This moist and easy cherry bread is perfect for any time of the day. It is a simple one-bowl loaf cake that can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries.
Are you looking for more cherry recipes? I know I am. We have a glut of cherries every year, and during cherry season, I feel like I spend most of my time pitting cherries and finding new ways to use them.
This tender cherry bread is one of the many cakes I bake with our harvest. If you like baking with cherries, you might also enjoy the readers' favorite Fresh Cherry Loaf Cake. You can also make this Fluffy German Cherry Cake or an easy Cherry Sauce.
Ingredients: 10 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Servings: 10 slices | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Cherries: You can make this cherry bread with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries. Sweet and sour cherries both work well. You will need about 9 oz/ 250 g of pitted cherries. If buying cherries, get around 10½-14 oz/ 300 - 400 g to make sure you have enough after removing the pits.
- Fresh cherries: Wash, dry, and pit them.
- Frozen cherries: Thaw and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Canned cherries: Drain them well and pat them dry.
Dry ingredients: Cake flour or all-purpose flour. I often use cake flour because it makes cakes especially tender, but regular flour works too. You will also need baking powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Wet ingredients: I like using oil in loaf cakes because it keeps them moist for longer and you don't have to wait for butter to soften. You will also need sparkling water, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Check out the Cherry Coconut Cake and the Almond Cherry Cake!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cherry bread?
Step #1: Pit fresh cherries. Defrost and pat dry frozen ones or drain and pat dry canned ones if using.
Step #2: Place all the other ingredients (except the cherries) in a large mixing bowl.
Step #3: Mix well for 1 minute with an electric mixer.
Step #4: Pour the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place the cherries on top of the bread.
Step #5: Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The exact baking time depends on your oven. Check after about 40-45 minutes, and if the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Step #6: Let the cherry bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove it and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Expert tips
- Use a digital kitchen scale; baking is a science, and measuring the ingredients correctly guarantees the best results.
- Use a cherry pitter; it's cheap and makes pitting much easier.
- Room temperature: Make sure the eggs, oil, and sparkling water are at room temperature. They combine better and help create a light, fluffy batter.
- Don't replace the sparkling water with plain water. The carbonation helps the bread rise and gives it a lighter texture.
- Bake the bread immediately after mixing the batter. The baking powder starts working as soon as it gets wet, and letting the batter sit can result in a less fluffy loaf.
Variations and optional toppings
You can use other fruits and berries instead of cherries, such as currants, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apples, or plums. Check out this tender Rhubarb and Ginger Cake, too.
You can fold a handful of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the batter.
You can serve the cherry bread plain, dust it with confectioners' sugar, or add a simple glaze.
To make a glaze, mix ¾ cup/ 75 g confectioners' sugar with 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice, orange juice, or cherry juice until thick but pourable. Drizzle over the cooled bread and let it set.
Storage
Keep the cherry bread wrapped in a clean towel at room temperature for about 2 days.
For longer storage, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freeze the whole loaf or individual slices for up to 3 months. Wrap the bread well before freezing and thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature.
Cherry Bread (Easy Cherry Quick Bread)
Equipment
- Loaf pan of about 8x4x3 inches/ 20x10x7 cm
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups cherries fresh, frozen, or canned (pitted), Note 1
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs large room temperature
- ½ cup oil neutral-tasting like canola oil, Note 2
- ½ cup sparkling water Note 3
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 180°C. Grease and flour the cake pan.
- Cherries: Pit fresh cherries. Defrost and pat dry frozen ones or drain and pat dry canned ones.1¾ cups cherries
- Batter: Place all the other ingredients (except the cherries and confectioners' sugar) in a large bowl. Mix well for about 1 minute with an electric mixer.2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder + 1 pinch of salt + 1 cups granulated sugar + 3 eggs large + ½ cup oil + ½ cup sparkling water + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Place the cherries on top.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cherry bread comes out clean. Check after 40-45 minutes; if the top of the bread seems too dark already, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Cool the loaf cake in the tin for about 15 minutes, remove it carefully, and let it cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
- Optional glaze: Mix ¾ cup/ 75 g icing sugar with 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice or cherry juice (if using canned cherries, use some of that juice). The glaze should be thick yet slightly pourable. Pour over the cherry bread and let it set shortly.
Notes
- Measurements: Use a digital kitchen scale; it guarantees the best results.
- Cherries: Weigh the cherries after pitting. If frozen, defrost them and pat them dry with kitchen towels. If canned, drain them and pat them dry as well. If using canned cherries, save a little canning juice to make a cherry glaze if you like (optional).
- Don't substitute the oil with butter; it will not work 1:1. Don't use olive oil; it has to be something that's neutral tasting.
- Don't replace sparkling water with plain water; sparkling water will cause the bread to rise nicely and get fluffy.
Bonnie T says
The recipe does not state what the oven temperature should be. It just says "preheat the oven."
Adina says
Sorry about that, Bonnie. Thank you for letting me know. I've added the temperature.