This homemade Cherry Chip Layer Cake made from scratch and topped with bright, beautiful maraschino cherries! Is it retro-modern? Is it vintage? Idk, but it’s definitely delicious. I take my cake baking very seriously and work hard to give you recipes that deliver consistently delicious results. If you love making cake recipes from scratch, be sure not to miss my Best Red Velvet Cake, Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting, or Homemade German Chocolate Cake!
Why we love this Vintage Cherry Cake
There is just something about the pretty pink chiffon color and maraschino cherries that make me think of frothy 1950’s prom dresses or something. It fills me with nostalgia for times I don’t even remember. And you just can’t eat a slice of this perfectly pink cake with lovely, fun cherry flavor and bits of maraschino cherry throughout and feel anything other than happy. It makes you feel like a kid again and like you don’t have a care in the world because you are eating cherry chip cake, of all things! It’s seriously bliss on a plate and I’m in love.
What is Cherry Chip Cake?
I remember eating cherry chip cake from a Betty Crocker cake mix as a kid, although it seems like it was always overshadowed by the flashier Funfetti mix. But I have to say that a boxed cherry chip cake has got nothing on this from scratch version. Each bite of this homemade vintage cherry chip layer cake bursts with sweet cherry flavor and is tinted the perfect shade of pink from the maraschino cherry juice from the jar. Lots of chopped up maraschino cherries are folded into the batter to make sure the cherry flavor really comes through and I love the tiny bit of texture that they add to the super moist, perfect cake.
Maraschino Cherry Cake Ingredients
Sugar – You’ll use granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar for the cherry frosting. Salted butter Vanilla extract Sour cream Egg & egg whites All-purpose flour Baking powder Milk Maraschino cherries – You’ll also need the maraschino cherry juice from the jar of cherries, so don’t pour it out. Shortening – I like using half butter and half shortening in the frosting because it lets the cherry flavor shine through better.
Cherry Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Add chocolate chips to the cake batter for a cherry chocolate chip cake! Try cream cheese frosting, chocolate frosting, or vanilla buttercream frosting in place of the cherry frosting. Halve this recipe and use it to make cupcakes.
How to Make a Cherry Cake
How to Make Frosting for Cherry Chip Cake
Beat butter and shortening in a large stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add powdered sugar alternately with the maraschino cherry juice, beating well between each addition. Be sure to stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Serving a Maraschino Cherry Cake
The gorgeous, bright maraschino cherries on top of the cake make up for a lot of my shortcoming when it comes to decorating anyway, I think.
Cherry Chip Cake Recipe Tips
Alternate Wet and Dry Ingredients
Lots of cake recipes (this one included) have you to add the wet ingredients like eggs and milk or water or buttermilk and oil (um, basically anything wet) and dry ingredients (typically just the flour and leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder and salt) to the creamed butter and sugar in alternating batches, usually ⅓ to ½ of each at a time. Then you mix well between each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. And there’s a good reason for this seemingly fussy extra task. Adding all the wet ingredients at once can make the batter to separate because it overwhelms the butter and sugar that you just creamed together. And if you add all of the dry ingredients at once, your batter is likely going to be really thick and the chance that you will over mix the batter go way up, which ultimately results in a tougher cake without the moist, tender crumb that you want in a layer cake. Instead of dumping all the wet and dry ingredients in at once, it’s best to add them alternately, in two or three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and stirring only until just combined each time.
Cherry Maraschino Cake Storage
Keep the cake covered with a cake dome or with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Store any leftover cake slices in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If stored in the fridge, let the cake come to room temperature before serving. Cold cake always tastes stale. You can also freeze the cake layers, cake slices, or the full cake for up to 2 months. Just wrap well in plastic wrap before freezing. Let thaw completely on the counter before serving.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
San Jose Burnt Almond Cake Best Red Velvet Cake German Chocolate Cake Homemade Funfetti Cake
Best Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
3-Layer S’mores Cake
Homemade Carrot Cake Recipe
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
