This warm Summer dessert is made with fresh red currants and cream cheese filling. The tart flavor of red currants (Ribes rubrum) is balanced out by the most delicious vanilla cream cheese filling + cream cheese topping drizzled on top. Red currant cake is a perfect Summer treat to be served with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream! Make it for breakfast, midafternoon snack, or dessert.
Red currant cake
Made with fresh seasonal red currants, this colorful and vibrant red currant cake screams Summer! It is super easy to make, and will surely become a family favorite! Red currants have a wonderful sweet and tart flavor - but it can be overwhelming. Well, in this dessert, the tartness of red currants is balanced out by the sweet vanilla cream cheese filling. Additionally, once baked, the red currant cake is topped with a delicious vanilla cream cheese topping that also balances out the sourness of red currants. This cake is sweet enough and doesn't need any ice cream to taste good, but you can certainly serve it with your favorite ice cream! It takes only 20 minutes of prep time and about 45 minutes to 1 hour of baking (idle time) - a perfect recipe to make when you want to have a quick dessert for family and friends.
Easy and quick dessert
This light, soft, and moist red currant cake comes together quickly using basic ingredients, such as flour, butter, Greek, eggs, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. The cream cheese filling and topping are made using just a few simple ingredients. There is nothing complicated about this cake. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare, and 45 minutes to 1 hour to bake. You don't need to work hard to make red currant cake look beautiful - the little red berries do all the work for you!
What are red currants?
Red currants are small berries - about ½ inch in size (about 1 cm). Botanically speaking, they are also known as Ribes rubrum. It's a member of the gooseberry family. Red currants are edible fruit and are often used as an ornament. They have a tart flavor with bittersweet notes. The tartness of red currants is the result of high content of mixed polyphenols - which are beneficial plant compounds with antioxidant properties. Red currants are very healthy and a great ingredient to use in your baking and cooking.
When are red currants in season?
Red currants ripen in June and July and are usually in season from June to August.
Main ingredients
- Flour. Use regular all-purpose flour. You can also use gluten-free flour - this cake has been tested with King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Make sure both are fresh so that the cake rises.
- Butter. I use salted butter and did not add any extra salt. Use softened butter at room temperature.
- Sugar. Use regular granulated white sugar.
- Eggs make the cake moist and light.
- Vanilla. Use the highest quality vanilla extract.
- Greek yogurt adds a tang and moist texture to the cake. Sour cream can be used as a substitute.
- Red currants. These little red berries provide a bold and tart flavor.
- Cream cheese is combined with sugar, vanilla, and egg to make a delicious cream cheese filling. The cream cheese topping is made with cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar (no egg).
How to make red currant cake
1) First, you will start by preheating the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Grease the sides and the bottom of the cast-iron skillet with butter. (Note: I used a 10-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. You can also use a regular 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan or a 9x3-inch springform pan.)
2) Next, you will sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda together into a medium bowl.
3) Then, in a separate bowl, beat softened butter, sugar, and 2 eggs for about 2 minutes on high speed until very light in color and fluffy. Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and continue beating until very creamy and light in color, for about 1 more minute. Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mixture until combined. Do not overmix.
4) Transfer the cake batter to the baking pan. Pour the cream cheese filling (the one with the egg mixed in) on top. Top with 1 cup of red currants - scattered across the whole surface of the cake.
5) Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and top the cake with one more cup of red currants - scatter them across the top of the cake.
6) Bake for 25 or 35 more minutes (depending on your oven), until the cake turns golden, and the tester comes out clean in the center. Total baking time should be between 45 minutes and 1 hour. When the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool.
7) When serving, top the cake with ½ cup of fresh red currants and drizzle the cake with the cream cheese topping (the one without the egg).
What can you use instead of red currants?
The next best choice would be black currants (cassis). You can also use raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries.
What kind of baking dish to use?
I used a 10-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. You can also use a 9x3-inch springform pan. Or, use a high-sided 9-inch regular round cake pan (make sure it's at least 2 inches tall, or taller, not the short kind).
Can you make it gluten-free?
Yes, you can! I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free flour and it worked great! Just follow the recipe as is.
Baking tips
- Use a scale to measure flour or aerate the flour well. Aerate the flour by fluffing it with a spoon and adding it into your measuring cup with the spoon instead of just packing the flour into the cup. This will prevent the flour from overpacking. Overpacking the flour results in a denser cake texture.
- Do not overmix the cake batter. Be sure to combine the liquid and dry cake batter ingredients thoroughly without overmixing. Overmixing will result in a dense texture.
- You can use either sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Grease the cast-iron pan or any other baking pan with a small amount of butter before adding the cake batter.
- Halfway through baking, add extra red currants on top of the cake for presentation purposes, and return the cake to baking.
Storage Tips
- Fridge. Store red currant cake for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Can you freeze this cake? Once the cake is completely cool, freeze it within 2 days of baking. Wrap it tightly in an airtight plastic wrap and transfer it to a freezer bag or a sturdier freezer container.
Other Summer cakes you might like
- Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake
- Fresh Cherry Cake
- Peach Coffee Cake with Vanilla Glaze
- Peach Cream Cheese Cake with Streusel Topping
- Apple, Blueberry, Peach Coffee Cake
Red Currant Cake
Ingredients
Cake ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 oz butter softened (4 tablespoons)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2.5 cups red currants
Cream cheese filling
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Cream cheese topping
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- I used a 10-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. You can also use a regular 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan or a 9x3-inch springform pan.
- Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease the sides and the bottom of the baking pan with butter.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda, together into a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat 2 oz of softened butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 eggs until very light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes on high speed.
- Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and continue beating until very creamy and light in color, for about 1 more minute.
- Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mix until combined. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the cake batter to the baking pan.
- Pour the cream cheese filling (the one with the egg mixed in) on top.
- Top with 1 cup of red currants - scattered across the whole surface of the cake.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and top the cake with one more cup of red currants - scatter them across the top of the cake.
- Bake for 25 or 35 more minutes (depending on your oven), until the cake turns golden, and the tester comes out clean in the center. Total baking time should be between 45 minutes and 1 hour (depending on your oven and the type of baking pan you use).
- When the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool.
- When serving, scatter ½ cup of fresh red currant on top of the cake and drizzle the cake with the cream cheese topping (the one without the egg).
Notes
- What kind of baking pan to use? I used a 10-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. You can also use a 9x3-inch springform pan. Or, use a high-sided 9-inch regular round cake pan (make sure it's at least 2 inches tall, or taller, not the short kind).
- Can you make it gluten-free? I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free flour and it worked great! Just follow the recipe as is.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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