This cherry coffee cake is made with fresh or frozen cherries, and lemon zest, and topped with a buttery crumble topping.
This delicious coffee cake is made with fresh, juicy cherries, that are bursting with fruity flavor. The cake is topped with a sweet and crunchy crumble, adding a nice texture contrast.
A sprinkle of lemon zest gives the cake a bright, zesty kick that perfectly complements the cherries. This cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee.
It's easy to make and uses simple ingredients, making it a great choice for both beginner and experienced bakers.
The combination of moist cake, tart cherries, and crispy topping creates a balanced and satisfying dessert that's sure to please everyone at the table.
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
- Cherry flavor- this cake has a perfect balance between the tartness of cherries and lemon and the sweetness of the cake, creating a delicious and satisfying cake that is hard to resist.
- Texture- the soft, moist cake combined with juicy cherries and crunchy crumble topping provides a comforting texture that's both satisfying and enjoyable to eat.
- Crumb topping- it is topped with a crunchy and buttery crumble topping that is spiced with cinnamon and adds a perfect texture to this cake.
- Perfect for any occasion- this cake is perfect for brunch, dessert, holiday, snack, or breakfast!
- Simple- this recipe is made with a few simple ingredients you can find in any supermarket and is perfect for cherry season. It can be made with with fresh or frozen cherries.
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.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of this dessert.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Cherries- I used sweet cherries for this recipe. The other options are using sour cherries, frozen cherries (thawed and drained), or canned cherries (drained).
Lemon zest- you will need 2 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest.
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired.
Greek yogurt- get your Greek yogurt to room temperature. Any percent of fat will work for this recipe.
Buttermilk– gives the cake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have one 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.
Sugar- I used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that you use room-temperature eggs in this recipe.
Vanilla extract- you can use vanilla bean extract or pure vanilla extract for better flavor.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the crumble topping
Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar for this recipe, but you can use dark brown sugar as well.
Cinnamon- I love adding cinnamon to the topping. If you are allergic to cinnamon, you can skip this step.
Melted butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. melt your butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Melted butter adds to this cake with lots of moisture.
Instructions
Start by preheating an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare a 10-inch round baking pan with parchment paper.
Make the crumble topping: In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, kosher salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined.
Add the melted butter and mix until well combined. Place in the fridge while you make the cake.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the cooled melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, buttermilk, kosher salt, and Greek yogurt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
Pour the cake batter into the parchment paper-lined baking pan and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Pit the cherries and cut them in half. Top the cake batter with an even layer of cherries.
Top the cake with the streusel topping and press the streusel topping onto the cake batter so it sticks and does not fall off while baking.
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, usually with a few crumbs.
Expert Tips
- Push the streusel topping onto the cake lightly so it would stick to the top of the cake while baking and not fall off.
- Choose ripe cherries. Select plump, juicy cherries for the best flavor. Fresh cherries are ideal, but frozen ones can work well too if fresh aren't available.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and milk. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cake and not dense and dry cake.
- Pit the cherries carefully. Use a cherry pitter to remove the pits without damaging the fruit. If you don't have a pitter, a small knife or paperclip can work in a pinch.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Test for doneness carefully. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check if it's done. Be mindful of cherry juice that might make the toothpick appear wet even when the cake is fully baked.
- Be patient! I know it's extremely tempting to eat this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let this cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won't crumble up.
Faq's
Yes. We used fresh cherries for this cake, but frozen cherries will work great as well. Do not thaw the cherries before adding them to the mixture.
Coffee cake, despite its name, doesn't contain coffee. It's a sweet breakfast cake meant to accompany coffee. Unlike dessert cakes, it often has a streusel topping and a denser texture.
Coffee cakes are typically flavored with cinnamon, fruit, or nuts, making them a popular breakfast or dessert.
Baking cherries, also called sour or tart cherries, are smaller and more acidic than sweet cherries.
Their tart flavor and firm texture make them ideal for pies, preserves, and desserts, contrasting well with sweet ingredients in recipes.
Storing
It’s okay to store this cake at room temperature for up to 2 days. Then, store the cake in the fridge for another 2 days. Make sure that you store the cake in an airtight container so it won’t dry out.
Freezing
To freeze this coffee cake, start by allowing it to cool completely after baking. Once cooled, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, ensuring no air pockets remain.
For added protection, cover the wrapped cake with a layer of aluminum foil. Label the package with the date and contents, then place it in the freezer.
The cake can be stored frozen for up to three months. When you're ready to enjoy it, simply remove the cake from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Substitutions
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Dairy-free- you can make this cake dairy-free by replacing the butter with vegan butter the buttermilk with vegan milk or buttermilk, and the yogurt with vegan yogurt.
Variations
Add-ins- make this recipe your own and add your favorite add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, banana slices, chopped fruit, etc.
Fruit- If you don't like cherries or are allergic to them, you can simply replace them with your favorite fruit like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.
Cherry pie filling- you can use cherry pie filling for the cherries instead of using plain pitted cherries.
Double the cherries- for more cherry flavor and more cherries in your cake, you can use double the cherries!
Cream cheese glaze- top this cake with cream cheese glaze instead of topping it with powdered sugar. You can use the recipe from my cinnamon roll cheesecake recipe.
Equipment
- I recommend using an electric hand mixer for this. You can also use a stand mixer for this with a guitar attachment.
- 10 inch baking pan
- Whisk set- my favorite copper whisk set.
- Mixing bowls- best glass mixing bowls.
- Rubber spatula
- Cherry pitter
- Offset spatula
More cherry recipes
Cherry galette- This decadent and easy cherry galette is made with a buttery flakey crust and filled with a delicious cherry filling.
Cherry pie- This homemade cherry pie is incredible. Our homemade cherry pie is made with a delicious and easy cherry pie filling and the easiest flakey 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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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Cherry Coffee Cake W/ Crumble Topping
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
- Start by preheating an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare a 10-inch round baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crumble topping: In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, kosher salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined.
- Add the melted butter and mix until well combined. Place in the fridge while you make the cake.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the cooled melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, buttermilk, kosher salt, and Greek yogurt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
- Pour the cake batter into the parchment paper-lined baking pan and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Pit the cherries and cut them in half. Top the cake batter with an even layer of cherries.
- Top the cake with the streusel topping and press the streusel topping onto the cake batter so it sticks and does not fall off while baking.
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, usually with a few crumbs.
Notes
- Push the streusel topping onto the cake lightly so it would stick to the top of the cake while baking and not fall off.
- Choose ripe cherries. Select plump, juicy cherries for the best flavor. Fresh cherries are ideal, but frozen ones can work well too if fresh aren't available.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and milk. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cake and not dense and dry cake.
- Pit the cherries carefully. Use a cherry pitter to remove the pits without damaging the fruit. If you don't have a pitter, a small knife or paperclip can work in a pinch.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Test for doneness carefully. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check if it's done. Be mindful of cherry juice that might make the toothpick appear wet even when the cake is fully baked.
- Be patient! I know it's extremely tempting to eat this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let this cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won't crumble up.
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