The Best Cherry Coffee Cake

I love all things cherry. They’re so dark and mysterious, sweet but also tart, and just the perfect texture. So I can confidently say, this is truly the best soft cherry coffee cake.

As a kid, when I first heard the word “coffee cake,” I was immediately put off, as I presumed it had coffee inside it. My young child self thought that sounded revolting.

Thankfully for all of us, it is a cake that pairs perfectly with coffee (or a London Fog tea latte, as is my preference). Plus, it makes for the perfect sweet breakfast, brunch, or afternoon treat.

This recipe can use fresh cherries, frozen cherries, or canned cherries and is adapted from the one my mom used to make for us growing up (in the classic Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook). Shoutout to my Aunt Jean, who helped me workshop this recipe when I was super struggling and ready to throw in the towel!

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WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CHERRY COFFEE CAKE

Coffee cake is often a single-layer cake, hilariously containing zero coffee. You’ll often find a variety of coffee cakes with different flavors and spices, layered with some type of filling, and topped with a crumble or streusel.

While some coffee cakes can lean drier (hence the coffee pairing), this coffee cake is incredibly tender. You can also use fresh, frozen, or canned cherries, so, technically, you can have it year-round!

With prep that takes less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a delicious treat for breakfast or dessert, and it freezes beautifully. See the storage section for tips on freezing!

WHAT MAKES THIS CHERRY COFFEE CAKE DIFFERENT?

Soft, tender cake texture

Where some coffee cakes can lean dry, this homemade coffee cake is tender from the cake to the softly sweet crumb on top. All the layers work together to make a coffee cake that’s just as delicious the next day as it is fresh out of the oven.

Homemade cherry filling

While you can use canned cherry pie filling, this recipe shows you how simple it is to make your own cherry pie filling from scratch. This avoids the dyes and additives often found in store-bought versions, while still giving you a cherry-packed jammy layer.

Soft “melting” crumb topping

Unlike more traditional coffee cakes, which have a thick streusel, this crumb finish bakes up into a thin layer on top of the soft cake. Let me tell ya, it just melts in your mouth.

Layered coffee cake (no mixed-in fruit!)

As someone who often likes their fruit in separate layers, the cherry filling sits in its own layer on top of the cake batter, not folded in. Each bite gives you a clean layer of tender coffee cake, jammy cherries, and sweet crumble.

This technique also ensures an even distribution of cherries in each slice and prevents them from sinking straight to the bottom.

INGREDIENTS

• Cherries – Fresh, frozen, or canned cherries in their juices will work. You can use Bing, Rainier, or a mix of tart and sweet cherries!
• Cornstarch – Key for thickening your cherry mixture so it sits on top of your coffee cake
• Water – Just a little to loosen up those cherries as they cook down, for that ooey goo we all love
• Lemon Juice – To bring out some of the tartness in your cherries
• Sugar – Key for sweetness in the cake, but also as a thickening agent for the cherry layer
• Flour – Helps with structure in both the crumb topping and the cake itself
• Butter – For a rich flavor that you won’t get with a neutral oil
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Key leavening agents for your cake’s rise and balance
• Salt – Enhances the different flavors within your bake
• Milk – I prefer whole milk, but 2% milk will work fine too
• Egg – For structure and flavor in your coffee cake batter
• Vanilla Extract – Adds the perfect balance of flavor to this simple cake!

THE BEST CHERRIES FOR BAKING

Fresh Cherries

Depending on where you live, cherry season runs from mid-spring through most of the summer months (mid-May through August). This is when you’ll see anywhere from one to a mix of cherry varieties – Bing, Rainier, Black, etc. – in your local grocery store or farmers’ market.

Cherries have a seed in the center, aka the pit, which needs to be removed before baking or eating. I often use a cherry pitter for speed, or you can cut the cherry in half around the center, pop the two halves apart, and pull out the pit (similar to cutting a peach!).

Frozen Cherries

I love keeping a bag of frozen cherries in the freezer to enjoy recipes just like this one all year long. Frozen cherries will have a little more liquid to them, due to the iciness that coats them in the freezer, so you will likely need to cook them down longer than fresh cherries.

For this recipe, since we’re making a homemade cherry pie filling, you don’t need to thaw the frozen cherries in advance. Just throw them in the pot and get to cooking!

Tart vs. Sweet Cherries

Depending on your taste preferences, this coffee cake recipe can be made with all sweet cherries or a mix of tart and sweet cherries.

If you want to use all tart cherries, taste your cherry pie filling as it’s cooking, before it’s thickened. If it’s too sour, stir in a teaspoon of sugar and taste before adding more. The mixture will also sweeten lightly once it’s cooled.

Can I Use Canned Cherries?

For this recipe, yes, though I prefer fresh or frozen cherries. To be clear, these are the canned cherries in the fruit aisle, not canned cherry pie filling, which is usually found in the baking aisle.

If you prefer to use canned cherry pie filling, you do you! Just skip the ingredients and directions below for making your own homemade filling, and top your coffee cake (where instructed) with a can of your favorite cherry pie filling instead!

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY COFFEE CAKE?

Start by making your cherry filling…

First, make your cornstarch slurry by stirring together your water and cornstarch. This makes it easier to blend it into your filling with no unwanted lumps.

Add your cherries, cornstarch slurry, sugar, and lemon juice to a pot over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until thickened. It will seem like nothing is happening and then WA-BAM they will start to thicken very quickly.

Pour your homemade cherry filling into a heat-safe bowl and cool to room temperature. If you’re preparing in advance, you can cover your cherry mixture once cooled, and store it in the fridge for up to four days. 

Next, make your crumble topping…

Combine your flour, sugar, and cubed butter in a bowl. Use two butter knives, held in the form of an “X” against each other, to cut the butter into the flour and sugar until you have coarse crumbles.

You can also use your fingers instead of knives and rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Place it it in the fridge to keep the butter cold until you are ready to assemble your coffee cake. 

To make your soft coffee cake…

In a clean bowl, combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together your melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla.

Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and combine. You can use a spatula or whisk for this step.

The cake batter should be smooth with no flour visible, but be careful not to overmix past that point. Too much mixing and you’ll end up with a dense and dry cake.

Prepping and baking your cherry coffee cake…

Preheat your oven to 325°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Place a layer of parchment on the bottom of the pan to make removing the baked cake easier. 

To assemble, pour your cake batter into your prepared pan, then top with half of your crumb topping, sprinkled in an even layer. Spoon over your cherries – including all that delicious goo – into another layer before topping with the remaining crumb mixture. 

Bake low and slow for 60-65 minutes. The crumble will stay fairly white throughout the bake; don’t be alarmed.

The cake will be ready once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, with a few moist crumbs on it (and likely some cherry goo). Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for one hour before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely!

CHERRY COFFEE CAKE FAQS

MAKING AHEAD & STORING

Both your cherry filling and your crumb topping can be made in advance. Your cherry filling should be stored in a sealed container and will last in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

The crumb topping can be prepped and stored in the fridge up to three days. Make sure to store it in a sealed container to prevent any contamination or unwanted fridge “flavors” from seeping it.

Wrap your baked coffee cake airtight and store at room temperature for up to 5 days, though it’s best within the first 2-3 days. Additionally, you can store it whole or in slices in the freezer for up to 3 months!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This recipe is perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day brunch, or just when you want a socially acceptable cake for breakfast in the summer.

I’m a simple gal, so a piece of this cherry coffee cake and a mug of hot tea is perfect for me. It’s also great served with coffee (or so I’m told… since I hate coffee).

If you want to jazz it up, you can served this with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of a simple homemade whipped cream, or even a drizzle of melted chocolate!

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

More cherry recipes…

• Individual Pavlovas with Cherry-Berry Compote
• Black Forest Cake
• Classic Cherry Pie
• Chocolate Lava Cakes with Cherry Compote
• Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

Summer baking recipes…

• Strawberries and Cream Tart
• Easy No Bake Key Lime Graham Cracker Dessert
• Lemon Poppy Seed Blueberry Pie
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt
• 15-Minute Blueberry Syrup

Brunch baking recipes…

• Sweet Potato Blueberry Scones
• Four Muffin Flavors in One Batter
• Easy Mini Mediterranean Quiche for One
• Lemon Scones with Fresh Basil
• Cinnamon Roll Brioche Danishes