The cake is dense and buttery. The cherries are tart and especially flavorful against the rich, yellow-cake background. The tangy cream cheese pairs perfectly with the cherries, while its creamy texture is a beautiful complement for both the cake and the filling.

The inspiration for this cake came from a jar of preserves I brought home from Cherry Republic, an impossible-to-fully-describe fantasy land in Glen Arbor, a town of unstoppable charm in the Leelanau Peninsula, one of the most stunning areas of natural beauty in the United States.

What you need:

FOR THE CAKE

8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
4.125 oz. (.75 cup) bread flour, plus more for pans
10.125 (2.25 cups) cake flour
1 Tbs + 1 tsp baking powder
.25 tsp salt
12.25 oz. (1.75 cups) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature (7 oz. – supplement with oil if necessary)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
10.625 oz. (1.25 cups) milk

FOR THE FILLING

12 oz. Cherry Republic “2016 Nouveau Fresh Montmorency Preserves”

FOR THE SOUR CREAM FROSSTING

2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
8 oz. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 Tbs + 1 tsp vanilla
1 lb 8 oz. (6 cups) confectioner’s sugar

How to do make the cake:

Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Preheat to 350°F. Mix dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, 5-6 minutes. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla. Alternately add milk and dry ingredients. Divide between pans, about 1 lb 14 oz. batter per pan. Bake 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and just starting to pull away from pans. Cool 20 minutes on racks, then remove from pans and cool completely.

How to make the frosting:

Blend cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on lowest speed until just combined. Add 1 lb + 10 oz. (a little more than 6 cups) sugar. Mix just until smooth. Continue adding sugar until frosting reaches a satisfying texture and sweetness. (You may not use all the sugar.)

How to assemble the cake:

Split both cakes horizontally. Pipe a ring of frosting around the circumference of each cake bottom. (You can do this with an offset spatula in a pinch.) Fill the rings with preserves, spreading them evenly. Frost the cake tops (beginning with a crumb coat). You’ll use one of these tops (the most attractive one) for the cake top, and the other will become one of the middle layers. For the latter, use extra frosting to create as even a layer as possible, compensating for any doming. Use a cake lifter to slide the layers into place: cherry-topped on bottom, then frosting-topped middle layer, cherry-topped, and frosting-topped topper. Frost the sides.

Keep refrigerated; allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Notes:

1. Don’t use parchment in the pans. Use good pans, instead.
2. These cakes won’t dome enough to make you want to use a magic ring. You can compensate for any doming with extra frosting.
3. You can use less butter – up to 50% less – and still produce a lovely frosting.
4. Best fresh, stays nice for about four days, fades away gracefully up to about a week after having been baked.

Cherry Cheese Cake

Cake recipe inspired by Martha Stewart. Frosting inspired by Cooks with Evie. Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! This content was not written in exchange for anything, nor was it solicited – not by Cherry Republic, nor by anyone else.

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