Sour cherries are only available fresh for a few short weeks in early summer. When they are in season, it’s always a frenzy at the farmers’ market to snag a few pounds of these glistening, highly-coveted cherries. While their season is short, you can almost always find them jarred or frozen at any Eastern European, Ukrainian or Russian market.
They are aptly named, as they are very sour when eaten raw. When they are cooked with any kind of sweetener, sour cherries transform into something much more palatable and subtly tart. Sour cherries are native to Europe and Southwest Asia. They are commonly grown in Eastern Europe. Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine features sour cherries in a myriad of recipes like compotes, vareniki, with blintzes or even pickled. Sour cherries are also popular in Persian, Turkish and Greek Jewish cuisine, where the fruit is often used in syrups, preserves and juice. It is also added to savory dishes like Persian saffron rice. Wherever sour cherries can be found, they are incorporated into that region’s local cuisine.
Sour cherries are especially delicious in baked goods, like this one-bowl sour cherry and sour cream snacking cake. This simple recipe can be prepared with either fresh, frozen or jarred sour cherries, and the sour cream can be substituted for Greek yogurt. The sour cream adds a rich tenderness to the cake that perfectly pairs with the bright acidity of the cherries. If you’re looking for a pareve alternative, you can make this cake non-dairy by substituting the butter for vegan butter and the dairy for a non-dairy unsweetened yogurt. This simple cake is perfect as a sweet treat at the end of a meal, or alongside a morning cup of coffee or tea. Whenever you eat it, sour cherry cake will sweeten your day.
Note: This cake keeps for 3-4 days stored covered at room temperature.
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One-Bowl Sour Cherry Cake Recipe
This simple cake is perfect as a sweet treat at the end of a meal, or alongside a morning cup of coffee or tea. Whenever you eat it, sour cherry cake will sweeten your day.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: one 9-inch cake
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (225 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 2 cups (290 g) all purpose flour + 1 Tbsp, divided
- 2 cups pitted sour cherries, fresh, frozen or jarred
- 1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9” square or round cake pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, sugar and melted butter.
- Whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy, and increased in volume, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda and whisk together until fully incorporated.
- Add 2 cups of flour to the bowl, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix the batter until just combined and mostly smooth — be careful not to overmix.
- Dust the pitted cherries in the remaining tablespoon of flour; this helps the cherries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Add the dusted cherries to the bowl and mix until just evenly incorporated.
- Transfer to the lined and greased baking pan. Top with the Turbinado sugar and a few extra cherries if desired.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a small skewer or cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool and serve topped with powdered sugar or whipped cream.
Notes
This cake keeps for 3-4 days stored covered at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: One-pot
- Cuisine: Ashkenazi
Please, no — sour cream can be REPLACED BY Greek yogurt or Greek yogurt can be SUBSTITUTED FOR sour cream. Mixing them makes a mishmosh!
Otherwise, great recipe!
I really want to make this because sour cherries are so nutritious but I want to wait til the weather cools down before I make this awesome-sounding cake. thank you! Shalom.
Recipe calls for either/or, not a “mishmash” of both sour cream and yogurt.
the recipe says ”or” it doesn’t say to add both sour cream and yogurt…
You are so right. One substitutes the new thing FOR the old thing. For instance: in a sour cream cake, one may substitute yogurt for the original sour cream. Or avoid the word substitute and say replace. Eg: you may replace the sour cream ( original thing) WITH yogurt.
Fantastic
Are tart cherries the same as sour cherries? It’s easier to find frozen and canned tart cherries.
Hi Naomi. Absolutely. Whatever cherries you have access to will be wonderful!
I am lactose intolerant. What can I substitute for the yogurt/sour cream?
There are dairy free yogurts, almond or soy for example. I have used them when planning to serve with meat dish
Unsweetened coconut yogurt is creamy and delicious.
Absolutely delicious! Made with frozen cherries and sour cream. So moist! Will bake this again.
Can you use dried sour cherries that have been plumped in hot water & drained? Thank You
We have not tested the cake with rehydrated cherries but please let us know how it turns out if you do.
I can’t find sour cherries. If I were to use frozen dark sweet cherries, how much would I reduce the sugar? Thank you.
can this cake recipe be made with fresh blueberries and/or other fruit? Same quantity as the cherries?
Blueberries would work well; other substitutions may be too sweet. Enjoy!
Delicious!!!! Even my husband who doesn’t normally like fruit desserts was a fan!
Delicious! Even my husband loved it, and he normally turns his nose up at fruit desserts.
Can I substitute almond flour for plain flour and if so, same quantity?
We have not tested this recipe substituting almond flour, but please let us know how it turns out if you do. Note that almond flour will affect the texture of the cake, making it more dense.
can this can be frozen?
Hi Janet! We’ve never tried freezing this cake before but if you end up trying it please let us know how it turns out.
Hi, I can’t find the sour cherries. I have frozen dark cherries. Could I use those instead? And how would I incorporate those and how much? If those are to sweet, would I use a little less sugar in the cake? Thanks so much
Thank you for promising that this cake will stay fresh for 3-4 days. Not in my house. Normally, it gets eaten in 1 day. It is sooo good!
I am Ashkenazi from former Soviet Union.
If using frozen cherries, should you thaw and drain them first?
Can buttermilk be substituted for the sour cream or yogurt?
Hi Rhanda! We’ve never tried, but let us know how it goes if you do.
Can this be doubled for one large pan or best left as two , if double I would add one egg possibly ? Will be delicious