Cherry Chip Cake with Cherry Frosting

Maraschino cherries are the star of this show-stopping Cherry Chip Cake with Cherry Frosting. Soft, fluffy and pretty-in-pink, this homemade sheet cake with cherry buttercream is better than any box mix on the market.

Pretty please with a cherry on top. We’ve all said this fruity phrase when making a desperate plea. But why choose those particular words? Because there are times when a simple please just isn’t enough to get to a yes. Prettying up the please takes the request to the next level, but adding a maraschino cherry on top is the ultimate ask. The cherry is everything. Red and shiny, sweet and stemmed, the mere mention of this sugar-preserved garnish can break anybody’s resolve.

When I say anybody I mean anybody: drug lord or authoritarian dictator–it doesn’t matter. Even tough guys have soft spots for a cherry on top. And if evil doers can be swayed by a single cherry, just imagine the enchantment wielded by a entire jar of cherries. It could be world changing. Think about it: this Cherry Chip Cake recipe can win a blue ribbon at the fair, the war on drugs and a freaking Nobel Peace Prize. That is the might of the maraschino cherry.

For decades, Betty Crocker’s cherry chip cake mix has tried to unlock the persuasive magic of cherries. But a dusty box of cake mix on a grocery shelf won’t get you any favors. The true power of cherries can only be harnessed in a homemade cake. Soft, fluffy and the perfect shade of princess pink, a from-scratch Cherry Chip Cake will sweet talk anyone without a single word. With its subtle cherry flavor, bits of maraschino cherries and cherry flecked buttercream, there’s nobody you cant twist around your little finger with this treat.

Before sharing the recipe for Cherry Chip Cake with Cherry Frosting, here are a few tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a sour milk substitution by stirring 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice into 1/2 cup of whole milk and let it set 5 minutes before use.

Cake flour gives this cake its tender, fluffy texture. If you don’t have this ingredient in your pantry, simply make a cake flour substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch. For this recipe, measure 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour into a bowl then remove 5 Tablespoons of flour. Next, add 5 Tablespoons of cornstarch to the bowl then sift the mixture 3 times. Do not skip the sifting step since it’s essential for aerating the flour.

Preparation Tips

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping overpacks flour into the measuring cup which results in dry, dense cake.

Cool cake completely before frosting.

Cherry frosting can be made a day ahead if covered and stored in the refrigerator. Allow frosting to sit at room temperature a few minutes to soften then re-whip with an electric mixer to fluff it back up before use.

How to Store Cherry Chip Cake

Unfrosted cake will keep covered at room temperature up to 5 days. Once cake has been frosted with cherry buttercream, cover and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Cherry sheet cake can be frozen up to 3 months. First cover with plastic wrap then with a layer of aluminum foil and place in an airtight container before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

I hope you enjoy this homemade Cherry Chip Cake recipe. Please leave a rating and review below when you try it out. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like pink food then you’ll love these Thumbprint Cookies with Icing. This buttery sugar cookie recipe with pink buttercream frosting makes soft, sweet treats perfect for cookie trays and coffee breaks. 

Cherry Chip Cake with Cherry Frosting

Heather Wolf

Maraschino cherries are the star of this show-stopping Cherry Chip Cake with Cherry Frosting. Soft, fluffy and pretty-in-pink, this homemade sheet cake with cherry buttercream is better than any box mix on the market.

5 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cupcakes

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

Cherry Chip Cake

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large egg whites room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 3/4 cup full fat sour cream room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
• 3/4 cup maraschino cherries finely chopped
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

Cherry Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 10 maraschino cherries finely chopped
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 6 cups powdered sugar packed
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Garnish

• maraschino cherries stemmed

Instructions

 

Cherry Chip Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick baking spray then set aside.
• Add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined then set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth — approximately 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Beat in egg whites, one at a time, until incorporated.
• Add vanilla and sour cream then beat until combined.
• Reduce mixer speed to low then add dry ingredients to wet. Beat until just combined-–no longer or cake will be dry.
• Add buttermilk, chopped cherries and cherry juice then continue beating on low until batter is lump free. Avoid overmixing.
• Pour batter into the 9×13 baking pan then smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Remove cake from oven and cool to room temperature before frosting.

Cherry Frosting

• In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth–approximately 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Add chopped cherries and cherry juice. Beat on low until combined.
• Add powdered sugar, salt and cornstarch beating on low until incorporated then increase speed to high and beat until fluffy.

  Note: if frosting is too thick add a bit more cherry juice to thin. If frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar until thickened.
• After cake has cooled completely, frost with cherry buttercream. If desired, garnish with stemmed cherries.

  For best results, chill frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing to allow frosting time to set.

Store

• Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Keyword cake, cherry, cherry chip