A Cherry Bakewell Cake is a layer cake version of a classic British Bakewell tart. It features almonds and cherries, just as the tart does, and is a perfect addition to an afternoon tea menu. It's also pretty enough to serve as a birthday cake!
(This post was originally published in August 2018, but was updated with a new recipe, new photos and additional content in 2022).
This Cherry Bakewell Cake imitates the flavors of the famous British Bakewell tart. The original tart features a shortcrust pastry, almond frangipane filling, jam, and flaked almonds. Those same flavors are featured in this cherry Bakewell cake in different ways.
Almond is the most prevalent flavor here, through the use to almond meal/flour and almond extract in the batter, and crunchy sliced almonds as a final flourish. Cherry preserves provide a simple sweet filling while glacé cherries (candied cherries) or maraschino cherries are a colorful and delicious garnish.
Some versions of cherry Bakewell cake utilize rich buttercream frosting spread and/or piped over the top, while others, such as this one, use a simple white glaze. Of course you're welcome to replace the glaze with buttercream if you prefer, but there is something understated about white glaze over a tea cake that I really enjoy.
Ingredient notes
- Almond Meal: For this cherry Bakewell cake, you'll need ground almonds, almond meal, or almond flour. You can easily grind your own almonds in a food processor or purchase almond meal at many grocery stores and online. I like to get my almond meal at Trader Joe’s, although Aldi, Whole Foods, and Bob’s Red Mill brands also are great choices. Store leftover almond flour in a freezer bag in the freezer for longevity.
- Cherry Preserves: I use Bonne Maman cherry preserves in this cake, but you could another brand, or use homemade cherry preserves if you have them.
- Glacé or Maraschino Cherries: Glacé cherries (or candied cherries) are traditional garnish on Bakewell tarts and thus an ideal garnish for this cherry Bakewell cake. In the United States you can use jarred maraschino cherries. I would strongly recommend using a brand that doesn't contain artificial dyes and corn syrup, such as 365 Whole Foods (pictured here) or Tillen Farms. Make sure to drain the cherries very well before garnishing the cake so the juices don't bleed into the glaze.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes (PHOTO 1). Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed between additions (PHOTO 2).
Add the almond extract and beat until combined. Add half the flour mixture followed by the milk and finally the other half of the flour mixture, mixing on low speed in between additions just until combined. Finish by scraping down and folding the batter with a rubber spatula.
Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans. I had 830 grams of batter and put 415 grams in each pan. The batter will be quite thin in each pan.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then carefully loosen the edges with a spatula or knife and invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar and water or lemon juice in a mixing bowl until smooth.
To assemble the cake, place 1 cake bottom-side down on a cardboard round or serving dish, or on a rack set over a sheet pan or tray (to catch drippings). Spread the cherry preserves on top of the cake all the way to the edges.
Top with the second cake bottom-side up (PHOTO 3). It will look like a large, round sandwich with cake layers as the bread and cherry preserves as the filling (PHOTO 4).
Pour the glaze evenly over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Decorate the top of the cherry Bakewell cake with the toasted sliced almonds and glacé cherries or maraschino cherries.
Expert tips and FAQs
I only have one 8-inch round cake pan, so I baked half the batter at a time in 2 batches in the oven. A 9-inch round cake pan is actually 25% larger, and will yield exceptionally thin cake layers. I would recommend using the pan size specified in the recipe (8-inches in diameter).
The glaze may slightly crack if you transfer it from a rack to a serving dish when it's partially set. This is purely aesthetic, but to avoid this, transfer it before the glaze has completely set.
This cake can eat a bit sweet between the cherry preserves and the sugary white glaze over the top. Serve it with a hot cup of tea for a perfect paring.
Although you can toast nuts in the oven, I prefer toasting them in a dry skillet because it's easier to control the heat and they are less likely to burn. Add sliced almonds to a dry skillet on the stovetop in a single layer. Heat over medium-low to medium heat. Shake/stir the nuts periodically to ensure they toast evenly and down brown too quickly (you'll smell the nutty aroma). Remove from the skillet to a plate and cool before using to garnish.
Other recipes you may like
- Aargauer Rüeblitorte (Swiss Carrot Cake)
- Zuger Kirschtorte (Swiss Cherry Torte)
- Donauwelle Kuchen (Danube Wave Cake / Snow White Cake)
- The Hollywood Brown Derby's Famous Grapefruit Cake
- Hummingbird Cake
- Zebra Cake
- Afternoon Tea Sandwiches (Cucumber, Egg and Cress, Smoked Salmon)
- The Ritz of London's Afternoon Tea Scones
- Browse all British Recipes
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Cherry Bakewell Cake
Ingredients
Almond Cake:
- 100 grams (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 100 grams (1 ¼ cups) almond meal, almond flour, or ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 170 grams (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
Filling and Topping:
- 200 grams (2 cups) powdered (icing) sugar
- 3 tablespoons water or lemon juice
- 200 grams (⅔ cup) cherry preserves
- 25 grams (scant ¼ cup) sliced almonds, toasted
- 8 glacé or maraschino cherries (preferably dye and corn syrup-free)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Whisk the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until incorporated, and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the almond extract and beat until combined. Add half the flour mixture followed by the milk and finally the other half of the flour mixture, mixing on low speed in between additions just until combined. Finish by scraping down and folding the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans (I had 830 grams of batter and put 415 grams in each pan). The batter will be quite thin in each pan.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the edges with a spatula or knife and invert onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment paper, and cool completely.
- To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and water or lemon juice in a mixing bowl until smooth.
- To assemble the cake, place 1 cake bottom-side down on a cardboard round or serving dish, or on a rack set over a sheet pan or tray (to catch drippings). Spread the cherry preserves on top of the cake all the way to the edges. Top with the second cake bottom-side up.
- Pour the glaze evenly over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Decorate the top with the toasted sliced almonds and glacé cherries or maraschino cherries.
- If assembling on a rack, allow excess glaze to drip for a few minutes before transferring the cake with a large cake spatula to a serving dish. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- I only had one 8-inch round cake pan, so I baked half the batter at a time in 2 batches in the oven. A 9-inch round cake pan is actually 25% larger, and will yield exceptionally thin cake layers. I would recommend using the pan size specified in the recipe (8-inches).
- I would strongly recommend using a brand of maraschino cherries that doesn't contain artificial dyes and corn syrup, such as 365 Whole Foods brand or Tillen Farms brand. Make sure to drain the cherries very well before garnishing the cake.
- This cake can eat a bit sweet between the cherry preserves and the sugary white glaze over the top. Serve it with a hot cup of tea for a perfect paring.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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