-inch round cakes.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted cake.
- Add frosting to the top and sides of your layered cake with an offset spatula if you have. If you don't have an offset spatula, you can use a butter knife to spread the icing along the top and sides of the cake.
- Place a few maraschino cherries or fresh cherries on top of the cake as decorations. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Jennifer says
Okay, this is the best cake recipe ever!! Seriously loved it so much & will be making again and again!
Betsy says
SOOOO much better than store bought! Seems silly to me to compare this incredible masterpiece to a boxed cherry chip cake, but there’s nothing else easily commercially available to compare it to… It’s silly because this is so far & away superior. Incredibly moist, so delicious, and I LOVE the chunks of actual cherries!
Trina Dugan says
It says add milk but doesn’t give amount in ingredients.. How much did you use?
Jessica says
Hi Trina! I’m so sorry. It was kind of hidden for some reason so I changed it and it’s there now! Thank you for asking!
Anna says
I needed a quick and easy dessert and this cake hit the note! It’s so fluffy and delicious! I can’t wait to make it again.