Newfoundland Cherry Cake. A big local favourite especially during the Holidays. The secret in this recipe is undiluted evaporated milk for added richness.

Newfoundland Cherry Cake.
Originally posted on December 3, 2007.
2026 Note added to recipe regarding doubling the recipe and baking in disposable aluminum pans.
Back to Christmas baking with a perennial favourite, Newfoundland Cherry Cake . Another very popular treat at this time of the year is the “Cherry Cake”.
A moist, dense pound cake with glacé cherries and flavoured with almond extract, this treat is a universal Christmas favourite in almost every Newfoundland household I know.
Red Glacé Cherries for Newfoundland Cherry Cake. Well rinsed & dried maraschino cherries can also be used.
I can’t tell you how many different recipes I’ve tried over the years for Newfoundland Cherry Cake. Recipes that use cake flour, recipes that use regular flour, recipes that use thick cream, recipes that use whipping cream, recipes that use whole milk, all butter recipes, recipes that combine shortening and butter.

Newfoundland Cherry Cake can also be made in a bundt pan.
I’ve tried them all and still keep coming back to this standard recipe that I’ve made for decades. It’s hard to imagine a Christmas in our home without it.

Ready for the oven

Fresh from the oven,
This is also a popular gift item from our household. There is a list of standard recipients among friends and family who depend upon their annual fix.

A Christmas favourite.
UPDATE.
One of our biggest dessert cake hits of the year was taking this recipe and adapting it to use fresh cherries. We made it several times during the summer and our family & friends just loved it. Find that Cherry Cake Recipe here.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our entire collection of Favourite Newfoundland Christmas Cakes here.

A Christmas favourite.
Newfoundland Cherry Cake is a must to have on hand in the freezer or for Holiday gift giving.

If you like this cake you will probably also recognize our very popular recipe for Apricot Raisin Cake. And for even more Newfoundland favourite Christmas Cake recipes click here.

It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram.
Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.

You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.


Newfoundland Cherry Cake.



Dolores
Saturday 15th of November 2025
Mine are in the oven right now...I can hardly wait to try this :)
Elizabeth
Sunday 3rd of September 2023
I made this cake a few days ago and it is the best cherry cake I have ever tasted! I followed the recipe exactly as written. The only thing I did differently was bake it for 1 hour 10 mins. After the first 50 mins I checked it with a toothpick several times to ensure it didn’t over bake. The evaporated milk certainly is the “secret ingredient” here. I have had cherry cakes made with tinned cream, cream cheese and sour cream but they don’t come close to being as delicious as this one.
Gerri
Saturday 11th of December 2021
What is undiluted evaporated milk ? Canned evapor..or sweetened condensed milk ?
Lynn Parsons
Monday 13th of December 2021
It’s canned evaporated milk-sometimes people add water . When you see undiluted in a recipe use it full strength and don’t add water.
Anita
Saturday 11th of December 2021
I have a question unrelated to your recipe. I have an old NL recipe that calls for. “1 tin of cream” Can you tell me what quantity that might be and if it’s evaporated can milk or actual cream? Thank you
Lynn Parsons
Saturday 11th of December 2021
That recipe would be referring to Fussels thick cream. It’s milk fat is 23%. It is sold in a 170 ml can. It’s delicious on fruit and is a staple in Newfoundland!
janet zwicker
Thursday 9th of December 2021
how long do you bake in 9 x 5 pans
Lynn Parsons
Saturday 11th of December 2021
I would check it after 45 minutes using a tooth pick.