Bake

Cherry Danish Cake by Sarah Fennel

by:
October  9, 2024
4
13 Ratings
Cherry Danish Cake by Sarah Fennel
Photo by Nea Arentzen
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves one 9x13-inch cake
Author Notes

"Cherry Danishes are one of those desserts that I'll immediately point to at the bakery case but that I don't want to attempt to make at home. Braid puff pastry? I can barely braid my own hair, thank you. And while I'm being a little dramatic, turns out that nonconfrontation leads to inno-vation: this Cherry Danish Cake. It's 100% of the flavors and 10% of the work. It's a buttery vanilla cake swirled with cherry jam and topped with a cream cheese icing and sliced almonds, just like a traditional Danish. And yet, it's cake. Heaven."–Sarah Fennel from Broma Bakery

"Sweet Tooth: 100 Desserts to Save Room For" by Sarah Fennel, © 2024. Published by Clarkson Potter.
—Food52

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Cherry Danish Cake by Sarah Fennel
Ingredients
  • FOR THE CAKE
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/3 cups full-fat sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cherry jam or preserves of choice
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, for topping
  • FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. First, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch rectangular baking pan with parchment paper on all sides.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter and granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and deal and smooth. Add the sour cream (or yogurt) and beat until combined.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined and no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and use the silicone spatula to spread it evenly to the edges.
  5. Drop 10 to 12 spoonfuls of the cherry jam on top of the cake batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the jam into the batter.
  6. Bake until the cake is lightly golden brown on top and a butter knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean (a crumb or two attached is okay), 40 to 45 minutes. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan.
  7. Last, make the cream cheese icing. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt until combined. If the mixture is too thick, put it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Use the parchment paper to lift the cake from the pan, then transfer the cake to a cutting board. Drizzle the icing over the warm cake, then sprinkle with sliced almonds before slicing and serving.
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8 Reviews

Mzimmer
Mzimmer November 29, 2024
I am a very experienced baker and have tried this recipe twice, both with disappointing results. All of my ingredients were at room temperature and resulted in a thick dough. Despite the 2 tablespoons of baking powder, the cake did not rise more than 1/2”. The taste was okay but not as described. I won’t try it a third time - not worth it.
All said, this is the first disappointing recipe from Food52.
 
Cris J.
Cris J. November 29, 2024
The recipe indicates only 1 Tablespoon of baking powder. That might have been an issue for your cake?
 
Mzimmer
Mzimmer November 29, 2024
My mistake. I did only use 1. Thanks for picking that up. I can’t really account for my lack of success with the recipe.
 
Julie
Julie November 24, 2024
Made this exactly as written but cut in half. Tastes great, the sour cream adds a nice tang, next time I will try the yogurt option since I will be making this again.
 
AEDyer
AEDyer October 24, 2024
It is great! I used blueberry jam! Tastes like a Danish!! Easy! Yummy!
 
Ashley M.
Ashley M. October 19, 2024
So easy to make! I also appreciated how attractive the final product looks. Love all of the flavors. The sour cream adds tang, the almond extract is a delightful compliment, and of course cherries! Huge hit. Didn't last the day with my family of 4. Would definitely add to the rotation for holiday baking.
 
Cris J.
Cris J. October 17, 2024
I made this today, using Stonewall Kitchen's Sour Cherry Jam. This recipe was easy and tastes wonderful. I gave most of it away to our always appreciative building staff, so I cannot speak about how long it will keep.
My only gripe about this recipe, is that Food 52 should make their recipes consistent -- using both cup measurements AND weights in grams. It's not hard to do -- it took me an extra five minutes to do the conversions, so I was able to use less dishes and it was more accurate.
Oh, and I thought the sliced almonds were too few, so I used closer to 2/3 cup (70 grams!) and oven toasted them before sprinkling over the frosting.
 
Sharon
Sharon October 15, 2024
Amarena cherries make this heavenly. Thicken the syrup a bit if you want.