This Cherry Almond Bundt Cake is a traditional almond pound cake filled with cherry pie filling and topped with cream cheese glaze. It’s perfectly moist, dense, and sweet!
Easy Cherry Pound Cake
Recently, I’ve been playing around with different variations of my grandmother’s classic easy pound cake—adding various fruit fillings and glazes and whatnot. It’s been so fun to see how they all come together…and also to eat!
Today’s variation is a homemade Cherry Almond Bundt Cake. It’s the traditional pound cake infused with almond flavor and filled with cherry pie filling. It’s finished off with a simple cream cheese glaze flavored with a touch of orange zest.
The flavor combination of this cake is delicious! The perfect amount of fruitiness, sweetness, and nuttiness ready in just a few simple steps!
Key Ingredients
- Eggs – You’ll need 5 large eggs, brought to room temperature.
- Baking Powder – Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Expired baking powder won’t give the cake the lift it’s supposed to.
- Milk – Whatever milk you have on hand will work.
- Cherry Pie Filling – I use store-bought pie filling, but if you have a cherry pie filling recipe you love, feel free to use that.
- Cream Cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese blocks for the best texture.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – You can also use milk if you don’t have whipping cream on hand.
- Almond Extract – Remember, a little goes a long way!
How to Make Cherry Almond Bundt Cake
This delicious cherry pound cake is so simple to prepare and made extra convenient with a store-bought cherry pie filling! Preheat the oven to 325ºF and generously grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a bowl, cream the butter until smooth and beat in the sugar until light and fluffy, You’ll want to scrape down the bowl frequently. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the almond extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and milk: In a separate bowl, sift the flour, then add baking powder and salt. Add half the dry ingredients and half the milk to the wet batter, mix until partially combined, then repeat and mix well.
- Layer the batter and filling: Strain the cherry pie filling through a sieve to separate the cherries from the gel (more on that below! Pour 1/3 of the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan, then spoon on 1/3 of the cherries. Spread evenly, then top with 2-3 tablespoons of cherry juice. Swirl that into the batter, then repeat 2 more times.
- Bake and cool: Bake the cake at 325ºF until a toothpick comes out clean. Cover the bundt pan with foil for 20 minutes or so to prevent the bottom from browning. When the cake is done, remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Add the glaze: Add softened cream cheese and powdered sugar to a bowl. Stir to combine, then add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired thickness. Mix in orange zest, almond extract, and salt, then drizzle over the cooled cake and serve.
How to Strain Cherry Pie Filling
Not every pie filling is going to be the same, and some might be more difficult to strain than others. But the point is to remove at least some of the excess juice! Skipping this step can cause problems when baking due to the pan being overfilled, and it will also effect the baking time.
Place a fine mesh sieve over a large glass bowl and pour the cherry pie filling into the sieve. Use a spatula to gently turn the pie filling over several times to separate the fruit and the juice. Tap the sieve and occasionally wipe the bottom clean until strained well.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Room temperature ingredients. Room-temperature ingredients combine more easily together. I recommend setting them out 30 minutes or so before you’re ready to make your cake.
- Grease and flour the pan. The pie filling can be very sticky. Generously grease with Crisco shortening and then coat with flour. This makes it so much easier to remove the cake when it’s done baking and also helps prevent it from burning on the bottom.
- Wrap the pan in foil. The cake needs the full 65-70 minutes to bake all the way through, but the long baking time may also cause the bottom to burn. I recommend wrapping the pan in foil for 20 minutes of the baking time so that it comes out perfectly.
- Cool the cake completely. If the cake is still warm when you add the icing, it will become too runny and just melt off.
Baking Tips to Prevent Dry Bundt Cakes
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Mixing too much can over-develop the gluten in the flour causing a dryer, dener texture.
- Properly measured flour. To accurately measure the flour, use a kitchen scale to weigh it. Otherwise, you can spoon it into the measuring cup, then gently level it off with your finger. This prevents it from getting too packed in. Here’s my tutorial for properly measuring flour.
- Cover the pan in foil. The Long exposure to high heat can cause the cake to dry out. I recommend covering it with foil for 20 minutes of the baking time to prevent that.
- Don’t over-bake. A bundt cake can quickly go from perfect to over-baked and dry if you leave it in the oven too long. Make sure you take it out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.
Storing and Freezing
A finished bundt cake will last covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days. It is best served at room temperature.
If you plan to prepare in advance, bake and store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature, then add the glaze before serving.
To freeze, make sure the cake is fully cooled all the way through. wrap twice in plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two months.
Cherry Almond Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Cherry Almond Bundt Cake is a traditional pound cake filled with cherry pie filling and topped with a cream cheese glaze.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups (570g) granulated sugar
- 5 Large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296ml) milk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) almond extract
- 1 can (20oz/567g) cherry pie filling
For the glaze:
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups (260g) powdered sugar
- 5–6 teaspoons (25-30ml) heavy whipping cream or milk
- 1 large orange, zested
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- pinch of salt
- Sliced almonds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously greased and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. Allow the butter, eggs and milk to come to room temperature.
- Cream together the butter and sugar for several minutes until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add eggs 1 at a time and make sure each one is well mixed before adding the next. Mix in the extract with the last egg.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour first and then measure out 3 cups, then add the baking powder and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients and then half of the milk and mix just until combined, then add the remaining ingredients. Continue beating until all ingredients are well combined.
- Strain the cherry pie filling through a fine sieve to extract the cherries from the juice/filling.
- Pour about 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1/3 of the cherries into the batter, spreading evenly. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of the cherry juice and swirl it into the batter. Repeat these steps 2 more times so that the cherries and the cherry juice are layered throughout. You will have leftover cherry juice which can be discarded.
- Bake at 325° for 65-70 minutes. Cover the bundt pan with aluminum foil for the last 20 minutes of baking to prevent the bottom from over-browning. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a knife into the middle. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- After 10 minutes of cooling, gently run a knife around the edges of your bundt to help release it from the edge before flipping. Invert the cake onto a plate and allow it cool for 2-3 hours.
For the Glaze:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and continue to stir until combined. Add the orange zest, almond extract and a pinch of salt. Then add the heavy cream, one teaspoon at a time until the glaze reaches the desired thickness. It should drip of the spoon, but not run off the spoon.
- Once the glaze is nice and smooth, drizzle it over the cake. If desired, you can use a Ziploc bag to pipe the glaze. Top with sliced almonds.
Notes
- Storing: A finished bundt cake will last covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days. It is best served at room temperature. If you plan to prepare in advance, bake and store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature, then add the glaze before serving.
- Freezing: To freeze, make sure the cake is fully cooled all the way through. wrap twice in plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two months.
- Pan Size: You must use at least a 10-cup capacity bundt pan
- Baking times will vary depending on pan size and true internal oven temperatures. Not all 10 cup bundt pans are the same shape and depth which can effect the baking time.
- The Cherry pie filling must be drained and separated from the juice/gel filling so you’re only using the cherries from the pie filling. See instructions and photos in the blog post.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 793
- Sugar: 78.5g
- Sodium: 294.3mg
- Fat: 34.1g
- Saturated Fat: 18.3g
- Carbohydrates: 116g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 8.5g
- Cholesterol: 148.8mg
I baked for 85 minutes and it still didn’t cook all the way through. Followed the recipe exactly, not overmixing. The toothpick test came out clean but it didn’t rise very well. It tasted okay, thus the three stars. I wonder if I should have put it in a cold oven?
Hi there, do you mean preheat the oven while the cake is in there? I never baked that way, I always ensure the oven temperature is accurate before starting to bake. Did you perhaps add too much of the cherry pie filling or skip the straining portion? There’s some detailed notes and photos in the blog post about this. Is your pan the same as mine or a different shape?
No I well drained the cherries, And thought I did a good job. My cherries all fell to the bottom even though I layered them. I really didn’t add much of the juice. I’ve only read about putting the cake in a cold oven. I’m wondering if I have a problem with my oven. I looked up the reasons why pound cakes might fail and it said that it could be too hot. I read all your notes. But I make other ones and they turn out fine. Thank you for answering.
Do you have an oven thermometer? If not, they are great to understand what the true oven temperature is. Intersting all the cherries fell to the bottom. Just curious what brand of pie filling did you use?
Has anyone tried using almond flour with this recipe? OR GF flour?
Hi Amy- I have not but maybe someone else will chime in
I love cherries!
Do you think this would work as mini loaves?
Yes I don’t see why not, but it’s also pretty dense, so I would not expect a ton of rise. If you’d like nice rounded loaves, you’d have to play around with how much additional baking powder is needed.
I’ve made this three times in the past, and have a fourth in the oven now. My family loves this cake! My daughters and sister-in-law ask for it every Christmas! The only adjustment I ever make is to use 1 tsp of almond extract and 2 tsp of vanilla in the cake batter. This is just a preference as some family members don’t care as much for almond. Great, easy recipe and a real crowd pleaser!
Do you think I could add some shredded coconut to the batter?
I have not tested this, so it’s hard to say. It’s quite a bit of batter already, a little heavy. So the coconut would only make it more heavy.
Just my opinion but if you toast the coconut in the oven while the cake is resting it comes out with a great flavor if added to the top after glazing
This cake tasted great. It came out perfect and everyone raved about how delicious it was at my thanksgiving gathering. I will definitely make this again.
Wow, that’s awesome Bernie! Thank you so much!
THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST CAKE EVER I AM MAKING ANOTHER ONE RIGHT NOW WITH A DIFFERENTTWIST LET YOU KNOW HOW IT COMES OUT THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE
That is amazing, thank you so much!
Great recipe – everyone loved it. I did find that I add a little batter left over due to my size pan but just simply put it in a separate cake pan and put remaining cherries on top.
That’s wonderful Karen, thank you so much for sharing the feedback! Glad you enjoyed this one!
How does covering the pan prevent the bottom from browning? 🤔 I’ve never heard that yet it’s mentioned twice to do that.
Much like a banana bread or something with an extended period of baking time, the bottom of the cake, which is exposed to the heat in the oven can brown quicker. Covering with foil helps reduce the browning.
Can you freeze this cake?
Yep. Double wrap in plastic wrap and the foil. Freeze without the glaze.
This is an amazing cake! Made it for an afternoon tea with the ladies, it was a hit. I followed the recipe pretty closely, added one tablespoon of almond flavoring and dusted with powdered sugar instead of icing. Definitely going to add this to the recipe box!
Oh that sounds wonderful Crystal! Thank you so much for the feedback, I am so happy you found this recipe!
Made this for a work potluck and it was a hit! I greased and floured the heck out my pan and it still stuck and the top didn’t make it out of the pan. So I smooshed it back together and used the frosting like spackle! But it still tastes amazing just bit winning for looks! 10/10 will make again and wait about 30 minutes to remove from the pan!
That’s awsome Deanna, thank you for sharing the feedback. Do you think you tried to take it out of the pan too early?
Use cake goop on your bundt pan–equal amounts of shortening, flour, and oil blended together. Use a pastry brush to coat the pan. Store leftover goop in a glass jar.
In the oven now. Looks and taste yummy and is so lovely! My question is the foil covering on for 20 minutes? Is that at the beginning, or end of baking cycle? Hopefully the beginning!
Towards the end of baking in order to prevent it from over browning
Can Moral cherries in a jar be substituted.
I am not sure what those are, so I googled it, if they’re just whole cherries than I don’t see why not
Could you use another flavor of pie filling
I am sure you can as long as it doesn’t have too much liquid. For instance, a blueberry pie filling, you might want to separate some of the blueberry filling from the juices/gel because adding too much of that will cause the cake to be too large for the pan
I followed your directions exactly. The TASTE of the cake is awesome. However , even though I greased and floured the bundt pan , then used a sharp knife to loosten after baking , it still stuck badly to the pan in the middle and even once dislodged , had gobs of white flour caked onto the cake. -please advise, as I would LOVE to make this again , if it didnt stick and look SO BAD with the flour stuck on the top !
Hi Linda, It’s hard to say. What did you grease it with? Is the design of your bundt pan different with lots of small crevices? Is it already a nonstick pan- Light or dark? If you had a lot of white flour caked onto the cake it might have been too much flour. The cherry pie filling does make the cake extra susceptible to sticking. It happens to me every once in a while when too much filling is on the outside edges of the cake.
I have had great success with many pans using Baker’s Secret to grease the pans. I use it with this recipe every time. Don’t know if you tried it, but it is much easier to use than separate flour/grease.