Fresh Cherry Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze (15 Min Prep)
Sweet cherries, lemon zest, and sour cream baked into a buttery loaf, then drizzled with a two-ingredient lemon glaze. This cherry loaf cake takes 15 minutes to pull together, bakes in one pan, and slices beautifully for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Servings 10 slices
Calories 327kcal
Ingredients
Cherry Loaf Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick / 113 g) softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 large lemon zest
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream (80 g) at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (208 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sweet cherries (225 g), pitted and halved
- 1 tablespoon flour for dusting the cherries
Lemon Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (90 g) sifted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the two long sides. The overhang is what lets you lift the cake out cleanly after baking.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and zest: In a large bowl or a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so everything is evenly mixed.
- Add the eggs and sour cream: Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition until combined. Scrape the bowl again to keep the mixture smooth. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Fold in the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a spatula, gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Fold gently until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Add the cherries: Pat the pitted and halved cherries dry with paper towels if they are very juicy. Toss them gently with 1 tablespoon of flour, then carefully fold them into the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Lift it out using the parchment overhang and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Glaze and serve: While the cake cools, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the completely cooled cake. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt.
Notes
- Cherries: I recommend using fresh sweet red cherries (Bing or Rainier). Frozen pitted cherries will work too. Do not thaw them; just halve them frozen and add 3 to 5 minutes to the bake time. Whatever you use, pat the cherries dry and toss them with the tablespoon of flour so they stay suspended in the batter.
- Can I use sour cherries? Yes, but add 2 tablespoon of extra sugar to the batter and pat the cherries very dry first.
Room temperature ingredients: I take the butter, eggs, and sour cream out about an hour before I start. Cold ingredients cause the creamed butter to seize, and you lose the light, tender crumb. - Measuring flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off, or weigh it. Packed flour makes a dry loaf.
- If the top browns too fast: Tent the loaf loosely with aluminum foil after about 40 minutes and keep baking.
- Glaze consistency: For a thicker drizzle, add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. For a thinner one, add lemon juice ½ teaspoon at a time.
- Glaze only when fully cool. A warm loaf will melt the glaze straight into the cake instead of setting on top of it.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Room temperature: Store the glazed loaf in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Up to 5 days in an airtight container. Let slices come to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
- Freezer: Freeze the unglazed loaf for up to date 2 months, wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of heavy-duty foil. Thaw overnight at room temperature and glaze before serving.
- Make ahead: Bake the loaf a day early and glaze it a few hours before serving. It tastes even better on day two.
Nutrition
Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 428IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg