This pink cherry chip cake frosted with fluffy vanilla buttercream is an irresistible homemade version of the retro boxed cake mix favorite.
Growing up my mom let us choose what flavor of birthday cake we wanted from the mixes available at the store. The bakery aisle had an endless selection but my choice every year was always cherry chip.
For those of you who have never had the pleasure, “cherry chip cake” is a pink cake filled with tiny bits of candied or maraschino cherries. It’s tender and light, with a subtle cherry flavor. Frosted with classic buttercream, it’s an absolute dream! And it’s a favorite of mine to this day.
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A homemade version of a retro favorite
Whether you’re looking for a from-scratch recipe, can’t find the boxed mix on the shelves (it’s hard to find these days), or want to try a fun new cake recipe— this cake is a must try! This homemade cherry chip cake covered in whipped buttercream is soft and flavorful, and so pretty. I know you’ll love it!
Recipe note! After some reader feedback about issues with this cake, I have completely re-worked this recipe. It is now better than ever! With more thorough instructions and tips, and fool-proof results. Originally published February 2014, fully updated February 2025.
Ingredients you’ll need
Let’s get baking! Here’s everything you’ll need to make this homemade cherry chip cake (full recipe at the bottom):
- Maraschino cherries— you’ll need one 10-oz jar
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites
- Cake flour— necessary for a super tender and fluffy cake
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla extract and almond extract
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
How to make cherry chip cake
- Chop maraschino cherries. Fully drain away the juice, pat dry, then use a food processor to chop them very fine. Larger pieces will sink to the bottom of the cake.
- Prepare cake batter. This cake is made using the creaming method, where you beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then add eggs and flavorings, and then alternate dry ingredients with remaining wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix once you start adding the dry ingredients, and gently fold the cherries in just until combined.
- Bake. Divide the batter between cake pans and bake until cake appears set and the center bounces back when gently pressed. Let cake layers cool completely.
- Make frosting. Beat frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. If you want pink frosting, simply add a little leftover maraschino cherry juice.
- Assemble cake. Layer frosting between cake layers and use the rest of the frosting to cover cake and decorated as desired. Garnish cake with maraschino cherries.
- Slice and enjoy! You can serve the cake right away, and it’s best within a day or 2 of baking. Store it at room temperature, but if your kitchen is warm or you want cleaner slices, you may want to store in the fridge.
baking tip:Why you should use cake flour
If you don’t have cake flour on hand, substitute 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for 1 cup of cake flour. You can also simply just use all-purpose flour, cup for cup. The results won’t quite be the same, there’s not the same guarantee of success, but you’ll likely still have a delicious cake.
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Use a food processor to finely chop the maraschino cherries, as it will result in the most uniform sized “chips”. Make sure they are chopped very small, as larger pieces may sink to the bottom.
- Use cake flour! This recipe uses cake flour to achieve a light and tender crumb. You should be able to find it in the baking aisle next to other specialty flours. If not, you can make your own.
- Dairy and eggs should be at room temperature. Pull them from the fridge 30-60 minutes before you plan to bake. This helps cakes have the best rise and softest texture (more info on why room temperature ingredients matter here).
- I prefer 8-inch cake pans for this recipe. Use 2 or 3 pans, depending on the look you want. You can use 9-inch pans, but know the cake layers will be much thinner.
- If you’re new to baking layer cakes or need a little help, be sure to check out my complete guide for how to build a layer cake. It’s got everything you need to know— how to keep cakes from sticking to the pan, how to bake even cake layers, how to frost a cake, and more!
- This cake can be made ahead several ways. The cake layers can be baked in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months (see my tutorial on how to store cake layers). The frosting can be stored at room temperature for several days, in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or in the freezer for several months. For best results, beat frosting until smooth before using.
Cherry chip cake recipe
Cherry Chip Cake
A homemade version of a favorite cake box classic – light and fluffy cherry chip cake frosted with whipped vanilla buttercream.
For the buttercream frosting:
To make the cake:
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Drain the maraschino cherries thoroughly, reserving the juice, then pat dry. In a food processor (or with a sharp knife), pulse the cherries several times until they’re finely chopped. They should be about the size of large sprinkles (larger chunks will sink to the bottom). Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two (or use baking nonstick spray) or three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until combined.
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In a separate bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add maraschino cherry juice to buttermilk and stir until light pink. Add the flour mixture to the mixer in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Mix after each addition and scrape down the bowl as necessary.
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Gently stir in the chopped maraschino cherries until they’re evenly distributed through the batter, but do not overmix.
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Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake until center domes slight and springs back when gently pressed with a finger, about 30-35 minutes (25-30 minutes if you’re baking 3 layers as they’re thinner). Let cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting and assemble the cake:
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Place the butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and almond extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (alternately you can use a hand-held mixer). Mix on low speed until moistened, then increase speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
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Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Cover with ½-1 cup of the buttercream frosting. Place second cake layer on top and cover tops and sides with remaining buttercream.
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Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If your kitchen is warm or you prefer firm slices, store in the fridge.
- Butter, buttermilk and egg whites should be at room temperature for best results. Your cake will be taller and fluffier! Pull them out about 1 hour before baking, but note that eggs are easier to separate when cold.
- Make sure to measure flour correctly with the spoon and level method, or use a digital scale for most accurate measurements.
- Store leftover eggs yolks in the fridge for about a week, but they also freeze well. Whisk 4 egg yolks with 1 teaspoon of sugar (this helps the yolks not gelatinize) and store in a ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Thaw in fridge before using in other baking recipes.
- How to ensure cherry chips don’t sink to the bottom: make sure they are uniformly chopped very fine. Use a food processor and pulse 7-10 times and scrape down the sides as needed. Then make sure they’re evenly distributed through the batter. They are sticky and like to cling together!
- If you want pink frosting: Add 1 tablespoon of reserved cherry juice and reduce heavy cream to 3 tablespoons.
Calories: 563kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 150mg, Potassium: 133mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 63g, Vitamin A: 809IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 0.4mg
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