It’s the most wonderful time of year: cherry season. Those glossy, jewel-like cherries start appearing everywhere, and suddenly my cart is full. They put them in little clear bags under a giant sign that screams “$5.99!” and if you miss the tiny “per pound” underneath, you may leave the store with far more than you planned. I’m guilty — I’ll toss a few into the cart and somehow walk out with enough cherries to make a dent in my grocery budget. But I don’t regret it. Cherries and avocados are two of my love languages; I’ll happily splurge.
Every year I say the same things about cherries. I can’t help it — they’re worth it. When they’re perfectly ripe they’re explosive with juice and flavor, and they transform even simple baked goods.
I’ll admit I’m more of a cook than a baker. I resist rules, measuring, and rigid instructions; in the kitchen I like to improvise. But this cake is one of those rare bakes that makes me follow a recipe because the result is that good. The batter itself, when mixed with the ripest berries, is an absolute revelation. The baked cake is tender and comforting, but it’s the creamy batter studded with juicy fruit that I could eat by the spoonful.
The berries can be folded into the batter or scattered on top before adding the crumb layer. Both methods work — I can never decide which I prefer. What I do know is this: the crumb topping is my favorite part. Crispy, buttery crumbs breaking against soft cake and juicy fruit — I’ll take that every time. I won’t even pretend to share it if I’m feeling particularly selfish.
This cake is wonderfully versatile. It’s a perfect breakfast treat with a cup of coffee, a mid-afternoon snack, or a simple dessert. The crumbly top gives it a coffee-cake vibe that makes it feel right at home at any time of day. Serve it warm with a cappuccino and you’ve got a little slice of bliss — no guilt required.
Below is the full recipe for Cherry Berry Buttermilk Crumb Cake. The recipe yields an 8×8 cake and takes roughly two hours total, including cooling time. The crumb topping is made from a combination of granulated and brown sugar, a touch of salt, melted butter and flour, mixed until it resembles sandy crumbs. The cake batter itself is rich and fluffy thanks to a bit of butter added in pieces, vanilla, buttermilk, one whole egg plus an extra yolk, and a blend of dry ingredients that includes baking soda.
Cherry Berry Buttermilk Crumb Cake
1 (8×8) cake
2 hrs
Ingredients
Crumb
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 1 cup bing cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped strawberries
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for tossing the berries)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
Crumb
- Whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and melted butter until smooth. Stir in the flour until the mixture is moistened and resembles sandy crumbs. Set aside.
Cake
- Add the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt to the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dry ingredients form coarse crumbs. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, eggs and buttermilk. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy; the batter will be thick.
- Place the cherries, blueberries and strawberries in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons flour. Fold the berries into the cake batter with a spatula.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer jiggly. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
The cake base was adapted from a classic crumb cake; feel free to use your favorite crumb-cake method as a starting point.
So go buy some cherries (try not to let the price shock you), bake this crumb cake, and enjoy. It’s snack-ready, breakfast-ready and dessert-ready — truly snacks for life.