Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
Cherry Crumb Cake is a fun cake to make when cherries are in season!

Cherry season goes by fast so I take advantage however I possibly can. I buy pounds and pounds of them, my daughters and I pit them, and then we freeze the berries for cobblers, pies and crisps in the fall.
I also like to make a batch of cherry brandy for Christmastime. To do this, I put 2 cups of cherries in a large wide-mouth Mason jar and top with a good quality brandy. It sits in the pantry until December, and makes for a lovely after-dinner drink.
I was at my parent’s house when I tested this recipe. I didn’t tell anyone the cake was gluten-free, and my Dad said it was the best cake he’s ever had! He actually told me I had to name it “Dad’s ‘I Won’t Share’ Cherry Crumb Cake”, because seriously, he didn’t want to share it with anyone! 🙂
The base of the cherry crumb cake is a basic lightly-sweetened almond flour cake, then you layer a pound of cherries on the cake batter and finish with a sweet crumble topping. It’s best the day you bake it and can be served for a decadent breakfast or summertime dessert.
PrintCherry Crumb Cake (Gluten-Free)
Adapted from Baked July/August 2017 Issue.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup maple sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons whole milk or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (make sure it's grain-free)
- 1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1 pound fresh pitted cherries (I use this cherry pitter)
For the topping:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup maple sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1/2 cup soaked and dehydrated pecans or walnuts
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and adjust the rack to the middle position.
- Place the butter and maple sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer with the beater attachment. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. With mixer on low, beat each egg in until fully incorporated. Mix in almond extract and vanilla extract.
- In a small measuring cup, combine milk and lemon juice and let sit while you prep the rest of the cake.
- Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot, baking powder, gelatin and sea salt in a mixing bowl.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk/lemon mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
- Pour the batter into a buttered 9-inch cake pan (preferably one with a removable bottom). Place the cherries in an even layer on top of the cake batter.
- Make the topping by placing the almond flour, coconut flour, gelatin, maple sugar, sea salt and nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for eight 1-second pulses. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture forms moist clumps. Using your hands, sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the cherries.
- Bake until golden brown, about 55 minutes to 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove the cake from the pan. Cool completely and then serve. Best served the day it’s baked.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Serves 9




Do you buy your cherries from a farmer’s market, or just the store? I’m wondering if it would be cost effective for me to buy them at the store. Thanks!
I don’t have a market close to me, so I buy them at the health food store.
For anyone who is wondering about frozen cherries; my advice is, be sure to use a large enough metal pan, like carrie says to use. OR use fewer cherries. I am currently waiting for this cake to finish baking, and it’s going on 1:40 mins. I used a square pyrex and one pound of frozen tart cherries. The problem is the cherries are releasing water, and the top is getting too dark.
I put foil loosely on top, and am going to keep baking it until it’s done. The center is still not done. I was trying to see what I could get away with!!! Lesson learned. I’d say over all, if made correctly this cake would be just great. I just noticed carrie saying to share if you tried something different, to comment on how it goes! So that’s my advice!
Thank you for all the great content. Love your recipes.
Does it have to be maple sugar? I don’t have that on hand. Also will frozen cherries work? What about dehydrated almonds as to pecans?
I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
CHERRIES!!! I will have to try this, so yum!!!!
Looks wonderful! I am getting cherries soon.
Can I substitute agar agar for gelatin
Can the butter be replaced with ghee 1:1?
I made this for breakfast this morning! We loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Carrie,
Could you freeze this cake?
I haven’t tested it, but I think it would freeze well.
Can you sub maple sugar for coconut sugar? Also, may be a silly question but how do you pit your cherries?
I haven’t tested it, but I think it would work well. Here’s the cherry pitter I’ve been using for a the last few years. It works great! https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/oxo-olive-and-cherry-pitter/?pkey=e%7Ccherry%2Bpitter%7C47%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH
Can you sub maple sugar for coconut sugar? Also, may be a silly question but how do you pit your cherries?
I’m interested in this too!
I’m interested in this also!
Jayme, I use a kitchen funnel turned upside down and push a cherry so that the pit falls through the hole onto a plate below. Hope that helps.
Could you use blue berries instead?
I haven’t tested it with blueberries, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well!
I have made this twice now with blackberries and it was marvelous!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Made this for brunch today, it is absolutely delicious with a wonderful blend and balance of flavors. Adding this to our favorites folder. Quote from husband “nommy nommy nom!”. Says it all really 🙂
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! 🙂
Is it possible to use frozen cherries?
Thanks!
I used coconut sugar in place of maple sugar and it turned out great! I also made one with apricots and one with blueberries. Both were delicious! I’m going to try it with plumbs next and then maybe I’ll actually try cherries! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Do you have a cherry pitter you like to use? I usually do it by hand, but with pounds of berries to pit, I’d like a good one.
This is the one I have, and it works great! https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/oxo-olive-and-cherry-pitter/?pkey=e%7Ccherry%2Bpitter%7C47%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH
Carrie, I cannot wait to make this! On special Saturday mornings when I was a kid, my father would go to a wonderful bakery in our town and bring home fresh cherry crumb cake. It was so good! And your cherry brandy recipe also brings back a sweet memory. My father would take a huge, heavy glass jug and fill it about halfway with fresh cherries from my grandparents’ tree. He would fill it the rest of the way with vodka–lots and lots of vodka! It was called (and forgive my feeble attempt at phonetic Russian spelling) “vichnyak”. Sometimes it would sit in our dark, cold basement for a couple of years, getting better and better. The adults would drink the cherry vodka, and we kids were allowed a few of the soaked cherries. Amazing!!!
Sounds so good! I do the same thing with berries in the summer. It’s so fun to pull out the infused spirits during the holidays!
I plan to try this, can I us coconut oil in place of butter? I am vegetarian and would like to leave out the gelatin if possible.
I haven’t tested the recipe with substitutions or with leaving ingredients out, so I don’t know which subs would work that would lend the exact same texture and flavor.
Hi –
Do you pit the cherries for your cherry brandy?
Thanks!
Almond, coconut make me choke since the stroke tookout the left vocal chord.I’ll try it with gluten free flour.