Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

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Author: Sally

Published: 06/15/2021Updated: 04/21/2022

This cherry almond buckle combines a soft and buttery cake with plenty of fresh, sweet cherries. Hinted with almond and lightly topped with a brown sugar crumble, this dessert is just as simple as it is delicious. There’s truly very little effort for a big reward—and isn’t that what summer baking is all about?

Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (1)

What Is a Buckle Dessert?

Berry cobbler, crisps, and crumbles—though different, these specialties all fall under the same dessert umbrella. There’s also slump, pandowdy, boy bait, and more. A lot of these are cobbler-like desserts made with fruit, each tasty in their own right, and excellent alternatives to more time-consuming fruit pies and pie crust. Serious Eats breaks down each into detail if you’re interested in reading more!

A buckle cake is an old-fashioned coffee cake or crumb cake studded with lots of blueberries or other various fruits. You mix the fruit into the batter and as the buckle dessert bakes, it “buckles” or warps around the fruit which gives the surface an indented and textured appearance. Though it’s topped with crumbs like breakfast crumb cakes, buckles are usually enjoyed for dessert. (Though there’s every excuse to serve this first thing in the morning!)

So isn’t this just a fruity crumb cake that we eat for dessert? Yes. And it’s awesome.

Cherry Almond Buckle Details

  • Flavor: This is a dessert where cherries shine because there’s not much else in the way. (You’ll love cherry crisp for the same reason.) Of course there’s also the impossibly buttery cake with hints of almond extract, plus a lightly cinnamon-spiced brown sugar topping, but even still… those cherries take the cake. Literally!
  • Texture: You may recognize this recipe because it’s based off of a popular favorite. Many readers absolutely adore our raspberry almond crumb cake and with good reason—the cake is extra buttery and soft with a layer of juicy raspberries and crisp crumbs on top. Today’s cherry buckle has the same texture, but we’re using more fruit and mixing the cherries directly in the batter. (Which is what we do when making this blackberry cream cheese crumb cake, too.)
  • Ease: This falls under our beginner recipes category. The batter is made from very basic baking ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. The crumb topping is optional, but you might as well throw it on top considering how easy it is. Mix flour, brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon together, then gently mix in melted butter until crumbly. That’s it. Deciding if this is for breakfast or dessert will be your hardest job.
Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (2)

Key Ingredients in This Cherry Buckle

Here’s everything you need to know about key ingredients used in this cherry buckle recipe. Give it a quick read before starting at home!

  • Flour: You’ll use all-purpose flour in both the cake batter and crumb topping. Some buckle recipes call for cake flour, but it proved much too light for the heavy cherries.
  • Baking Powder: The original crumb cake recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda. I skip the baking soda in this recipe because I didn’t want the cake to rise too tall. Really, the center of attention here is the cherries.
  • Sugar: Use white granulated sugar in the cake batter and brown sugar in the crumb topping. To simplify it, you could certainly use white granulated sugar in the topping but you’ll miss the brown sugar flavor. Do not use brown sugar in the batter because the baked buckle will taste too heavy.
  • Sour Cream: Cake recipes usually call for a liquid such as milk, but we’re using semi-liquid sour cream here. It keeps the crumb extra moist and tender—I wouldn’t swap for buttermilk because the dessert may end up tasting gooey. As a result of using sour cream, the cake batter is pretty thick. Do your best to fold in the cherries without over-mixing.
  • Cherries:I use and recommend fresh dark sweet cherries in this recipe. Pit them, then slice in half or quarters. You could easily use rainier or sour cherries with no changes to the recipe. You can use frozen cherries if needed, but make sure they are halved or quartered. Do not thaw. If using canned cherries, drain all liquid and chop in half before using. Do not use cherries canned in heavy syrup and do not use cherry pie filling because both are already sweetened.
  • Cinnamon & Almonds in Crumb Topping:These two add a little flair to the brown sugar crumb topping. I didn’t want anything to overpower the cherries, so I went light on both. We definitely enjoyed the crunch of the almonds on top and if you love a little texture, so will you.
Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (3)
Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (4)
Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (5)

*Special Baking Tools: I don’t use it often but when I need it, I am massively grateful that I have it… a cherry pitter. You will save so much prep time, effort, and mess. You’ll also need the correct size baking pan and I recommend an 8-inch square baking pan (here’s one I use and love), a deep dish pie dish, or a 9-inch springform pan for this cherry almond buckle. A 9-inch round cake pan is a little too small. A 9-inch square baking pan could work, but the buckle will be thin and thus require a shorter bake time.

(The pictured pie plate I’m using is from Target a few years ago and I can’t find it anymore!)

If you love baking with cherries, you’ll also love my cherry pie, cherry pie bars, cherry almond linzer cookies, and cherry pastry pies.

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Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (6)

Cherry Almond Buckle

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 33 reviews

  • Author: Sally
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Yield: serves 8
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Follow this easy recipe to make a soft and buttery buckle cake that’s loaded with sweet cherries and topped with brown sugar crumbles.

Ingredients

  • 1and 1/3 cups (166g)all-purpose flour()
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup(113g)unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup(150g)granulated sugar
  • 2largeeggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup(120ml) full-fatsour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract*
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (335g) halved or quartered fresh cherries*

Crumb Topping

  • 1/4 cup(31g)all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup(50g) packed light or darkbrown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons (28g)unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup(22g)sliced almonds*

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie dish, a 9-inch springform pan, or an 8-inch square baking pan.
  2. Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may look curdled; that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick. Carefully fold in the cherries and do not overmix. The batter will likely have streaks of pink; that’s ok. Spoon and spread into prepared pan. Set aside.
  4. Make the crumb topping:With a fork, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Stir in the melted butter until crumbs form. Do not overmix because the mixture will turn into a paste. Keep it crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb mixture and sliced almonds evenly on top of batter.
  5. Bake for 38-45 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The buckle is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the buckle is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
  6. Remove from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Those cherries are pretty hot.
  7. Cover leftover dessert tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because of the fresh fruit, this dessert tastes best within the first couple days.

Notes

  1. Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked and cooled buckle for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Cherry Pitter | 9-inch Deep Dish Pie Dish, 9-inch Springform Pan, or 8-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
  3. Baking Pan: I recommend an 8-inch square baking pan (here’s one I use and love), a deep dish pie dish, or a 9-inch springform pan for this cherry almond buckle. A 9-inch round cake pan is a little too small. A 9-inch square baking pan could work, but the buckle will be thin and thus require a shorter bake time.
  4. Sour Cream: Full fat sour cream is a key ingredient in this batter. I don’t suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid. Plain full-fat yogurt is the best replacement.
  5. Almond Extract & Almonds: Feel free to skip the almond extract and/or sliced almonds on top. If skipping the almond extract, I recommend adding about 1 teaspoon of lemon zest for some extra flavor. And if you’d like to top with another nut, chopped pecans or walnuts are excellent here.
  6. Cherries: I use and recommend fresh dark sweet cherries in this recipe. Pit them, then slice in half or quarters. You could easily use rainier or sour cherries with no changes to the recipe. You can use frozen cherries if needed, but make sure they are halved or quartered. Do not thaw. If using canned cherries, drain all liquid and chop in half before using. Do not use cherries canned in heavy syrup and do not use cherry pie filling because both are already sweetened. If you’d like to substitute the cherries, we’ve tested this with the same amount of blueberries (fresh or frozen—do not thaw) and they work wonderfully. For extra flavor, feel free to add 1 teaspoon lemon zest when you add the vanilla extract.
Cherry Almond Buckle Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

FAQs

What does sour cream do to a cake? ›

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

What is a buckle dessert? ›

A charmingly old-fashioned dessert that deserves a comeback, a buckle is a single-layer cake with berries or cut-up fruit in the batter, giving it a "buckled," or indented, appearance.

Is it better to put sour cream or milk in a cake? ›

Baking with Sour Cream: The creamy texture of sour cream makes baked goods more moist than if you used milk. This makes sour cream an excellent choice for recipes that are known to have drier results, like sponge cakes.

Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream in a cake recipe? ›

You can also experiment with a combination of whole milk and yogurt or sour cream, which will add a bit of body to your baked goods. While buttermilk is actually lower in fat than whole milk, its thicker consistency makes it a good substitute for heavy cream in your baked goods.

What is Dolly Parton dessert? ›

Fruit co*cktail with the juice Bake 350 Degrees F for 45. Minutes Serve with ice cream Bon Appetit!*

Why is it called a buckle cake? ›

A buckle is a funny name for an old fashioned fruit studded coffee cake. Like many other desserts in the extended cobbler family buckles take their name from their appearance—grunts grunt as they cook, slumps slump when served, buckles—you guessed it—buckle.

Why do they call it a buckle? ›

Its medieval French descendant, bouclé, was the word for the boss of a shield, which looks a little like a small cheek on the face of the shield. The use of the word was later extended to belt fasteners.

Does adding sour cream to cake change the taste? ›

Yes, it does. Many bakery classes in Chennai teach their students to include sour cream in the cake mix for more richness and variations in baked products. Sour cream is nothing but regular dairy cream, intentionally made bitter or sour by adding lactic acid.

What does sour cream replace in baking? ›

Yes, sour cream can be added to cake mix as an ingredient to add moisture and flavor to the cake. It is often used as a substitute for buttermilk or yogurt in cake recipes. The ratio of sour cream to cake mix will vary depending on the recipe, but a common ratio is 1 cup of sour cream to 1 box of cake mix.

What does sour cream replace in cake mix? ›

The best way to use sour cream with a boxed cake mix is to use it to replace the other liquids in the recipe, like milk or water. You can add up to a cup, or essentially the same amount of liquid you were originally meant to add, per the manufacturer's instructions.

Can I skip sour cream in cake? ›

The sour cream adds moisture and fat to the recipe so it will change the texture and the moistness of the cake. You might try substituting yogurt. You can also use 7/8ths of a cup of milk and 3 tablespoons butter.

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