Gluten-Free Cherry Snacking Cake
Andrea Potischman | Mar 27, 2024
Inspired by my plum cake, this sweet cherry snacking cake is tender with a light crumb. And the best part, it’s also gluten-free. This simple cake features slightly sweet-slightly tart fresh summer cherries and makes the perfect sweet treat anytime. Enjoy for breakfast with a cup of coffee or on a warm summer evening with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. This lovely snacking cake can quickly become a showstopper and a great way to use up those delicious end-of-season cherries.
Northwest Cherry Season
The Northwest cherry season typically runs from June through August. Cherries are known to be one of the freshest produce items available. Most don’t know this fun fact, but once ripe on the tree, cherries are typically harvested, packed, and on the retail shelf within 2 days. Growing regions scattered throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Montana offer slight differences in microclimate which allow cherries throughout the region to ripen at different times through the season.
Buying Cherries
Tasting a cherry first before buying it used to be the gold standard. This is not conducive to post-pandemic life. Taste nothing, just use your eyes. Sweetness can vary from farm to farm, tree to tree, and from week to week. My advice is to look for shiny, plump cherries with fresh green stems and dark coloring for their variety.
Storing Cherries
Keep cherries, unwashed and stems attached, in a paper bag, loosely-covered container, or loosely closed plastic bag in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them. Or you can pit and freeze them for usage in baked goods later.
Cherry Nutrition
I bet you didn’t know cherries are good for you. Sour cherries are loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, manganese, and copper. Sweet cherries contain vitamin C, anthocyanin antioxidants, and melatonin. Cherries are also a good source of fiber, which helps keep your digestive system healthy by fueling beneficial gut bacteria.
Gluten-Free Flour
Not all gluten-free baked goods have great taste and texture. Your flour choice when making gluten-free recipes can make all the difference in the world. Gluten-free flour can be made from various grains, starches, and nuts. It’s free of wheat, which is what gives standard flour its gluten, and gluten is what provides structure, chewiness, and texture to baked goods.
When liquid is added to wheat flour, the proteins in the wheat come alive, adhere to one another, and make gluten. Gluten-free baked goods tend to be crumblier than their wheat-based predecessors, so many gluten-free flours contain xanthan gum, a binder that helps batters and doughs stay together. Xanthan gum also helps mimic gluten’s signature chew. In this recipe, I simply use a combination of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour and almond flour which works perfectly together and gives this cherry snacking cake the ideal texture and crumb if you ask me.
Gluten-Free Cherry Snacking Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sweet cherries, divided
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 7-inch spring form or cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment. Lightly grease the parchment paper and place it on a baking sheet, set aside.
- Using your fingers, a paring knife, or a cherry pitter, pit the cherries. Cut about 1/3 cup of cherries in half and set aside, they will be used for the top. Roughly chop the remaining cherries that will be folded into the batter.
- In a small mixing bowl add the all-purpose flour, almond flour baking powder and salt and mix well to blend.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, such as a KitchenAid, add the butter and 3/4 cup sugar and beat on medium until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed, for about 3-4 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add the extracts and the eggs, all at one time, and mix until blended. The mixture will look a little broken, but that's normal. With the mixer running, slowly add the flour mixture and blend until just combined. Using a large rubber tip spatula, fold the chopped cherries into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and use the spatula to evenly smooth out the top. Next, arrange the halved cherries on top of the cake. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top is golden and springs back.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan. Serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
