This incredible cherry coffee cake is made with fresh or frozen cherries, fresh lemon zest, and topped with a buttery crumble topping.
This delicious coffee cake is loaded with sweet, juicy cherries, and you can use either fresh or frozen cherries, making this a perfect recipe to bake all year round!
It is topped with a thick, crunchy brown sugar streusel. A hint of fresh lemon zest in the batter adds a bright, zesty kick that balances the sweet cherries perfectly.
It’s incredibly moist thanks to a combination of buttermilk and Greek yogurt, making it the perfect treat for breakfast, weekend brunch, or a simple afternoon snack with a hot cup of coffee.
For more coffee cake recipes, check out my blueberry sour cream coffee cake, banana coffee cake, and coffee cake muffins.
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Why this recipe works
- Perfect Sweet-Tart Balance: The natural sweetness of the cake and crumble contrasts beautifully with the sweet and tart cherries and fresh lemon zest.
- Ultra-Moist Crumb: Using both Greek yogurt and buttermilk ensures the cake stays incredibly tender and soft for days without drying out.
- Extra Crunchy Streusel: A generous layer of cinnamon-spiced crumble adds the perfect texture contrast to the soft cake base.
- Year-Round Baking: This recipe works beautifully with fresh cherries during summer stone-fruit season, or with frozen cherries in the winter.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Unsalted Butter: Melted and slightly cooled. If using salted butter, remove the salt from the recipe.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the perfect structure. Cake flour works great as a swap too!
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the batter and keeps the cake moist. Could be swapped with caster sugar.
Eggs: You will need two large, room-temperature eggs so they emulsify smoothly into the wet ingredients.
Greek Yogurt & Buttermilk: The ultimate moisture duo. The acidity in both activates the leaveners for an incredibly tender texture.
You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have it on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Lemon Zest: Freshly grated to add a bright, zesty contrast to the cherries.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Your leavening agents to give the cake a beautiful, fluffy rise. Make sure they are up to date and not expired.
Vanilla Extract & Kosher Salt: To deepen the flavors and balance the sweetness. Vanilla bean extract is best for this.
Cherries: Pitted sweet or sour cherries. Fresh ones cut in half are perfect, but frozen cherries work great too (see tips!).
For the crumble topping
All-Purpose Flour: Holds the streusel clumps together.
Light Brown Sugar: Adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness to the crunch. Can be replaced with dark brown sugar, but keep in mind it will be darker in color.
Cinnamon & Kosher Salt: Adds a warm spice and balances the sugar.
Melted Butter: Binds the dry ingredients into perfect, buttery crumbs.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 10-inch round baking pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper.
Make the Crumble Topping
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of kosher salt until well combined.
Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork or spoon until clumpy crumbs form. Pop the bowl into the fridge to firm up while you make the cake batter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, buttermilk, kosher salt, and Greek yogurt. Whisk vigorously until smooth and completely combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and mix just until the dry pockets disappear. Do not overmix!
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 10-inch round baking pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the pitted and halved cherries evenly across the top of the batter.
Sprinkle the chilled crumble topping generously over the cherry layer. Gently press down on the streusel with your hands so it adheres to the batter and stays put during the bake.
Bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 60–70 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing so it doesn't crumble. Top it with powdered sugar if desired, serve, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Press the Streusel: Don't skip gently pressing the crumble onto the cake before it goes into the oven. This locks it into the batter so it doesn't spill everywhere when you slice it.
- Baking with Frozen Cherries: If you are using frozen cherries, do not thaw them first! Thawing makes them mushy and bleeds excess juice into the cake. Toss them onto the batter straight from the freezer.
- Room-Temperature Dairy: Make sure your eggs, yogurt, and buttermilk are at room temperature before whisking. Cold ingredients will seize up the melted butter, resulting in an uneven, lumpy batter.
- Don't Overmix: Mix the flour in just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten, turning a light, tender coffee cake into something dense and bready.
- Watch the Toothpick Test: When checking for doneness, try not to poke directly into a juicy cherry, which can make a fully baked cake look wet on the toothpick.
Troubleshooing
Why did my streusel sink into the cake?
This happens if your batter is too thin (usually from overmixing or mismeasuring the flour) or if your crumble pieces were pressed down too aggressively.
Why is my cake dry?
Coffee cakes can dry out quickly if overbaked. Start checking the cake with a toothpick around the 55-minute mark, as oven temperatures can vary.
Can I use canned cherry pie filling?
While fresh or frozen cherries give the best texture, you can use drained canned cherries or a few swirls of cherry pie filling if you are in a pinch.
FAQS
Yes! Frozen cherries work beautifully. Just remember to add them to the top of the batter straight from the freezer. Do not thaw them beforehand, or they will release too much moisture into the cake.
Traditional coffee cakes don't actually contain coffee! They get their name because they are intended to be served alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea during breakfast or brunch.
Their defining features are a moist crumb and a sweet streusel topping.
A cherry pitter makes the job much faster, but if you don't have one, you can easily press a metal straw or an unbent paperclip through the center of the cherry to pop the pit out the other side.
Storing
You can keep this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, move it to the refrigerator for an additional 2 days to keep the fruit fresh.
Freezing
Let the baked coffee cake cool completely. Wrap the entire cake (or individual slices) tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature before serving.
Substitutions
Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend containing xanthan gum.
Dairy-Free: Swap the butter for a plant-based block butter, use a dairy-free Greek yogurt alternative, and make your own dairy-free buttermilk using almond milk and a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Variations
Double Cherry: Fold a half cup of chopped cherries directly into the batter before pouring it into the pan, then top with the remaining cherries.
Cream Cheese Glaze: Drizzle a simple powdered sugar and cream cheese glaze over the cooled streusel topping for an extra touch of sweetness. You can use the cream cheese glaze from my lemon cream cheese bundt cake.
Berry Swap: Swap the cherries out completely for fresh raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries depending on what is in season.
Crunchy Nut Addition: Toss a half cup of chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumble topping for an extra layer of texture.
Equipment
- 10 inch baking pan
- Mixing bowls- best glass mixing bowls.
- Cherry pitter
- Offset spatula
- Whisk & Rubber Spatula
- Parchment Paper
More cherry recipes
Cherry galette- This decadent and easy cherry galette is made with a buttery flaky crust and filled with a delicious cherry filling.
Cherry pie- Homemade cherry pie is made with a delicious and easy cherry pie filling and the easiest flaky pie crust.
Cherry Cheesecake- This cherry cheesecake is a creamy New York-style cheesecake topped with an incredible cherry cheesecake topping.
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📖 Recipe
Cherry Coffee Cake (Fresh Or Frozen Cherries)
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter unsalted, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 2 ½ cups Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 cups Cherries
For the crumble topping
- 1 cup Flour
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 0.4 cup Butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 10-inch round baking pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper.
Make the crumble topping
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of kosher salt until well combined.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork or spoon until clumpy crumbs form. Pop the bowl into the fridge to firm up while you make the cake batter.
Make the cake
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, buttermilk, kosher salt, and Greek yogurt. Whisk vigorously until smooth and completely combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and mix just until the dry pockets disappear. Do not overmix!
- Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 10-inch round baking pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the pitted and halved cherries evenly across the top of the batter.
- Sprinkle the chilled crumble topping generously over the cherry layer. Gently press down on the streusel with your hands so it adheres to the batter and stays put during the bake.
- Bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 60–70 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing so it doesn't crumble. Top it with powdered sugar if desired, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Press the Streusel: Don't skip gently pressing the crumble onto the cake before it goes into the oven. This locks it into the batter so it doesn't spill everywhere when you slice it.
- Baking with Frozen Cherries: If you are using frozen cherries, do not thaw them first! Thawing makes them mushy and bleeds excess juice into the cake. Toss them onto the batter straight from the freezer.
- Room-Temperature Dairy: Make sure your eggs, yogurt, and buttermilk are at room temperature before whisking. Cold ingredients will seize up the melted butter, resulting in an uneven, lumpy batter.
- Don't Overmix: Mix the flour in just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten, turning a light, tender coffee cake into something dense and bready.
- Watch the Toothpick Test: When checking for doneness, try not to poke directly into a juicy cherry, which can make a fully baked cake look wet on the toothpick.
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