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Newfoundland Cherry Cake

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 photo of a cake being sliced on a marble cutting board.

Newfoundland Cherry Cake

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 Cherry Vanilla Cheesecake Bars, pictured in a glass bowl.

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.

Close up photo of a slice of Newfoundland cherry cake baked in a bundt pan

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.

Newfoundland Cherry Cake loaves in disposable aluminum pans ready for the oven

Ready for the oven

Newfoundland Cherry Cake loaves cooling on a wire rack

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.

Newfoundland Cherry Cake sliced on an antique clear glass platter

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.

Cherry Cake

Cherry Cake using fresh cherries!

Updated December 2020.

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our entire collection of Favourite Newfoundland Christmas Cakes here.

Best Newfoundland Christmas Cake Recipes

Newfoundland Cherry Cake sliced on an antique clear glass platter

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.

Newfoundland Cherry Cake baked in a bundt pan

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Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too. 

 

Newfoundland Cherry Cake photo of a sliced loaf cake on a marble board surrounded by Christmas decorations

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Newfoundland Cherry cake overhead photo of cake slices on an antique glass platter
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Originally posted on December 3, 2007.

Newfoundland Cherry Cake photo of a cake being sliced on a marble cutting board.
Yield: 32 Servings (1 large cake or 2 smaller 9x5 inch loaves)

Newfoundland Style Cherry Cake – a traditional Christmas favorite

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chopped glace cherries (About 2 1/2 cups) + 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 ½ cups butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup lukewarm, undiluted evaporated milk

Instructions

  1. Rinse the cherries in a colander to remove any syrup that they may have been stored in. Pat them day between layers of paper towels.This step helps prevent the cherries sinking into the batter as well. Depending on their size, cut them into halves or quarters and set aside for later. They will get tossed in 1/4 cup of flour later but not until just before they are folded into the batter.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar well.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  5. Sift together the 3 cups of flour and baking powder.
  6. Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the lukewarm milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. As a general rule, I add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the milk in 2 portions.
  7. Fold in the chopped glace cherries that have been tossed at the last minute in the 1/4 cup flour.
  8. Bake in greased and floured spring form pan, tube pan or two 9x5 inch loaf pans, lined with parchment paper. ( If you like, you can make this recipe in 3 disposable 8x4 inch pans by adjusting the ingredient amounts. See NOTES section below for the correct ingredients amounts, which are about 1/3 more than the standard recipe amounts.)
  9. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes - 1 hour depending upon the size of your cake pan/s. (Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes - 1 hour depending upon the size of your pan.
  10. Baking times vary greatly on this recipe so rely on the toothpick test to ensure that it is properly baked. When a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, its done. Be careful not to go past this stage or the cake will be dry.
  11. Let the cake cool in the pan/s for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    To make three, 8x4 inch loaf cakes, use the ingredient amounts below. ( I buy disposable aluminum loaf pans at the dollar store, supermarket, or Walmart for this and use them several times before recycling them.)

    21 ounce chopped glace cherries (about 3 1/2 cups) + 1/3 cup flour
    2 cups butter
    2 2/3 cups sugar
    4 eggs
    2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    2 1/2 tsp almond extract
    4 cups flour
    2 tsp baking powder
    1 1/3 cups lukewarm, undiluted evaporated milk

    Recommended Products

    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.

    Nutrition Information

    Yield

    32

    Serving Size

    32 Servings (1 large cake or 2 smaller 8x4 inch loaves)

    Amount Per Serving Calories 199Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 43mgSodium 107mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 1gSugar 15gProtein 3g

    The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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    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.

    Sandra

    Wednesday 8th of December 2021

    Do you think I could use raisins and cherries to equal the amount of cherries called for? Also would love to add nuts?

    I love your site. Made the BEST PECAN PIE BARS yesterday. They were wonderful. I have told everybody about your site.

    Sandra

    Saturday 11th of December 2021

    @Sandra, Update…….turned out terrific……I baked in 3 disposable pans. They did take a longer time to bake but that could be my oven.

    Lynn Parsons

    Thursday 9th of December 2021

    Sure!

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