Sour Cherry Crumb Cakes Recipe (With Step-by-Step)

Servings:

9 squares

If you love cherry pie, you'll want to add these sour cherry crumb cakes to your dessert rotation. Each portion features a buttery vanilla cake, a layer of sour cherries (which become delightfully sweet and jammy in the oven), and a buttery crumb topping. The recipe yields nine squares, though you can cut them into smaller (or bigger) pieces if you wish.

For a sweeter treat, sprinkle confectioners' sugar on top of the crumb cakes after they've cooled. You can also drizzle a quick glaze on the cakes, which will make them look even prettier.

Sour Cherries vs. Sweet Cherries

Sour cherries, also known as tart cherries, are best for baking. As their name suggests, they're highly acidic, which adds brightness to dishes but makes them less enjoyable for eating out of hand. The acidity also balances the natural sugars in the cherries, creating a delicious flavor profile. As well as the taste difference, compared to sweet cherries, sour cherries are smaller and rounder.

If You Can't Find Sour Cherries

If you're unable to find fresh sour cherries, you can still make these crumb cakes. Simply use frozen dark sweet cherries instead. Be sure to let them thaw before using.

Directions

Ingredients for Sour Cherry Crumb Cake — Kelsey Hansen

Preheat oven, prep baking dish, and make topping:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a bowl, stir together butter, flour, sugars, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

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Mix dry ingredients:

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

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Mix butter and sugar:

With a mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar in another bowl until pale and fluffy.

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Add eggs and vanilla:

Beat in eggs and vanilla.

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Add flour mixture and buttermilk:

Working in alternating batches, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

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Transfer batter to dish:

Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared dish, and smooth with an offset spatula.

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Add cherries and crumb topping

Dot top with cherries, and sprinkle with crumb topping.

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Kelsey Hansen
Bake and serve:

Bake until golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool before cutting.

Kelsey Hansen

How to Store Sour Cherry Crumb Cakes

Store leftover cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are sour cherries in season?

Sour cherries are in season in June and July. Their season is quite short, so seek them out while you can. Sweet cherries have a longer season.
Can you use sweet cherries for this recipe?

Sweet cherries can be used in place of the sour cherries in this recipe. We suggest you use frozen dark sweet cherries, and note that the crumb cakes will be sweeter if you do not use sour cherries. You may want to reduce the amount of sugar slightly.
What can you substitute for buttermilk?

You can substitute the buttermilk for a mixture of 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Let this sit for 5 minutes, then use the amount listed in the recipe. If you have any left over, use it for buttermilk pancakes.