This Cherry Butter Cake is super easy, tastes great, and is moist. I am a lover of moist cakes – no dry and crumbly for me. Take a few minutes to make a dessert with wonderful flavors that your family and friends will love.
This mouthwatering dessert combines the richness of ooey gooey butter cake with the sweet and tart flavors of juicy cherries, creating a heavenly experience for your senses.
Why is it called butter cake?
A butter cake is a type of cake that is has a rich and buttery flavor. The key ingredient in butter cakes is, unsurprisingly, butter. The recipe uses butter, sugar, and eggs to create a smooth and creamy batter. Other add-ins for the batter are the flower mixture, sometimes sour cream, milk, or even butter milk, and of course flavorings.
Butter cakes can take on various forms and variations, such as pound cake, yellow cake, or even some types of sponge cake. Enjoy on their own or with simple toppings like powdered sugar or a light glaze. Additionally, they can serve as a base for more elaborate cakes with frosting, layers, and decorations.
The texture and taste of a butter cake can vary depending on the specific recipe used, but the emphasis is generally on the rich and buttery flavor that distinguishes this type of cake.
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Fruit Dessert
Take this butter cake to the next level by adding fresh fruit. We love this version with so much cherry flavor. However, you can make this with blueberry pie filling, apple, or peach pie filling.
Easy Dessert Recipe
With just a few simple steps you’ll have this in the oven baking in just a few minutes.
This recipe I put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a spoon. You can use a hand mixer to cream the wet ingredients, butter, milk, large eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Then stir together the flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture and just stir in.
I like to layer the cake batter with the pie filling. Add about half the batter into a prepared pan, then spoon on the pie filling and spread around. Lastly, spoon the rest of the cake batter on top of the cake.
Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes.
This has very few ingredients and turns out great.
While this cherry butter cake is for a 9 x 13 size cake pan, you could reduce this recipe in half and make an 8 x 8 or even a bread loaf pan size. Then I would call it a quick bread recipe.
When cool to room temperature, it’s time to glaze and enjoy.
This recipe freezes well too.
Side note, the photo of the fresh cherries has become a very popular picture for artists to draw. These artists have been so kind in sharing their versions of these delicious cherries. How fun!
Great for a Gathering
If you are needing to bring a dish to pass to any gathering, this is a great go-to recipe. First, it is easy to make. Second, it looks great.
Third, you do not have to worry as much about refrigeration when taking a dish to pass without a refrigerator or ice melting.
Fourth, it tastes great and you will probably have a few people ask you for the recipe. Last, you will probably not have any left to take home. So, you might need to make two if your family wanted to have seconds of this cherry butter cake.
Find Your Pie Filling Flavor
Make this with any type of pie filling you wish.
Did you know? In the bakeries and grocery stores, cherry flavored anything sweet is always the first items to be sold out. We love this in our house too. Therefore, I made this with cherry pie filling today.
Change up the flavors and add fresh fruit too.
Cherry lovers rejoice. You can dress this up easy recipe just before serving with diced cherries. Think about all the variety of cherries you can use to add another level of flavor, maraschino cherries, and dark sweet cherries to name a few.
While I used a can of pie filling, you can certainly make your own.
Recipe Variations
Swap out the milk for vanilla extract, lemon juice, or almond extract. Actually, I like to change up the glaze with these flavors.
When making the glaze add in maraschino cherry juice in place of the milk to make a delicious cherry glaze.
Change the fruit or use multiple types of fruit. Use the pie filling with the fresh fruit combination when serving.
Make This into a Quick Bread
Reduce this recipe in half and make a quick bread loaf. It is great as a snack cake with or without the glaze. Just right at the end of a meal.
This would also be a good potluck dish to bring. Goes together quickly, but looks great and tastes great.
This cake is ready for the oven
Glazing the Cherry Butter Cake
Add the glaze after baking and when this delicious moist cake has cooled. It just adds the right amount of sweetness to compliment the cherries. Perfect combination.
Did You Know? When glazing donuts, it uses the same glaze recipe. Just mix the ingredients and drizzle over the top. If left out, it will harden on the outside a bit so you can touch it without having it stick to your fingers too much.
Making Powdered Sugar Glaze
Make this glaze with just two ingredients; powdered sugar and a bit of milk.
Add just enough milk to make the mixture just the right consistency to drizzle on the delicious cherry cake. However, if you prefer not to use milk, water or other flavorings work well as a substitute. The flavor will be a bit sweeter for the glaze, but it is still yummy.
Super Moist Cherry Butter Cake
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) very soft
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 4 eggs
- 3 Tsp. vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 can cherry pie filling 21 ounce
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tblsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cream together butter, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla.1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 4 eggs, 3 Tsp. vanilla
- Add all-purpose flour and salt to the creamed mixture.3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt
- Pour 1/2 of the batter into prepared pan.
- Spread the cherry pie filling over the batter.1 can cherry pie filling
- Spoon the remaining batter over the cherry pie filling and spread to even out layer on cake
- Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 50 minutes or until center is soft to the touch. Remove cake and cool.
- For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar and milk. Once the cake is cool, spoon over the top and spread to the sides.1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 3-4 Tblsp milk
Your Own Private Notes
Nutrition
A few of my favorite things
The Power of Positivity
Freeze This Butter Cake
You can freeze butter cake successfully. Freezing can be a convenient way to store leftover cake or to prepare ahead of time for future use.
Freeze without the glaze. Just let the cake cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or wrap a layer of aluminum foil over it.
When ready to enjoy, thaw and make the glaze. Drizzle on the glaze for serving.
Hint: you can wrap individual slices of the cake for a quick and easy dessert snack for one.
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on new recipes to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.
Bonnie
Monday 18th of November 2019
Such an easy recipe. The family loved it. Will make this one again.
patternprincess1
Tuesday 19th of November 2019
Thanks for taking the time to rate and comment. Glad to hear that the family loved it.
patternprincess1
Monday 18th of November 2019
My family loved this recipe. I will definitely be making this again.
Mel kurth
Saturday 22nd of April 2017
How many eggs?
patternprincess1
Saturday 22nd of April 2017
You are such a deer for asking. I could swear I had that listed. Must not have saved correctly. It is 4 eggs. It really is delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family did.