Cherry Bakewell Cake is an almond sponge filled with cherry jam, whipped cream, and cherries. This beautiful British cake is easier to make than it looks and is perfect for birthdays, cherry season, or whenever you want a special treat.
The cherry Bakewell cake might look like a lot of work because of all those layers, but it is actually easy to make!
And did I mention how incredibly delicious this is? One slice will probably not be enough... The Bakewell sponge is soft, moist, and full of almond flavor, the jam is sweet and comforting, and the whipped cream and cherry filling are just decadent and soooo good!
More cherry cakes, perfect for the season? How about this Cherry Loaf Cake or this Cherry Coconut Cake?
Ingredients: 6 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 12 slices | Difficulty: Easy
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What is Bakewell cake?
Bakewell cake is a variation of the traditional Bakewell desserts from Bakewell, England. While the original Bakewell pudding and tart are made with pastry, jam, and almond filling, Bakewell cakes are usually based on an almond sponge filled with jam, fruit, cream, or buttercream.
This cherry version is one of my favorites, and I already know I'll have to try more Bakewell variations.
And if you like British cakes as much as I do, you could try one of these: Lemon Traybake, Lime Drizzle Cake, Orange Drizzle Cakes, a Treacle Tart, or a Non-Alcoholic Fruit Cake.
Recipe ingredients
Cherries: You can use fresh, frozen, or canned cherries.
- Fresh: You will need about 5.5 oz/ 150 g of pitted cherries. Buy around 7 oz/ 200 g to have enough for filling and decoration.
- Frozen: Thaw completely, drain, and pat dry well before using.
- Canned: Drain well and pat dry before adding them to the cake.
- If you have lots of cherries, check out this Cherry Recipes collection.
Cake ingredients: All-purpose flour (or self-raising flour, see note below), ground almonds, eggs, sugar, unsalted butter, almond extract, and baking powder. Try this Almond and Cherry Cake, too.
Filling and decoration: Cherry jam, sweet cherries, heavy cream, vanilla extract, sugar, flaked almonds.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cherry Bakewell cake?
Preheat the oven and prepare two 20 cm / 8-inch cake tins.
Step #1: Mix the sponge ingredients until smooth. Divide the batter between the tins and bake immediately. Let the cakes cool briefly in the tins, then remove and cool completely on wire racks.
Step #2: Reserve a few cherries for decoration and chop the rest.
Step #3: Place one sponge layer on a platter.
Step #4: Spread with cherry jam.
Step #5: Add whipped cream.
Step #6: Cover with cherries.
Step #7: Cover with more cream.
Step #8: Place the second sponge layer on top.
Step #9: Cover with the remaining whipped cream.
Step #10: Decorate with toasted flaked almonds and whole cherries.
Tips
Use a digital kitchen scale when baking. Measuring flour and butter incorrectly can affect the finished cake.
Don't use too much almond extract; it can easily overpower the cake. Depending on the strength of your product, a few drops or about ½ teaspoon of extract is usually enough.
Make sure the cherries are dry before adding them, especially if using frozen or canned cherries.
Recipe FAQs
If you live in the UK, you can use self-raising flour instead of all-purpose. In this case, only add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the sponge batter.
Sure, they are actually typical for a Bakewell cake, but I like fresh cherries better.
Storage
The cherry bakewell cake is best served on the day it is assembled. Prepare it only a few hours before serving.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator and eat them the next day. Because of the whipped cream filling, I would not keep it much longer.
Cherry Bakewell Cake
Equipment
- 2 cake tins/ springforms 20 cm/ 8 inches
Ingredients
Sponge:
- 200 g unsalted butter 7 oz/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon, very soft, Note 2
- 200 g granulated sugar 7 oz/ 1 cup
- 100 g all-purpose flour 3.5 oz/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon, Note 3
- 100 g ground almonds 3.5 oz/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 2-3 almond essence or ½ teaspoon almond extract
Filling and topping:
- 150 g pitted cherries 5.5 oz, Note 4
- 300 ml heavy cream 10 fl.oz/ 1 ¼ cup
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cherry jam
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds
Instructions
Sponge:
- Preparations: Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Grease and line two 20 cm/ 8 inches cake tins (springforms) with baking paper.
- Mix sponge batter: Place the sponge ingredients in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the two tins and level nicely.200 g unsalted butter + 200 g granulated sugar + 100 g all-purpose flour + 100 g ground almonds + 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder + 1 pinch of salt + 4 eggs + 2-3 almond essence
- Bake: Immediately place the tins in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
- Let stand in the tins for 5 minutes, remove and let cool entirely on wire racks.
Filling:
- Cherries: Keep 3-5 cherries for decorating the cake. Pit and chop the fresh cherries. If using frozen and defrosted cherries or canned cherries, chop them, place them on kitchen paper, and pat them dry with more kitchen paper. Set them aside.150 g pitted cherries
- Almonds: Toast the flaked almonds in a pan until golden. Shake the pan often and transfer the almonds to a large plate as soon as they are roasted. Let cool completely.2 tablespoons flaked almonds
- Whip the cream, adding 1 tablespoon sugar and the vanilla extract when you beat it.300 ml heavy cream +1 tablespoon granulated sugar + ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Assemble the cake:
- First layer: Place one cake layer on a platter. Spread the jam on top. 3 tablespoons cherry jamCover with 2 heaped tablespoons of whipped cream, then cover with cherries. Spread more whipped cream over the cherries; you should use about ½ of the cream for the first layer.
- Second layer: Carefully place the second cake layer on top and cover with the remaining cream. Scatter the flaked almonds on top and decorate with the remaining cherries.
Notes
- Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking (Amazon affiliate link).
- Make sure the butter is soft. Remove it from the refrigerator a few hours before baking.
- Flour: If you live in the UK, you can use self-raising flour instead. In that case, only add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the batter.
- Cherries: Fresh, frozen, defrosted, and drained or canned and drained cherries. If using defrosted or canned cherries, pat them dry with kitchen paper after chopping them; they tend to be wetter than fresh cherries.
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